Container filling system

Abstract

The invention discloses a container filling system which comprises a container conveying device, a butt joint driving mechanism, an alignment guide mechanism and a filling mechanism, a liquid outlet of the filling mechanism is provided with a sealing butt joint part used for being in butt joint with a container, the sealing butt joint part is provided with a butt joint groove, and the groove bottom of the butt joint groove is provided with a spherical guide part; the container conveying device is provided with a plurality of brackets used for bearing containers, the butt joint driving mechanism is used for driving the containers and the sealing butt joint parts to be in butt joint, and the alignment guiding mechanism is used for conducting alignment guiding when the containers and the sealing butt joint parts are in butt joint. The device has the advantages that the butt joint precision is improved, and the filling precision is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of food and pharmaceutical packaging equipment technology, and specifically to a container filling system. Background Technology

[0002] For filling narrow-mouth containers, such as pre-filled syringes and syringes, existing filling systems, such as the high-viscosity formulation filling system described in patent CN218662487U, typically use a plunger pump to deliver the medication via a hose to the filling needle, which then fills the pre-filled syringe or syringe through the needle's opening. This system requires stoppering after filling the pre-filled syringe. However, the rubber stopper can easily contaminate the contents of the container during this process and can also cause medication to be squeezed out, affecting filling accuracy. Furthermore, the filling pump passes through the filling needle, leaving medication residue that can affect the filling accuracy of subsequent batches of pre-filled syringes. Air bubbles in the filling needle also cannot be effectively removed, occupying medication volume during filling and thus impacting filling accuracy. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a container filling system that improves docking accuracy and thus filling accuracy.

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A container filling system includes a container conveying device, a docking drive mechanism, an alignment guide mechanism, and a filling mechanism. The filling mechanism has a liquid outlet with a sealing docking part for docking with a container. The sealing docking part has a docking groove, and the bottom of the docking groove has a spherical guide part. The container conveying device has multiple brackets for supporting the container. The docking drive mechanism is used to drive the container and the sealing docking part to dock. The alignment guide mechanism is used to align and guide the container when docking with the sealing docking part.

[0005] As a further improvement to the above technical solution: The sealing docking part is fixed on the filling mechanism, the docking drive mechanism is used to drive the container to rise and dock with the sealing docking part, and the alignment guide mechanism is used to guide the container when it rises to dock with the sealing docking part.

[0006] The container alignment guide mechanism can be close to or far from the container. The container alignment guide mechanism includes a first positioning block and a second positioning block. The first positioning block and the second positioning block can be relatively close to or far from each other. The opposite sides of the first positioning block and the second positioning block are provided with guide positioning grooves corresponding to the sealing docking part.

[0007] The container filling system further includes a positioning guide rail and a moving module. The positioning guide rail is arranged parallel to the conveying direction of the container, and the moving module is arranged perpendicular to the conveying direction of the container. The positioning guide rail is located on the moving module, and the first positioning block and the second positioning block are both slidably mounted on the positioning guide rail.

[0008] The bracket is provided with a supporting part and a clearance part. The clearance part is located below the supporting part and is used to avoid the first positioning block and the second positioning block.

[0009] The container alignment and guiding mechanism includes a centering seat, a first positioning rod, a second positioning rod, and a lifting assembly. The centering seat is mounted on a fixed bracket and has a centering groove corresponding to the filling mechanism. The centering groove is fitted around the filling mechanism. Lifting guide rods are provided at both ends of the centering seat, and lifting seats are slidably mounted on the lifting guide rods. The lifting assembly is located at both ends of the centering seat, and its telescopic end is connected to the lifting seat. A cylinder is provided on the lifting seat, and the cylinder is connected to both ends of the first and second positioning rods. The cylinder is used to drive the first and second positioning rods to move closer or further apart. Positioning guide grooves corresponding to the sealing mating parts are provided on opposite sides of the first and second positioning rods.

[0010] The container filling system also includes a liquid storage tank, a liquid distribution assembly, and a vacuum assembly. The filling mechanism is a filling pump, and there are multiple filling mechanisms. The liquid storage tank is connected to multiple filling mechanisms through the liquid distribution assembly, and the vacuum assembly is connected to the liquid distribution assembly.

[0011] The liquid dispensing assembly includes a primary pipe, multiple secondary pipes, and multiple tertiary pipes. The liquid storage tank is connected to multiple secondary pipes through the primary pipes, and each of the secondary pipes is connected to the filling mechanism through multiple tertiary pipes. Each tertiary pipe corresponds to a filling mechanism.

[0012] The container conveying device is a circulating conveying device, which has a feeding device at the front end of the filling mechanism and a discharging device at the rear end.

[0013] The liquid outlet of the filling mechanism is located in the middle of the spherical guide.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are as follows: The container filling system disclosed in this invention involves placing a container on a bracket and conveying it via a container conveying device. When the container reaches the bottom of the filling mechanism, the container conveying device stops conveying, and a docking drive mechanism drives the container and the sealing docking part to dock. The docking is guided by a container alignment guide mechanism to ensure docking accuracy. Furthermore, the sealing docking part is provided with a docking groove, and a spherical guide is provided at the bottom of the docking groove. When the docking of the container and the sealing docking part is slightly tilted, the spherical guide allows the container to self-adjust and achieve a sealed docking, further improving docking accuracy and ensuring filling accuracy. After docking, the filling mechanism fills the container. After filling, the docking drive mechanism drives the container and the sealing docking part to separate, and the filled container is output backward via the container conveying device. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the container filling system of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 2 yes Figure 2 A magnified structural diagram of point A in the middle.

[0017] Figure 3 This is a side view of the container filling system of the present invention, which includes the container alignment guide mechanism of Embodiment 1.

[0018] Figure 4 This is a side view cross-sectional structural diagram of the filling mechanism of the container filling system of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A magnified structural diagram at point B in the middle.

[0020] Figure 6 This is a top view of the liquid dispensing component in the container filling system of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 7 This is a front view structural diagram of the container filling system of the present invention with the container alignment guide mechanism of Embodiment 2.

[0022] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 Enlarged view of point C in the middle.

[0023] Figure 9 yes Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure after the centering seat is hidden.

[0024] The labels in the diagram represent: 1. Storage tank; 2. Dispensing assembly; 21. Primary pipeline; 22. Secondary pipeline; 23. Tertiary pipeline; 3. Container conveying device; 4. Docking drive mechanism; 5. Container alignment guide mechanism; 51. First positioning block; 52. Second positioning block; 53. Guide positioning groove; 54. Centering seat; 541. Centering groove; 55. First positioning rod; 56. Second positioning rod; 57. Lifting assembly; 58. Lifting guide rod; 59. Lifting seat; 6. Filling mechanism; 61. Sealing docking part; 62. Docking groove; 63. Spherical guide part; 64. Liquid outlet; 7. Container; 8. Bracket; 81. Support part; 82. Clearance part; 9. Positioning guide rail; 10. Moving module; 11. Vacuuming assembly; 12. Fixed bracket; 13. Cylinder; 14. Positioning guide groove. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0026] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0027] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0028] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "assembly," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0029] Example 1 Figures 1 to 6An embodiment of the container filling system of the present invention is shown. The container filling system of this embodiment includes a container conveying device 3, a docking drive mechanism 4, an alignment guide mechanism 5, and a filling mechanism 6. The liquid outlet 64 of the filling mechanism 6 is provided with a sealing docking part 61 for docking with a container 7. The sealing docking part 61 is provided with a docking groove 62. The bottom of the docking groove 62 is provided with a spherical guide part 63. The container conveying device 3 is provided with a plurality of brackets 8 for supporting the container 7. The docking drive mechanism 4 is used to drive the container 7 and the sealing docking part 61 to dock. The alignment guide mechanism 5 is used to perform alignment guidance when the container 7 docks with the sealing docking part 61.

[0030] In this container filling system, container 7 is placed on a bracket 8 and transported by container conveying device 3. When container 7 reaches below filling mechanism 6, container conveying device 3 stops transporting, and docking drive mechanism 4 drives container 7 and sealing docking part 61 to dock. Container alignment guide mechanism 5 guides the docking to ensure accuracy. Furthermore, sealing docking part 61 has a docking groove 62, and a spherical guide part 63 is provided at the bottom of the groove. When container 7 and sealing docking part 61 tilt slightly, the spherical guide part 63 allows container 7 to self-adjust and achieve a sealed docking, further improving docking accuracy and ensuring filling accuracy. After docking, filling mechanism 6 fills container 7. After filling, docking drive mechanism 4 drives container 7 and sealing docking part 61 to separate, and the filled container 7 is output backward by container conveying device 3. This achieves precise docking between narrow-mouth containers and the liquid outlet of filling devices, and allows for the filling of liquid medicine into containers from the narrow opening of pre-filled needles or syringes after plugging.

[0031] Furthermore, such as Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the sealing docking part 61 is fixedly mounted on the filling mechanism 6. The docking drive mechanism 4 is used to drive the container 7 to rise and dock with the sealing docking part 61. The alignment guide mechanism 5 is used to guide the container 7 when it rises to dock with the sealing docking part 61. This facilitates the installation and arrangement of the sealing docking part 61, the docking drive mechanism 4, and the alignment guide mechanism 5. Of course, in other embodiments, the docking drive mechanism 4 can also drive the sealing docking part 61 to rise and fall on the filling mechanism 6 to dock with the container 7, and the container alignment guide mechanism 5 can limit and guide the filling position of the container 7.

[0032] Furthermore, such as Figure 2As shown, in this embodiment, the container alignment guide mechanism 5 can move closer to or further away from the container 7. The container alignment guide mechanism 5 includes a first positioning block 51 and a second positioning block 52. The first positioning block 51 and the second positioning block 52 can move closer to or further away from each other. Each of the opposite sides of the first positioning block 51 and the second positioning block 52 is provided with a guide positioning groove 53 corresponding to the sealing docking part 61. The container alignment guide mechanism 5 is located on one side of the container conveying device 3. When guidance is required, the first positioning block 51 and the second positioning block 52 of the container alignment guide mechanism 5 move away from each other and then move closer to the container 7. When the container 7 is located between the guide positioning grooves 53 of the two positioning blocks, the first positioning block 51 and the second positioning block 52 move closer to each other, and the guide positioning grooves 53 of the two positioning blocks form a guide channel for the container 7. At this time, the docking drive mechanism 4 can lift the container 7 under the guidance of the guide channel.

[0033] Furthermore, such as Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the container filling system further includes a positioning guide rail 9 and a moving module 10. The positioning guide rail 9 is arranged parallel to the conveying direction of the container 7, and the moving module 10 is arranged perpendicular to the conveying direction of the container 7. The positioning guide rail 9 is disposed on the moving module 10, and the first positioning block 51 and the second positioning block 52 are both slidably disposed on the positioning guide rail 9. The moving module 10 drives the positioning guide rail 9 to move closer to or away from the container conveying device 3, thereby causing the first positioning block 51 and the second positioning block 52 to move closer to or away from the container 7 for positioning. When moving closer to the container 7 for positioning, the first positioning block 51 and the second positioning block 52 move away from each other and then move closer to the container 7. When the container 7 is located between the guide positioning grooves 53 of the two positioning blocks, the first positioning block 51 and the second positioning block 52 move closer to each other. The guide positioning grooves 53 of the two positioning blocks form a guide channel for the container 7. At this time, the docking drive mechanism 4 can lift the container 7 under the guidance of the guide channel. During this process, the positioning guide rail 9 provides guidance for the first positioning block 51 and the second positioning block 52 to move closer or away, ensuring that the guide channel formed by the guide positioning grooves 53 of the first positioning block 51 and the second positioning block 52 can accurately guide each group of containers 7.

[0034] Furthermore, such as Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the bracket 8 is provided with a supporting part 81 and a clearance part 82. The clearance part 82 is located below the supporting part 81 and is used to avoid the first positioning block 51 and the second positioning block 52. The supporting part 81 supports the container 7 when the container conveying device 3 conveys the container 7, and the clearance part 82 avoids the guidance of the first positioning block 51 and the second positioning block 52 on the container 7 to avoid interference.

[0035] Furthermore, such as Figure 2 and Figure 6As shown, in this embodiment, the container filling system further includes a storage tank 1, a dispensing assembly 2, and a vacuum assembly 11. The filling mechanism 6 is a filling pump, and multiple filling mechanisms 6 are provided. The storage tank 1 is connected to multiple filling mechanisms 6 through the dispensing assembly 2, and the vacuum assembly 11 is connected to the dispensing assembly 2. The liquid medicine in the storage tank 1 is distributed to each filling mechanism 6 through the dispensing assembly 2. Each filling mechanism 6 can fill multiple containers 7 simultaneously, improving filling efficiency. Since the filling mechanism 6 is a filling pump, the filling pump directly fills the containers 7 without the need for a filling needle, which reduces the impact of residual liquid medicine in the filling needle and improves filling accuracy. Furthermore, the vacuum assembly 11 evacuates the dispensing assembly 2 and the filling mechanism 6 before filling to prevent the liquid medicine from mixing with air and generating air bubbles when entering the dispensing assembly 2 and the filling mechanism 6, which would lead to inaccurate filling volume and further improve filling accuracy.

[0036] Furthermore, such as Figure 6 As shown, in this embodiment, the liquid dispensing assembly 2 includes a primary pipe 21, multiple secondary pipes 22, and multiple tertiary pipes 23. The storage tank 1 is connected to the multiple secondary pipes 22 through the primary pipe 21, and each secondary pipe 22 is connected to the filling mechanism 6 through the multiple tertiary pipes 23. The tertiary pipes 23 correspond one-to-one with the filling mechanism 6. The liquid dispensing assembly 2 uses the primary pipe 21 as the main pipe and distributes liquids through the secondary pipes 22 and tertiary pipes 23, etc. Compared with setting a liquid dispensing pipe for each filling mechanism 6, the pipe space occupied is smaller. At the same time, a vacuum assembly 11 can be used to evacuate all connected pipes, which helps to improve vacuuming efficiency and reduce vacuuming costs.

[0037] Furthermore, such as Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the container conveying device 3 is a circulating conveying device. The circulating conveying device has a feeding device at the front end of the filling mechanism 6 and a discharging device at the rear end. The feeding device (not shown in the figure) feeds the container 7 to the tray 8, which is then conveyed to the filling mechanism 6 for filling. After filling, the container 7 is conveyed to the discharging device (not shown in the figure) at the rear end for discharging. Then, the circulating conveying device can circulate and convey the tray 8, improving the utilization rate of the tray 8 and the conveying efficiency of the container 7.

[0038] Furthermore, such as Figure 4 As shown, in this embodiment, the liquid outlet 64 of the filling mechanism 6 is located in the middle of the spherical guide portion 63. This further ensures docking accuracy.

[0039] Example 2 Figures 7 to 9Another embodiment of the container alignment guide mechanism 5 in the container filling system of the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, the container alignment guide mechanism 5 includes a centering seat 54, a first positioning rod 55, a second positioning rod 56, and a lifting assembly 57. The centering seat 54 is mounted on a fixed bracket 12. The centering seat 54 is provided with a centering groove 541 corresponding to the filling mechanism 6. The centering groove 541 is sleeved outside the filling mechanism 6. Lifting guide rods 58 are provided at both ends of the centering seat 54. Lifting seats 59 are slidably provided on the lifting guide rods 58. The lifting assembly 57 is provided at both ends of the centering seat 54, and its telescopic end is connected to the lifting seat 59. A cylinder 13 is provided on the lifting seat 59. The cylinder 13 is connected to both ends of the first positioning rod 55 and the second positioning rod 56. The cylinder 13 is used to drive the first positioning rod 55 and the second positioning rod 56 to move closer or further away from each other. The opposite sides of the first positioning rod 55 and the second positioning rod 56 are provided with positioning guide grooves 14 that correspond one-to-one with the sealing docking part 61.

[0040] The container alignment guide mechanism 5 and the centering seat 54 are fitted onto the filling mechanism 6 through the centering groove 541. When the container 7 is conveyed to the bottom of the filling mechanism 6, the cylinder 13 drives the first positioning rod 55 and the second positioning rod 56 to move closer to each other, so that the positioning guide grooves 14 on the opposite sides of the two positioning rods form a lifting guide channel to guide the container 7. At this time, under the action of the lifting guide channel, the docking drive mechanism 4 can lift the container 7 to dock smoothly with the filling mechanism 6. After filling is completed, the cylinder 13 drives the first positioning rod 55 and the second positioning rod 56 to move closer together to clamp the container 7. Then, the lifting assembly 57 drives the lifting seat 59 to descend along the lifting guide rod 58, so that the first positioning rod 55 and the second positioning rod 56 can lift the container 7 away from the filling mechanism 6, so as to prevent the container 7 from sticking to the sealing docking part 61 of the filling mechanism 6 and not falling. After the container 7 descends to the bracket 8, the cylinder 13 drives the first positioning rod 55 and the second positioning rod 56 to move away from each other, so as to release the clamping of the container 7 and avoid interfering with the subsequent conveying of the container 7.

[0041] While the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the invention. Any person skilled in the art can make many possible variations and modifications to the technical solutions of the present invention, or modify them into equivalent embodiments, without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, any simple modifications, equivalent changes, and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention, without departing from the scope of the present invention, should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A container filling system, characterized in that: The container includes a container conveying device (3), a docking drive mechanism (4), an alignment guide mechanism (5), and a filling mechanism (6). The filling mechanism (6) has a liquid outlet (64) with a sealing docking part (61) for docking with the container (7). The sealing docking part (61) has a docking groove (62). The bottom of the docking groove (62) has a spherical guide part (63). The container conveying device (3) has multiple brackets (8) for supporting the container (7). The docking drive mechanism (4) is used to drive the container (7) and the sealing docking part (61) to dock. The alignment guide mechanism (5) is used to perform alignment guidance when the container (7) docks with the sealing docking part (61).

2. The container filling system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sealing docking part (61) is fixed on the filling mechanism (6), the docking drive mechanism (4) is used to drive the container (7) to rise and dock with the sealing docking part (61), and the alignment guide mechanism (5) is used to guide the container (7) when it rises to dock with the sealing docking part (61).

3. The container filling system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The container alignment guide mechanism (5) can be close to or far from the container (7). The container alignment guide mechanism (5) includes a first positioning block (51) and a second positioning block (52). The first positioning block (51) and the second positioning block (52) can be relatively close to or far from each other. The opposite sides of the first positioning block (51) and the second positioning block (52) are provided with guide positioning grooves (53) corresponding to the sealing docking part (61).

4. The container filling system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The container filling system also includes a positioning guide rail (9) and a moving module (10). The positioning guide rail (9) is set parallel to the conveying direction of the container (7), and the moving module (10) is set perpendicular to the conveying direction of the container (7). The positioning guide rail (9) is set on the moving module (10), and the first positioning block (51) and the second positioning block (52) are both slidably set on the positioning guide rail (9).

5. The container filling system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The bracket (8) is provided with a supporting part (81) and a clearance part (82). The clearance part (82) is located below the supporting part (81) and is used to clearance the first positioning block (51) and the second positioning block (52).

6. The container filling system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The container alignment guide mechanism (5) includes an alignment seat (54), a first positioning rod (55), a second positioning rod (56), and a lifting assembly (57). The alignment seat (54) is mounted on a fixed bracket (12). The alignment seat (54) is provided with an alignment groove (541) corresponding to the filling mechanism (6). The alignment groove (541) is sleeved outside the filling mechanism (6). Lifting guide rods (58) are provided at both ends of the alignment seat (54). Lifting seats (59) are slidably mounted on the lifting guide rods (58). The component (57) is located at both ends of the centering seat (54), and the telescopic end is connected to the lifting seat (59). The lifting seat (59) is provided with a cylinder (13). The cylinder (13) is connected to the first positioning rod (55) and the second positioning rod (56) at both ends. The cylinder (13) is used to drive the first positioning rod (55) and the second positioning rod (56) to move closer or further away from each other. The opposite sides of the first positioning rod (55) and the second positioning rod (56) are provided with positioning guide grooves (14) that correspond one-to-one with the sealing docking part (61).

7. The container filling system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The container filling system also includes a liquid storage tank (1), a liquid distribution assembly (2) and a vacuum assembly (11). The filling mechanism (6) is a filling pump, and there are multiple filling mechanisms (6). The liquid storage tank (1) is connected to multiple filling mechanisms (6) through the liquid distribution assembly (2), and the vacuum assembly (11) is connected to the liquid distribution assembly (2).

8. The container filling system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The liquid dispensing assembly (2) includes a primary pipe (21), multiple secondary pipes (22) and multiple tertiary pipes (23). The storage tank (1) is connected to multiple secondary pipes (22) through the primary pipe (21). Each secondary pipe (22) is connected to the filling mechanism (6) through multiple tertiary pipes (23). Each tertiary pipe (23) corresponds to a filling mechanism (6).

9. The container filling system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The container conveying device (3) is a circulating conveying device. The circulating conveying device has a feeding device at the front end of the filling mechanism (6) and a discharging device at the rear end.

10. The container filling system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The liquid outlet (64) of the filling mechanism (6) is located in the middle of the spherical guide (63).

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