Opening system for door of freeze dryer

Abstract

An opening system (1) for a door (22) of a freeze dryer (101) having a freeze drying chamber bounded by a plurality of walls is disclosed. The chamber can be accessed through a window (103) obtained in the vertical wall of the chamber to load and remove containers containing the product to be freeze-dried therein. The system comprises a door (22) configured to block the window (103) of the freeze dryer (101), a transmission mechanism (2) configured to control opening and closing of the door (22), and a support wall (3) configured to support the transmission mechanism.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an opening system for a door of a freeze dryer.

[0002] The freeze drying process is the process of removing the solvent or suspending medium (usually water) from the product. Pharmaceutical freeze drying is usually an aseptic process, requiring sterile conditions within the freeze drying chamber. It is crucial to ensure that all parts of the freeze drying system that come into contact with the product are sterile, and in addition to ensuring that the environment surrounding the freeze dryer is easy to clean and does not become a possible source of contamination for the product entering and leaving the system.

[0003] Freeze drying system usually comprises freeze drying chamber, and this freeze drying chamber is defined by a plurality of walls and is configured to receive a plurality of containers or vials comprising sterile material to be freeze dried.Enter this chamber to load and remove vials through the window formed in the vertical wall of this chamber.The shape of this window is roughly rectangular, and its opening or closing depends on the positioning of the door moving vertically, to block or release the passage through window.Generally speaking, opening system comprises a transmission mechanism with a plurality of mechanical parts, and this transmission mechanism is suitable for transmitting the motion produced by actuator, so that door is moved automatically.Need actuator to be inserted into the specific position that is shielded and usually away from the door to be moved, this introduces the needs to the articulated transmission mechanism with a large number of parts, these parts are usually exposed to the external environment of freeze drying machine, but still in aseptic area.

[0004] Maintaining sterile conditions inside the freeze dryer requires periodic cleaning and disinfection of the door and its associated opening system. In addition, the area in front of the freeze dryer's access window must also be maintained under sterile conditions.

[0005] A disadvantage of the prior art is that the opening system consists of a large number of components which must be arranged in the vicinity of the door to be operated and, since the area in front of the door must be kept under sterile conditions, this means that it takes longer to clean these components and that the process is more difficult. Furthermore, the morphology of the door opening system also makes cleaning the system difficult.

[0006] An example of these systems is described in patent application WO2005 / 088216A1, whose opening mechanism comprises a first shaft connected to an actuator in its central part and to two threaded shafts at the ends. These threaded shafts are positioned on the respective sides relative to the door and are connected to the door for its movement. As can be easily understood, cleaning the threaded shafts is difficult due to the grooves in the threads, and their friction with the threaded gears that transmit the movement generated by the actuator can produce debris that contaminates the product to be freeze-dried.

[0007] Furthermore, even if the threaded shaft is covered with an elastic sleeve or "bellows", these are not without disadvantages.

[0008] Therefore, there is a technical need for an improved opening system with a limited number of components exposed to the external environment and for a compact implementation in order to have an easier and faster cleaning process, and for an opening system that does not generate dust during its operation.

[0009] The object of the present invention is to solve this requirement by providing a system for opening the door of a freeze dryer. The system according to claim 1 comprises a motion transmission mechanism configured to control the opening and closing of the door and a support wall supporting the transmission mechanism.

[0010] The invention is disclosed and characterized in the independent claim. The dependent claims disclose further characteristics of the invention or preferred variants of the main solution.

[0011] Embodiments described herein relate to a door opening system for a freeze dryer, the system comprising a motion transmission mechanism and a support wall for the mechanism.

[0012] According to embodiments described herein, the motion transmission mechanism comprises a first wheel associated with the wall, a second wheel associated with the first lever, and a third wheel rigidly coupled to the second lever.

[0013] According to an embodiment provided herein, the transmission mechanism comprises a main drive shaft rotating about a rotation axis X, wherein the first wheel is mounted coaxially with the drive shaft.

[0014] According to the embodiments described herein, the second lever is rotatably coupled to the door in a second distal region thereof so as to open and close the door.

[0015] According to a characteristic aspect of the invention, the device comprises a closed box in which said first wheel, said second wheel and said third wheel are housed.

[0016] According to an embodiment, the closed box is configured to rotate about the axis of rotation X at a rotation speed equal to the rotation speed of said main drive shaft.

[0017] According to embodiments provided herein, the first transmission lever is formed to be at least partially housed within the closed box.

[0018] An advantage of the opening system according to the invention is that cleaning operations of the mechanical components which are part of the system and which are arranged around the access window of the freeze dryer are facilitated since they are enclosed inside the enclosure.

[0019] Another advantage of the invention is that it avoids the dispersion of possible particles that could be detached by friction between the mechanical parts of the opening system, these particles being retained inside the closed box.

[0020] Another advantage of the present invention is the compactness of the opening system with few moving parts. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] These and other aspects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments provided by way of non-limiting examples and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0022] - Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an opening system according to the present invention applied to a freeze dryer;

[0023] - Figure 2 is a schematic axonometric view showing the construction of an opening system according to the present invention;

[0024] - Figure 3 Is to open the system along Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a cross section of plane III;

[0025] - Figure 4 is a schematic axonometric view of a portion of a transmission system forming part of an opening mechanism according to the invention.

[0026] To facilitate understanding, the same reference numerals are used as much as possible in the drawings to identify the same elements. It should be understood that elements and features of one embodiment can be conveniently combined in other embodiments without further explanation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present invention, one or more examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. Each example is provided in a manner to illustrate the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. For example, features shown or described as a part of one embodiment may be used to produce further embodiments on other embodiments or in association with other embodiments. It should be understood that the present invention will include such modifications and variations.

[0028] Before describing the embodiments, it should also be clear that the present specification is not limited in its operation to the construction and arrangement details of the components as described in the following description using the accompanying drawings. The present disclosure may include other embodiments and be made or practiced in various other ways. In addition, it should be clear that the words and terms used herein are for descriptive purposes and should not be considered as limiting.

[0029] The embodiment described using the accompanying drawings relates to an opening system 1 for a door 22 of a freeze dryer 101, of which only one wall is shown. The freeze dryer 101 is used to remove solvents or their suspending media, typically such as water, from a drug. The machine is equipped with a freeze drying chamber separated from the external environment by a plurality of walls. One of these walls ( Figure 1 ) is provided with an access window 103 configured to allow one or more containers or vials containing a sterile product on which the freeze drying process is to be performed to be inserted into the chamber.

[0030] The system 1 is particularly suitable for use in the pharmaceutical field for automatically moving a door associated with a window of a freeze-drying chamber in order to enable the insertion and removal of the product to be processed.

[0031] like Figure 1 As can be seen in FIG. 1 , the opening system 1 comprises a door 22 which is configured to close the access window 103 of the freeze dryer 101 .

[0032] The opening system 1 further comprises a motion transmission mechanism 2 which is configured to automatically control the opening and closing of the door 22 , as will be explained in more detail below.

[0033] The opening system 1 further comprises a support wall 3 which is configured to support the transmission mechanism 2 .

[0034] In one embodiment, the supporting wall 3 coincides with one of the walls delimiting the freeze-drying chamber of the machine.

[0035] The supporting wall 3 has a preferably substantially vertical arrangement, parallel to the development surface of the window 103 .

[0036] The door 22 is preferably movable between two operating positions: a closed position, in which the door 22 closes the window 103, and an open position, in which the window 103 is open and allows access to the chamber.

[0037] According to an embodiment, the door 22 is in the closed position (in Figure 1 The door 22 has a deployment surface which is preferably substantially vertically arranged and parallel to the window 103 when it is in the lowered position. The door 22 performs a sliding movement along a movement trajectory which is at least partially linear and parallel to the window 103 and the support wall 3 when it is controlled to open or close between the two operating positions.

[0038] according to Figure 3 and Figure 4In the embodiment visible in FIG. 2 , the transmission mechanism 2 comprises a main drive shaft 4 rotatable about a first axis of rotation X substantially perpendicular to the support wall. The main drive shaft 4 is connected at its initial portion to actuator means 10 which generate the movement necessary to move the door 22 .

[0039] The actuator device 10 according to the preferred embodiment may be positioned on the opposite side of the support wall 3 relative to the transmission mechanism 2 so as to have the main drive shaft 4 passing through the support wall 3 .

[0040] According to an embodiment, the main drive shaft 4 can be directly connected to the actuator 10 or can be connected to the actuator via a joint device 24 (such as, for example, a cardan joint, a gear, a belt or a chain). According to an embodiment, the support wall 3 includes a through hole through which the main drive shaft 4 passes. According to different alternative embodiments, the support wall 3 includes a cavity configured to at least partially accommodate the joint device 24.

[0041] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As can be seen in the figure, the transmission mechanism 2 comprises a first wheel 5, which is mounted coaxially with the main drive shaft 4 and fixed to the support wall 3 to prevent rotation. In this way, even during the rotation of the main drive shaft 4, the first wheel 5 is fixed relative to both the support wall 3 and the main drive shaft.

[0042] According to an embodiment, the transmission mechanism 2 comprises a first transmission lever 6, which is rigidly coupled to the drive shaft 4 in a first proximal region of the first transmission lever 6. By means of this coupling, the first transmission lever 6 can rotate around a first rotation axis X jointly with a rotation of the main drive shaft 4.

[0043] The transmission mechanism includes a rotatable Figure 4 6 . The second idler wheel 7 has as its rotation axis a second rotation axis Y which is preferably parallel to the first rotation axis X. The second idler wheel 7 cooperates with the first wheel 5 in an idling manner.

[0044] According to an embodiment, the transmission mechanism 2 comprises a third wheel 8, which cooperates with the second idler wheel 7 and is rotatably coupled to the first transmission lever 6 in a first distal region. In fact, the second idler wheel 7 can rotate relative to the first transmission lever 6. According to an embodiment, the transmission mechanism 2 comprises a second transmission lever 9, which is mounted to be rigidly coupled to the third wheel 8 in its second proximal region. In fact, when the third wheel 8 rotates, the second lever 9 also rotates. Preferably, the third wheel 8 is rigidly coupled to the second lever 9 via a transmission pin 25, which in turn is mounted coaxially with the third wheel 8. In this way, the second lever 9 rotates together with the rotation of the third wheel 8 according to a common third rotation axis Z parallel to the first rotation axis X.

[0045] Thus, the rotation of the main drive shaft 4 rotates the first transmission lever 6, which in turn drives the second idler wheel 7, which in turn rotates on the fixed first wheel 5. In fact, the second idler wheel 7 rotates in a direction of rotation opposite to the direction of rotation of the main drive shaft 4. In this way, the third wheel 8 cooperating with the second idler wheel 7 is set to a rotational movement with an axis of rotation Z and a direction of rotation corresponding to the axis of rotation Z and the direction of rotation of the main drive shaft 4.

[0046] In this way, the second transmission lever 9 rotates together with the rotation of the third wheel 8 .

[0047] According to an embodiment, said second transmission lever 9 is coupled to the door 22 in its second distal region so as to move the door when opening and closing as a function of the rotation of said main drive shaft 4 .

[0048] The opening system described herein is characterized in that the first wheel 5 , the second wheel 7 and the third wheel 8 are housed in a closed box 11 .

[0049] The closed box 11 is constructed as a plurality of walls which delimit a closed inner space in which the indicated mechanical elements are accommodated.

[0050] The closed box 11 is arranged to accommodate at least the above three wheels and is configured to be conveniently opened by an operator for maintenance or inspection of the mechanical parts accommodated therein. It should be clear that the box 11 can be implemented as a plurality of shells installed around the mechanical parts to be accommodated.

[0051] Preferably, the closure of the box 11 is of the airtight type.

[0052] According to an alternative embodiment, the closed box 11 is configured to rotate when the main drive shaft 4 rotates. More specifically, the closed box 11 is configured to rotate around the rotation axis X at a rotation speed equal to the rotation speed of the main drive shaft 4. Obviously, according to this embodiment, the closed box 11 is rigidly coupled to the first transmission lever 6.

[0053] According to an alternative embodiment, the first transmission lever 6 is at least partially housed inside said closed box 11. In this embodiment, one or more housings will be coupled to the first transmission frame lever 6 which together constitute the box 11 in which the three wheels 5, 7, 8 are housed.

[0054] According to other embodiments, the transmission mechanism 2 is Figure 1 The guide unit 12 visible in the figure is connected to the door 22. The guide unit 12 comprises a plurality of elements adapted to allow the movement of the door 22. The guide unit 12 has the main function of allowing the door 22 to move according to a predetermined direction when opening and closing.

[0055] The guide unit 12 comprises a bracket 13, which is coupled to the second distal region of the second lever 9 and further coupled to the door 22. The coupling between the bracket 13 and at least one of the second lever 9 and the door 22 is preferably of a rotatable type, thereby allowing the second lever 9 to rotate relative to the door 22. In this way, the rotational movement of the second lever 9 can be converted into the translational movement required for the opening and closing of the door 22. The translational movement is at least partially a sliding movement parallel to the support wall 3.

[0056] The guide unit 12 may also comprise a guide body 14 fixed to the support wall 3 and a sliding rod 15 fixed to the door 22, the sliding rod 15 being configured to slide inside a sliding channel 16 obtained in the guide body 14. The sliding rod 15 is preferably rigidly fixed to the door 22 by means of the bracket 13. Conveniently, the sliding rod 15 and the sliding channel 16 have a parallel development relative to the support wall 3.

[0057] According to a predefined embodiment, the system 1 further comprises a tilting unit 23 comprising an arc-shaped sliding body 17 attached to the wall 3 and a sliding roller 18 fixed to the door 22. The sliding roller 18 is configured to slide on the arc-shaped sliding body 17, thereby moving the upper end of the door 22 away from the supporting wall 3, thereby exposing the rear surface of the door 22, i.e., the portion of the door fitted inside the freeze dryer chamber. The sliding roller 18 is preferably coupled to the door 22 via a sliding lever 19.

[0058] The sliding lever 19 is in turn rotatable about a rotation axis W which is perpendicular to the first rotation axis X.

[0059] Thus, this embodiment allows the door 22 to be tilted when it is open relative to the window 103, thereby allowing cleaning of the rear portion of the door.

[0060] According to an alternative embodiment, the first wheel 5, the second wheel 7 and the third wheel 8 are configured as toothed wheels that cooperate according to the above method, respectively. Alternatively, the three wheels (5, 7, 8) can be configured as toothed wheels or pulleys that cooperate together through the movement of a predefined sliding device (such as a chain or a belt), respectively.

[0061] As mentioned above, the opening system 1 according to the embodiment may further include an actuator 10, which is connected to the motion transmission mechanism 2 and is configured to generate the motion transmitted by the transmission mechanism 2 to control the opening and closing of the door 22. Preferably, the motion generated by the actuator 10 is of a rotational type, and its rotation axis coincides with or is parallel to the first rotation axis X of the main drive shaft 4.

[0062] It is thus clear how the opening system 1 according to various embodiments described herein can be used on a freeze dryer 101 which, as described above, comprises a chamber having at least one wall, which is accessible through a window 103 formed in said wall by opening a door 22, said opening being performed with the aid of the opening system 1 according to the invention. It should be clear that, according to this embodiment, the wall of the chamber of the freeze dryer coincides with or is integral with the supporting wall 3 of the opening system.

[0063] The opening system 1 as the object of the present invention may comprise a single transmission mechanism 2 for opening the door 22, or may conveniently comprise two transmission mechanisms 2 similar to each other in order to more easily open the door 22. Preferably, the door 22 has a rectangular shape, and in the above configuration, each transmission mechanism 2 is respectively positioned as follows: Figure 1 The door 22 is visible on the left and right sides.

[0064] As can be understood from what has been described, the opening system for the door of a freeze dryer according to the invention makes it possible to meet the requirements and overcome the drawbacks mentioned in the introduction to this description with reference to the prior art.

[0065] It is obvious that a person skilled in the art may make numerous modifications and variations to the invention described above in order to meet possible and specific needs, however all these modifications are included within the scope of protection of the invention as defined by the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. A door opening system (1) for a freeze dryer (101), the system (1) comprising: - a door (22) configured to close an access window (103) of the freeze dryer (101); - a motion transmission mechanism (2), the motion transmission mechanism being configured to control the opening and closing of the door (22); - a support wall (3) configured to support the transmission mechanism (2); The transmission mechanism (2) comprises: A main drive shaft (4) which rotates about a first rotation axis (X) substantially perpendicular to the support wall (3), wherein the transmission mechanism (2) further comprises: a first wheel (5) mounted coaxially to the main drive shaft (4) and fixed to the support wall (3) to prevent rotation, a first transmission lever (6) which is rigidly coupled to the main drive shaft (4) in a first proximal region so as to rotate about the first rotation axis (X), a second idler wheel (7) which cooperates in idle rotation with the first wheel (5) and is mounted on the first transmission lever (6) so as to be rotatable about a second rotation axis (Y), a third wheel (8) cooperating with the second idler wheel (7) and rotatably coupled to the first transmission lever (6) at a first distal region of the first transmission lever, and a second transmission lever (9) which is rigidly coupled to the third wheel (8) in its second proximal region so as to rotate together with the third wheel (8) according to a third rotation axis (Z) parallel to the first rotation axis (X), and which is also rotatably coupled to the door (22) at its second distal region so as to move the door into an open or closed configuration depending on the direction of rotation of the main drive shaft (4); The first wheel (5), the second wheel (7) and the third wheel (8) are contained in a closed box (11).

2. System according to claim 1, wherein the closed box (11) is configured to rotate about the first rotation axis (X) at a rotation speed equal to the rotation speed of the main drive shaft (4).

3. System according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first transmission lever (6) is also at least partially accommodated in the closed box (11).

4. System according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the second axis of rotation (Y) is parallel to the first axis of rotation (X).

5. System according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the second lever (9) is rotatably coupled to the door (22) by means of a bracket (13) rigidly attached to an edge of the door (22).

6. A system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the connection between the bracket (13) and at least one of the second lever (9) and the door (22) is rotatable, thereby allowing the second lever (9) to rotate relative to the door (22) and converting the rotational movement of the second lever (9) into a translational movement when the door (22) is opened and closed, and the translational movement is at least partially a sliding movement parallel to the support wall (3).

7. System according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the third wheel (8) rotates in the same direction as the main drive shaft (4).

8. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a guide unit (12), the guide unit comprising a guide body (14) attached to the support wall and a sliding rod (15) attached to the door (22), the sliding rod (15) being configured to slide in a sliding channel (16) formed in the guide body (14).

9. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a tilting unit (23), the tilting unit comprising an arcuate sliding body (17) attached to the wall (3) and a sliding roller (18) connected to the door (22), the sliding roller (18) being configured to slide on the arcuate sliding body (17) when the door (22) moves to the open configuration so as to tilt the door (22) so that the rear surface of the door (22) can be approached.

10. System according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first wheel (5), the second wheel (7) and the third wheel (8) are gear wheels meshing with each other.

11. System according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising an actuator device (10) connected to the transmission (2) and configured to rotate the main drive shaft (4).

12. System according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the support wall (3) comprises a through hole through which the main drive shaft (4) passes.

13. System according to any of the preceding claims, comprising two transmission mechanisms (2), each positioned on one side of the door (22), the door (22) being located between the two transmission mechanisms.

14. System according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the enclosure (11) is hermetically closed.

15. A freeze dryer (101) comprising a closed chamber provided with an access window (103) closed by an opening system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.

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