Container filling system and method

Abstract

The invention discloses a container filling system which comprises a feeding assembly, a main net belt, a processing station, a discharging assembly and a smooth transition device. The smooth transition device is in contact with the main mesh belt, the left end of the main mesh belt is connected with the feeding assembly through the smooth transition device, the right end of the main mesh belt is connected with the discharging assembly through the smooth transition device, and the multiple treatment stations are arranged according to the process sequence and treat containers on the main mesh belt; a filling method of the container filling system comprises the following steps: S1, feeding the container; s2, plugging the bottom of the container; s3, filling the container with liquid medicine; s4, hanging a cover on the bottle opening of the container; s5, a sealing piece of the bottle opening is subjected to capping; s6, sampling and rejecting; and S7, finished product discharging. According to the container filling system and method, the existing defects are overcome, multi-procedure coherent production is achieved, and the production efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a container filling system and filling method. Background Technology

[0002] A container is a sealed container specifically designed for bulk and repackaging scenarios. It is primarily used to hold liquid, semi-solid, or powdered materials. Due to its suitability for automated filling and quantitative dispensing requirements, it is widely used in the storage and transfer of bulk materials across multiple industries.

[0003] The main body is a cylindrical bottle with a volume ranging from 1 to 50 mL, suitable for small-batch bulk storage needs. The sealing system consists of a butyl rubber stopper and an aluminum-plastic composite cap, with some models equipped with silicone gaskets to ensure airtightness and leak prevention. The bottle neck design is standardized, allowing direct connection to syringes, filling equipment, or dispensing valves without the need for additional adapters.

[0004] Glass material: Primarily borosilicate glass, which boasts strong chemical stability and high-temperature resistance, making it suitable for bulk materials requiring high purity, such as pharmaceuticals and reagents. Plastic material: Commonly used are PET, PP, and PE materials, which are lightweight, impact-resistant, and relatively inexpensive, used for bulk materials in daily chemicals and food additives.

[0005] Widely used in the pharmaceutical field: bulk storage of vaccines, biological agents, external disinfectants, and traditional Chinese medicine extracts, facilitating subsequent repackaging into small-dose formulations.

[0006] Its advantages include excellent sealing performance, maintaining material purity over a long period and reducing contamination and evaporation losses. Standardized specifications are compatible with automated production lines, improving the efficiency of bulk material filling and sealing. The materials are highly compliant; pharmaceutical-grade products meet GMP standards, and food-grade products have passed food safety certifications.

[0007] Existing methods for batch filling of containers involve multiple separate and discontinuous processes, requiring manual handling during process transfers, resulting in discontinuous production, low production efficiency, and a risk of infection during drug transfer. Therefore, a container filling system and filling method are proposed to address these issues. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of existing systems and provide a container filling system and filling method that enables continuous multi-process production and improves production efficiency.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a container filling system, comprising a feeding assembly, a main conveyor belt, a processing station, a discharging assembly, and a smooth transition device; The smooth transition device contacts the main mesh belt. The left end of the main mesh belt is connected to the feeding assembly through the smooth transition device, and the right end is connected to the discharging assembly through the smooth transition device. Multiple processing stations are arranged in process sequence and process the containers on the main mesh belt. The processing station includes at least two units to process containers that are transported to the main conveyor belt via the feeding assembly. After all containers have been processed by the processing station, they are output via the discharging assembly.

[0010] Preferably, the processing station includes a first sealing station and a detection device. The first sealing station is located on one side of the main conveyor belt to seal the bottom of the container. The detection device is located on the main conveyor belt to detect the compliance of the operation of the first sealing station.

[0011] Preferably, the smooth transition device includes a first transfer star wheel and a second transfer star wheel, the left end of the first transfer star wheel is connected to the feeding assembly; the second transfer star wheel is connected to the discharging assembly.

[0012] Preferably, the feeding assembly includes a feeding platform and a pitched screw; the containers output from the discharge end of the feeding platform are conveyed to the first transfer star wheel at equal intervals through the pitched screw, and the other end of the pitched screw is connected to the first transfer star wheel, and the first transfer star wheel transfers the containers on the pitched screw to the main conveyor belt.

[0013] Preferably, the processing station further includes a filling station, at least one of which is located to the right of the first closed station, for filling the container with medicine at least once until the filled medicine meets the filling standard.

[0014] Preferably, the processing station further includes a material handling station and a pre-sealing station. The material handling station is located to the right of the filling station, and the pre-sealing station is located to the right of the material handling station. The material handling station places the sorted seals one by one onto the container, and the pre-sealing station pre-fixes the container and the seals.

[0015] Preferably, the processing station further includes a capping device, which is located on one side of the main conveyor belt and on the right side of the pre-sealing station, for reinforcing the seal of the container bottle opening.

[0016] Preferably, the discharge assembly includes a first discharge screw, a waste sampling star wheel assembly, and a second discharge screw; the second transfer star wheel is disposed at the right end of the main conveyor belt and connected to the first discharge screw, the other end of the first discharge screw is connected to the waste sampling star wheel assembly, the other end of the waste sampling star wheel assembly is connected to the second discharge screw, and the second discharge screw is connected to a receiving bottle tray; a waste sampling box is connected to the middle of the waste sampling star wheel assembly.

[0017] A filling method for the container filling system includes the following steps: S1, container feeding; S2, the container is plugged at the bottom; S3, the container is filled with the medicine solution; S4, container bottle cap; S5, Seal the bottle opening; S6, Sampling and rejection of defective samples; S7, finished product output.

[0018] S1, container feeding includes: S11, the feeding platform sorts and conveys the containers to the pitch screw. The pitch screw divides the containers at equal intervals and conveys them to the first transfer star wheel. Through the rotation of the first transfer star wheel, a fixed number of containers are transferred to the main mesh belt at one time.

[0019] S2, the bottom plugging of the container includes: S21, primary stoppering, the rubber stopper pot sorts and conveys the sealing component to the bottom of the container, and pushes the sealing component from the bottom of the container into the container through a pneumatically driven primary push rod; S22, Secondary stoppering, the bottle seal is pushed to the set position inside the container again by a pneumatically driven second push rod; S23, the detection device detects whether the sealing component inside the container is at the set height.

[0020] S3, the container filling with liquid medicine includes: S31, First filling, the first needle holder in the filling station performs the first quantitative filling into the container; The S32 final filling uses laser level detection to monitor the real-time liquid level inside the container and adjusts the filling volume accordingly to ensure the container is filled to full.

[0021] In step S4, the container bottle cap includes: S41, The sealing component handling station places the sealing component on the upper port of the container during the container transfer process; S42, the seal is initially fixed to the upper port of the container by the pre-clamping machine in the pre-sealing station.

[0022] S5, sealing the bottle opening includes: S51, the capping device tightens and fixes the seal at the upper port of the container to achieve a sealed container.

[0023] S6, sampling and rejection, includes: S61, the second transfer star wheel rotates to transfer the filled containers on the main conveyor belt to the first discharge screw. The rotation of the first discharge screw then transfers the containers to the waste rejection sampling star wheel assembly. The waste rejection sampling star wheel assembly is equipped with a seal presence detection sensor. Containers without seals are transferred to the waste rejection sampling box via the waste rejection sampling star wheel assembly. Intact containers are transferred to the second discharge screw via the waste rejection sampling star wheel assembly and then to the bottle collection tray via the second discharge screw.

[0024] Compared with existing technologies, the beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This container filling system and method, by setting the left end of the main conveyor belt to connect to the feeding component and the right end to connect to the discharging component, with the processing station located in the middle of the main conveyor belt; multiple sets of elastic container clamps are spaced apart on the main conveyor belt, and the feeding component clamps the containers as they pass through the processing station to complete the filling. The entire process eliminates the need for manual transfer, enabling continuous production of multiple processes and improving production efficiency; it not only reduces labor costs but also avoids direct contact between operators and plasma bags that may contain residual biological fluids, reducing the risk of biological contamination and improving the safety and hygiene standards of the production process. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the invention and form part of the specification. They are used in conjunction with embodiments of the invention to explain the invention and do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the location arrangement of the container filling system of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the filling method of the container filling system of the present invention.

[0026] In the diagram: 1. Main conveyor belt; 2. Feeding platform; 3. Pitching screw; 4. First transfer star wheel; 5. First sealing station; 6. Filling station; 7. Pre-sealing station; 8. Capping device; 9. Second transfer star wheel; 10. First discharge screw; 11. Waste rejection and sampling star wheel assembly; 12. Second discharge screw; 13. Bottle receiving tray; 14. Waste rejection and sampling box; 15. Material handling station. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] like Figure 1As shown, a container filling system includes a feeding assembly, a main conveyor belt 1, processing stations, a discharging assembly, and a smoothing transition device. The smoothing transition device is in line contact with the main conveyor belt 1. The left end of the main conveyor belt 1 is connected to the feeding assembly through the smoothing transition device, and the right end is connected to the discharging assembly through the smoothing transition device. Multiple processing stations are arranged in a process sequence and process the containers on the main conveyor belt 1. The processing station includes at least two stations to process the containers transported to the main conveyor belt 1 by the feeding assembly. After the containers are processed by the processing station, they are output through the discharging assembly.

[0029] Specifically, the processing station includes a first sealing station 5 and a detection device. The first sealing station 5 is located on one side of the main mesh belt 1 to seal the bottom of the container; the detection device is located on the main mesh belt to detect the compliance of the operation of the first sealing station 5.

[0030] Specifically, the processing station also includes a filling station 6, at least one of which is set up and located to the right of the first closed station 5. It is used to fill the container with liquid medicine at least once until the liquid medicine fills the container meets the filling standard.

[0031] Specifically, the processing station also includes a material handling station 15 and a pre-sealing station 7. The material handling station 15 is located to the right of the filling station 6, and the pre-sealing station 7 is located to the right of the material handling station 15. The material handling station 15 places the sorted seals one by one on the container, and the pre-sealing station 7 pre-fixes the container and the seals.

[0032] Specifically, the processing station also includes a capping device 8, which is located on one side of the main mesh belt 1 and on the right side of the pre-sealing station 7, and is used to reinforce the seal of the container bottle mouth.

[0033] Specifically, the smooth transition device includes a first transfer star wheel 4 and a second transfer star wheel 9. The left end of the first transfer star wheel 4 is connected to the feeding assembly; the second transfer star wheel 9 is connected to the discharging assembly.

[0034] Specifically, the feeding assembly includes a feeding platform 2 and a pitched screw 3; the containers output from the discharge end of the feeding platform 2 are conveyed to the first transfer star wheel 4 at equal intervals through the pitched screw 3, and the other end of the pitched screw 3 is connected to the first transfer star wheel 4, which transfers the containers on the pitched screw 3 to the main mesh belt 1.

[0035] Specifically, the discharge assembly includes a first discharge screw 10, a waste sampling star wheel assembly 11, and a second discharge screw 12; the second transfer star wheel 9 is located at the right end of the main mesh belt 1 and is connected to the first discharge screw 10, the other end of the first discharge screw 10 is connected to the waste sampling star wheel assembly 11, the other end of the waste sampling star wheel assembly 11 is connected to the second discharge screw 12, and the second discharge screw 12 is connected to the receiving bottle tray 13; a waste sampling box 14 is connected to the middle of the waste sampling star wheel assembly 11.

[0036] Specifically, the feeding platform 2 organizes and conveys containers onto the pitch screw 3. The pitch screw 3 divides the containers at equal intervals and conveys them to the first transfer star wheel 4. By rotating the first transfer star wheel 4, a fixed number of containers are transferred at a time to the container elastic clamping fixtures on the main mesh belt 1. Each container elastic clamping fixture can hold 10 containers at a time. A container presence detection sensor is installed on the fixture to detect whether there are ten containers on the fixture. If a station does not hold a container, the equipment at the corresponding station will not move.

[0037] Specifically, as the main conveyor belt 1 moves, the container held by the elastic clamp moves to below the first sealing station 5. During the first sealing operation, the stopper pot arranges and conveys the sealing component to the bottom of the container. A pneumatically driven push rod pushes the sealing component from the bottom of the container into the interior. A second sealing operation is then performed, where a pneumatically driven second push rod pushes the sealing component again to a predetermined position inside the container. During this pushing process, a baffle at the top of the container restricts upward movement and maintains a fixed position. A stopper height detection sensor checks whether the sealing component inside the container is at the predetermined height.

[0038] Specifically, the process continues down to the filling station 6. For the first filling, the first needle holder in the filling station 6 performs the first quantitative filling into the container. For the second filling, the second needle holder in the filling station 6 performs the second quantitative filling into the container. For the third filling, the real-time liquid level in the container is detected by laser level detection, and the filling volume of the third needle holder is adjusted according to the real-time liquid level to make the container full.

[0039] Specifically, the sealing element is released by the cap-hanging machine in the pre-sealing station 7, and the sealing element is placed on the upper port of the container during the container transfer process; the sealing element is initially fixed to the upper port of the container by the pre-clamping machine in the pre-sealing station 7. Specifically, the capping device 8 continues to operate to tighten and fix the seal at the upper port of the container, thereby sealing the container; Specifically, the second transfer star wheel 9 continues to operate, transferring the filled containers on the main conveyor belt 1 to the first discharge screw 10 by rotation. The first discharge screw 10 then transfers the containers to the waste removal and sampling star wheel assembly 11. The waste removal and sampling star wheel assembly 11 is equipped with a seal presence detection sensor. Containers without seals are transferred to the waste removal and sampling box 14 via the waste removal and sampling star wheel assembly 11. Intact containers are transferred to the second discharge screw 12 via the waste removal and sampling star wheel assembly 11, and then to the bottle collection tray 13 via the second discharge screw 12, completing the production process.

[0040] like Figure 2 As shown, a filling method for a container filling system includes the following steps: S1, container feeding; S1, container feeding includes: S11, the feeding platform 2 sorts and conveys the containers to the pitch screw 3. The pitch screw 3 divides the containers at equal distances and conveys them to the first transfer star wheel 4. Through the rotation of the first transfer star wheel 4, a fixed number of containers are transferred to the main mesh belt 1 at one time.

[0041] S2, the container is plugged at the bottom; S2, the bottom sealing of the container includes: S21, primary stoppering, the rubber stopper pot sorts and conveys the sealing component to the bottom of the container, and pushes the sealing component from the bottom of the container into the container through a pneumatically driven primary push rod; S22, Secondary stoppering, the bottle seal is pushed to the set position inside the container again by a pneumatically driven second push rod; S23, the detection device detects whether the sealing component inside the container is at the set height.

[0042] S3, the container is filled with the medicine solution; S3, The process of filling the container with liquid medicine includes: S31, First filling, the first needle holder in filling station 6 performs the first quantitative filling into the container; The S32 final filling uses laser level detection to monitor the real-time liquid level inside the container and adjusts the filling volume accordingly to ensure the container is filled to full.

[0043] S4, container bottle cap; S4, container bottle cap includes: S41, the sealing material handling station 15 places the sealing material onto the upper port of the container during the container transfer process; S42, the seal is initially fixed to the upper port of the container by the pre-clamping machine in the pre-sealing station 7.

[0044] S5, Seal the bottle opening; S5, sealing the bottle opening includes: S51, the capping device 8 tightens and fixes the seal at the upper port of the container to achieve the sealing of the container.

[0045] S6, Sampling and rejection of defective samples; S6, sampling rejection includes: S61, the second transfer star wheel 9 rotates to transfer the filled containers on the main conveyor belt 1 to the first discharge screw 10. The rotation of the first discharge screw 10 transfers the containers to the waste rejection sampling star wheel group 11. The waste rejection sampling star wheel group 11 is equipped with a seal presence detection sensor. Containers without seals are transferred to the waste rejection sampling box 14 through the waste rejection sampling star wheel group 11. Intact containers are transferred to the second discharge screw 12 through the waste rejection sampling star wheel group 11 and then to the bottle collection tray 13 through the second discharge screw 12.

[0046] S7, finished product output.

[0047] This container filling system and method involves connecting the feeding component to the left end of the main conveyor belt 1 and the discharging component to the right end, with the processing station located in the middle of the main conveyor belt 1. Multiple sets of elastic container clamps are spaced along the main conveyor belt 1, and the feeding component engages the containers as they pass through the processing station to complete the filling process. The entire process eliminates the need for manual transfer, enabling continuous multi-stage production and improving efficiency. It not only reduces labor costs but also avoids direct contact between operators and plasma bags that may contain residual biological fluids, reducing the risk of biocontamination and enhancing the safety and hygiene standards of the production process.

[0048] Finally, it should be noted that the above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit 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 embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A container filling system, characterized in that, Includes a feeding assembly, a main conveyor belt (1), a processing station, a discharge assembly, and a smooth transition device; The smooth transition device contacts the main mesh belt (1). The left end of the main mesh belt (1) is connected to the feeding assembly through the smooth transition device, and the right end is connected to the discharging assembly through the smooth transition device. Multiple processing stations are arranged in process sequence and process the containers on the main mesh belt (1). The processing station includes at least two units to process containers that are transported to the main conveyor belt (1) via the feeding assembly. After all containers have been processed by the processing station, they are output via the discharge assembly.

2. The container filling system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The processing station includes a first sealing station (5) and a detection device. The first sealing station (5) is located on one side of the main mesh belt (1) to seal the bottom of the container. The detection device is located on the main mesh belt (1) to detect the compliance of the first sealing station (5) in operation.

3. The container filling system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The smooth transition device includes a first transfer star wheel (4) and a second transfer star wheel (9). The left end of the first transfer star wheel (4) is connected to the feeding assembly; the second transfer star wheel (9) is connected to the discharging assembly.

4. The container filling system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The feeding assembly includes a feeding platform (2) and a pitch screw (3); the containers output from the discharge end of the feeding platform (2) are conveyed to the first transfer star wheel (4) at equal intervals through the pitch screw (3), and the other end of the pitch screw (3) is connected to the first transfer star wheel (4). The first transfer star wheel (4) transfers the containers on the pitch screw (3) to the main mesh belt (1).

5. The container filling system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The processing station also includes a filling station (6), at least one of which is located to the right of the first closed station (5) and is used to fill the container with medicine at least once until the filled medicine meets the filling standard.

6. The container filling system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The processing station also includes a material handling station (15) and a pre-sealing station (7). The material handling station (15) is located to the right of the filling station (6), and the pre-sealing station (7) is located to the right of the material handling station (15). The material handling station (15) places the sorted seals one by one on the container, and the pre-sealing station (7) pre-fixes the container and the seals.

7. The container filling system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The processing station also includes a capping device (8), which is located on one side of the main mesh belt (1) and on the right side of the pre-sealing station (7) for reinforcing the seal of the container bottle mouth.

8. The container filling system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The discharge assembly includes a first discharge screw (10), a waste sampling star wheel assembly (11), and a second discharge screw (12); the second transfer star wheel (9) is located at the right end of the main mesh belt (1) and connected to the first discharge screw (10), the other end of the first discharge screw (10) is connected to the waste sampling star wheel assembly (11), the other end of the waste sampling star wheel assembly (11) is connected to the second discharge screw (12), and the second discharge screw (12) is connected to the receiving bottle tray (13); a waste sampling box (14) is connected to the middle of the waste sampling star wheel assembly (11).

9. A filling method for the container filling system of claim 1, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1, container feeding; S2, the container is plugged at the bottom; S3, the container is filled with the medicine solution; S4, container bottle cap; S5, Seal the bottle opening; S6, Sampling and rejection of defective samples; S7, finished product output.

10. The filling method of the container filling system according to claim 9, characterized in that, S1, container feeding includes: S11, the feeding platform (2) sorts the containers and transports them to the pitch screw (3). The pitch screw (3) divides the containers at equal distances and transports them to the first transfer star wheel (4). Through the rotation of the first transfer star wheel (4), a fixed number of containers are transferred to the main mesh belt (1) at one time.

11. The filling method of the container filling system according to claim 10, characterized in that, S2, the bottom plugging of the container includes: S21, primary stoppering, the rubber stopper pot sorts and conveys the sealing component to the bottom of the container, and pushes the sealing component from the bottom of the container into the container through a pneumatically driven primary push rod; S22, Secondary stoppering, the bottle seal is pushed to the set position inside the container again by a pneumatically driven second push rod; S23, the detection device detects whether the sealing component inside the container is at the set height.

12. The filling method of the container filling system according to claim 11, characterized in that, S3, the container filling with liquid medicine includes: S31, First filling, the first needle holder in the filling station (6) performs the first quantitative filling into the container; The S32 final filling uses laser level detection to monitor the real-time liquid level inside the container and adjusts the filling volume accordingly to ensure the container is filled to full.

13. The filling method of the container filling system according to claim 12, characterized in that, In step S4, the container bottle cap includes: S41, the sealing material handling station (15) places the sealing material onto the upper port of the container during the container transfer process; S42, the seal is initially fixed to the upper port of the container by the pre-clamping machine in the pre-sealing station (7).

14. The filling method of the container filling system according to claim 13, characterized in that, S5, sealing the bottle opening includes: S51, the capping device (8) tightens and fixes the seal at the upper port of the container to achieve the sealing of the container.

15. The filling method of the container filling system according to claim 14, characterized in that, S6, sampling and rejection, includes: S61, the second transfer star wheel (9) rotates to transfer the filled containers on the main mesh belt (1) to the first discharge screw (10), and the first discharge screw (10) rotates to transfer the containers to the waste sampling star wheel group (11). The waste sampling star wheel group (11) is equipped with a seal in-situ detection sensor. Containers without seals are transferred to the waste sampling box (14) through the waste sampling star wheel group (11); intact containers are transferred to the second discharge screw (12) through the waste sampling star wheel group (11), and then transferred to the bottle receiving tray (13) through the second discharge screw (12).

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