Vacuum filling system

Abstract

The invention relates to a vacuum filling system. The system comprises a fixedly-arranged filling assembly, a bracket arranged below the filling assembly and a sealing sleeve which is coaxially arranged between the bracket and the filling assembly and can ascend and descend. During filling, the bracket drives the packing material to ascend, so that the opening of the packing material abuts against the sealing body at the lower end of the sealing sleeve to form first sealing; and the bracket continuously ascends to push the sealing sleeve, so that the upper end of the sealing sleeve is matched with the filling assembly to form second sealing, and a closed filling cavity is formed among the packing material, the sealing sleeve and the filling assembly. In the whole filling and packing material lifting process, the filling needle is kept still all the time. According to the invention, active lifting of the packing material is matched with a friction-free sealing structure, so that particle pollution caused by pipeline deformation and relative sliding friction is avoided, the packing material is separated from the weighing device when being lifted, stress interference is eliminated, and the precision of in-situ online weighing is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of pharmaceutical technology, and in particular to a vacuum filling system. Background Technology

[0002] In existing technologies, vacuum filling technology is widely used in pharmaceutical, biomedical, and liquid filling production lines with high cleanliness requirements to ensure the stability and shelf life of the drug solution. In conventional automated vacuum filling systems, the packaging material is conveyed to the workstation and remains stationary. The filling needle and its outer sealing cover move downwards, align with the opening of the packaging material, seal it, and then vacuum is applied and the liquid is injected.

[0003] However, this existing filling method has the following obvious technical drawbacks in practical applications: First, as the filling needle moves up and down frequently, the upstream supply hose connected to it will undergo repeated bending and deformation. This not only easily leads to fatigue and aging of the hose, but may also cause the inner wall of the hose to peel off under stress, generating particles that contaminate the high-purity drug solution.

[0004] Secondly, existing sealing covers and filling components or packaging materials mostly use elastic seals such as O-rings for dynamic sealing. During the lifting, docking, and separation processes, the seals inevitably experience relative sliding friction. The particles generated by this friction can easily fall into the unsealed packaging material, seriously threatening the safety standards of sterile drug solutions. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned issues, this application provides a vacuum filling system that reduces the risk of pipeline deformation and particulate contamination.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, in a first aspect, the vacuum filling system provided in the embodiments of this application includes: The filling assembly is fixed in position. A bracket, located below the filling assembly, is used to support the packaging material and drive the packaging material to move up and down in the vertical direction; A sealing sleeve is coaxially disposed between the bracket and the filling assembly, and can be raised and lowered in the vertical direction. The lower end of the sealing sleeve is provided with a sealing body for abutting against the opening of the packaging material. During the process of the bracket driving the packaging material to rise, the opening of the packaging material abuts against the sealing body to form a first seal; during the process of the sealing sleeve rising, the upper end of the sealing sleeve cooperates with the corresponding sealing part of the filling assembly to form a second seal, so as to form a closed filling chamber between the packaging material, the sealing sleeve and the filling assembly.

[0007] Preferably, the sealing body is made of a flexible material or a material with elastic deformation capability.

[0008] Preferably, it further includes a first lifting drive mechanism and a second lifting drive mechanism; the first lifting drive mechanism is drivenly connected to the sealing sleeve and is used to drive the sealing sleeve to move up and down in the vertical direction; the second lifting drive mechanism is drivenly connected to the bracket and is used to drive the bracket to move up and down in the vertical direction.

[0009] Preferably, the first lifting drive mechanism includes a first lifting shaft, and the second lifting drive mechanism includes a second lifting shaft; the second lifting shaft is a hollow shaft, the first lifting shaft passes through the inner cavity of the second lifting shaft, and the first lifting shaft and the second lifting shaft are coaxially arranged.

[0010] Preferably, the filling assembly includes a filling needle and a needle sleeve fitted over the outside of the filling needle, wherein the upper end of the sealing sleeve and the needle sleeve are mechanically inserted into each other without an elastic seal to form the second seal; the packaging material opening and the sealing body are mated together at the end face to form the first seal.

[0011] Preferably, the lower end of the filling needle extends downward, and in the state where the first seal and the second seal are formed, the lower end of the filling needle passes through the inner cavity of the sealing sleeve and extends into the packaging material.

[0012] Preferably, the side wall of the sealing sleeve is provided with a vacuum channel, one end of which is connected to the filling chamber, and the other end is used to connect to an external negative pressure device.

[0013] Preferably, the device further includes a weighing device located below the bracket. The bracket has a low clearance position and a high sealing position that abuts against the sealing body. When the bracket is in the low clearance position, the packaging material is supported on the bearing surface of the weighing device, and the bracket is separated from the packaging material. When the bracket moves upward from the low clearance position to the high sealing position, the bracket contacts the packaging material and lifts the packaging material, so that the packaging material is detached from the weighing device.

[0014] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a filling method, applied to the vacuum filling system described in any embodiment of the first aspect, comprising the following steps: S1: Control the bracket to drive the packaging material to rise, so that the opening of the packaging material abuts against the sealing body at the lower end of the sealing sleeve to form a first seal; S2: Control the sealing sleeve to rise until the upper end of the sealing sleeve engages with the fixed filling assembly to form a second seal; S3: Under the conditions formed by the first seal and the second seal, the filling needle in the filling assembly is kept stationary, and the medicine is injected into the packaging material through the filling needle; S4: After filling is completed, control the bracket to descend and reset, so that the packaging material descends and detaches from the sealing body.

[0015] Preferably, the vacuum filling system further includes a weighing device; Before step S1, the bracket is in a low position to avoid obstacles, and the packaging material is supported on the weighing device to complete the weighing of the empty bottle; In steps S1 and S2, the bracket rises and lifts the packaging material, causing the packaging material to detach from the weighing device; After step S4, the bracket descends to the clearance low position, and the packaging material is supported again on the weighing device to complete the full bottle weighing.

[0016] The vacuum filling system designed in this application, by fixing the filling assembly and driving the packaging material upwards via a bracket, engages with a liftable sealing sleeve to form a filling chamber through contact and insertion with both the packaging material and the filling assembly. This structure avoids tubing deformation caused by the movement of the filling needle, eliminates relative sliding friction during sealing, and prevents the generation of particulate contamination. Simultaneously, the bracket lifts and separates the packaging material from the weighing device during lifting and filling, avoiding interference from mechanical forces and negative pressure on the weighing sensor, thus ensuring the accuracy of in-situ online weighing. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the vacuum filling system provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 1 .

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the vacuum filling system provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 2 .

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of the vacuum filling system provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0020] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 Sectional view at EE.

[0021] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Enlarged diagram of point A in the middle.

[0022] The components include: filling assembly 10, filling needle 11, needle sleeve 12, bracket 20, sealing sleeve 30, vacuum channel 31, sealing body 40, first lifting drive mechanism 50, first lifting shaft 51, synchronous belt drive mechanism 52, crossbeam 53, drive motor 54, second lifting drive mechanism 60, second lifting shaft 61, and packaging material 100. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The preferred embodiments of this application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit this application.

[0024] Firstly, embodiments of this application provide a vacuum filling system suitable for pharmaceutical and other liquid filling production lines with high cleanliness requirements. For example... Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the vacuum filling system includes a filling component 10 fixedly positioned, a bracket 20 disposed below the filling component 10, and a sealing sleeve 30 coaxially disposed between the bracket 20 and the filling component 10 and capable of vertically lifting and lowering.

[0025] The filling assembly 10 remains fixed in position throughout the filling operation, without participating in any lifting or swinging motion during operation. This ensures the stability of the upstream liquid supply pipeline connected to the filling assembly 10 during the filling process, preventing bending or deformation caused by reciprocating motion. The bracket 20 is positioned below the filling assembly 10 to support the packaging material 100 and, under the action of the drive mechanism, drives the packaging material 100 to move vertically. The sealing sleeve 30 is located between the bracket 20 and the filling assembly 10, and its lower end is equipped with a sealing body 40 to form a sealing fit with the opening of the packaging material 100.

[0026] During the filling process, when the carrier 20 drives the packaging material 100 to move vertically upward, the open end face of the packaging material 100 first comes into contact with the sealing body 40 at the lower end of the sealing sleeve 30, thereby forming a first seal between the packaging material 100 and the sealing sleeve 30. Subsequently, as the sealing sleeve 30 rises vertically, its upper end engages with the corresponding sealing part of the filling assembly 10, thus forming a second seal. Through the cooperation of the first and second seals, a filling chamber isolated from the outside world is constructed within the space enclosed by the packaging material 100, the sealing sleeve 30, and the filling assembly 10.

[0027] In this embodiment, to improve the reliability of the first seal and reduce the impact of assembly errors caused by rigid contact, the sealing body 40 is made of a flexible material or a material with elastic deformation capabilities. When the opening of the packaging material 100 abuts against the end face of the sealing body 40, the sealing body 40 undergoes elastic deformation to compensate for the manufacturing tolerances of the opening of the packaging material 100, thereby ensuring the continuity of the seal. The sealing body 40 can be made of flexible materials that meet sterile requirements, such as medical-grade silicone, pharmaceutical-grade EPDM rubber, fluororubber, or polytetrafluoroethylene composite elastomer.

[0028] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2As shown, it also includes a first lifting drive mechanism 50 and a second lifting drive mechanism 60. The first lifting drive mechanism 50 is drivenly connected to the sealing sleeve 30 and is used to drive the sealing sleeve 30 to move up and down in the vertical direction. The second lifting drive mechanism 60 is drivenly connected to the bracket 20 and is used to drive the bracket 20 to move up and down in the vertical direction. The first lifting drive mechanism 50 and the second lifting drive mechanism 60 are set independently to achieve independent control of the sealing sleeve 30 and the bracket 20.

[0029] To ensure the coaxiality of the sealing sleeve 30 and the bracket 20 during the lifting process, such as Figure 2 As shown, the first lifting drive mechanism 50 includes a first lifting shaft 51, and the second lifting drive mechanism 60 includes a second lifting shaft 61. The second lifting shaft 61 is a hollow shaft structure, and the first lifting shaft 51 passes through the inner cavity of the second lifting shaft 61, and the first lifting shaft 51 and the second lifting shaft 61 are coaxially arranged. Through this coaxial nested structure, the sealing sleeve 30 and the bracket 20 always maintain the alignment of their axes when they are lifted and lowered respectively, thereby ensuring the docking accuracy between the packaging material 100, the sealing sleeve 30, and the filling assembly 10.

[0030] In specific implementation methods, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the first lifting drive mechanism 50 also includes a synchronous belt drive mechanism 52, a crossbeam 53, and a drive motor 54. The output end of the drive motor 54 is connected to the synchronous belt drive mechanism 52, which converts the rotational motion of the drive motor 54 into linear motion along the first lifting shaft 51, thereby driving the crossbeam 53 to move up and down along the first lifting shaft 51. The sealing sleeve 30 is fixedly installed above the first lifting shaft 51 by a bracket and moves up and down synchronously with the crossbeam 53. In this embodiment, the second lifting drive mechanism 60 adopts the same transmission structure as the first lifting drive mechanism 50 and is powered by an independently configured drive motor.

[0031] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown, the filling assembly 10 includes a filling needle 11 and a needle sleeve 12 fitted over the outside of the filling needle 11. A second seal is formed between the upper end of the sealing sleeve 30 and the needle sleeve 12 using a mechanical insertion fit without an elastic seal. This insertion fit does not involve relative sliding of the elastic seal during the mating process, thus avoiding particulate contamination caused by friction. A first seal is formed between the opening of the packaging material 100 and the sealing body 40 through end-face abutment. During the entire sealing process, neither of the two sealing nodes experiences relative sliding along the axial direction.

[0032] In some embodiments, the lower end of the filling needle 11 extends downward in a vertical direction, and with both the first seal and the second seal formed, the lower end of the filling needle 11 passes through the inner cavity of the sealing sleeve 30 and extends into the packaging material 100, so that the liquid medicine can be directly injected into the packaging material 100 along the filling needle 11.

[0033] In some embodiments, such as Figure 5 As shown, a vacuum channel 31 is provided on the side wall of the sealing sleeve 30. One end of the vacuum channel 31 communicates with the interior of the filling chamber, and the other end is used to connect to an external negative pressure device. After the first seal and the second seal are formed, a vacuum operation is performed on the filling chamber and the interior of the packaging material 100 through the vacuum channel 31.

[0034] In some embodiments, a weighing device (not shown) is also included, disposed below the bracket 20. The bracket 20 has a low clearance position and a high sealing position in the vertical direction. When the bracket 20 is in the low clearance position, the packaging material 100 is supported on the bearing surface of the weighing device, the bracket 20 and the packaging material 100 are separated, and the weighing device weighs the packaging material 100. When the bracket 20 moves upward from the low clearance position to the high sealing position, the bracket 20 contacts the packaging material 100 and lifts the packaging material 100, causing the packaging material 100 to detach from the weighing device. In this state, the sealing and filling operations are completed.

[0035] Secondly, embodiments of this application also provide a filling method applied to the vacuum filling system described in the first aspect, which includes the following steps.

[0036] Step S1: Control the bracket 20 to rise vertically, so that the open end face of the packaging material 100 abuts against the sealing body 40 at the lower end of the sealing sleeve 30, forming a first seal.

[0037] In step S2, the first lifting drive mechanism 50 is controlled to drive the sealing sleeve 30 to rise vertically, so that the upper end of the sealing sleeve 30 is mechanically inserted and engaged with the fixed filling component 10 to form a second seal.

[0038] Step S3: With the first and second seals formed and the filling chamber in a closed state, the filling needle 11 in the filling assembly 10 is kept stationary, and the medicine is injected into the packaging material 100 through the filling needle 11.

[0039] Step S4: After filling is completed, control the bracket 20 and sealing sleeve 30 to descend and reset in the vertical direction, so that the packaging material 100 descends with the bracket 20 and detaches from the sealing body 40.

[0040] In the above filling method, the weighing device works in the following way.

[0041] Before step S1 is performed, the bracket 20 is in a low position to avoid obstacles, and the packaging material 100 is supported on the weighing device to complete the weighing of the empty bottle.

[0042] During steps S1 and S2, the bracket 20 rises and lifts the packaging material 100, causing the packaging material 100 to detach from the weighing device and complete the sealing and filling operations while suspended in the air.

[0043] After step S4, the support 20 descends to its low position to avoid obstruction, and the packaging material 100 is supported again on the weighing device, completing the full-bottle weighing. The difference between the empty bottle weighing data and the full-bottle weighing data enables online monitoring of the net weight of the liquid medicine inside the packaging material 100.

[0044] The vacuum filling system provided in this application embodiment fixes the filling assembly, drives the packaging material to rise via a bracket, and engages with a liftable sealing sleeve to form a filling chamber by contacting and inserting with the packaging material and the filling assembly. This structure avoids tubing deformation caused by the movement of the filling needle, eliminates relative sliding friction during sealing, and prevents the generation of particulate contamination. Simultaneously, the bracket lifts and separates the packaging material from the weighing device during rising and filling, avoiding interference from mechanical forces and negative pressure on the weighing sensor, thus ensuring the accuracy of in-situ online weighing.

[0045] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "vertical", "up", "down", "horizontal", 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 application 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 application.

[0046] In the description of this application, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," "connect," and "link" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; 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; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0047] Finally, it should be noted that the above descriptions are merely preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Although this application 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 this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A vacuum filling system, characterized in that, include: The filling assembly is fixed in position. A bracket, located below the filling assembly, is used to support the packaging material and drive the packaging material to move up and down vertically; A sealing sleeve is coaxially disposed between the bracket and the filling assembly, and can be raised and lowered in the vertical direction. The lower end of the sealing sleeve is provided with a sealing body for abutting against the opening of the packaging material. During the process of the bracket driving the packaging material to rise, the opening of the packaging material abuts against the sealing body to form a first seal; during the process of the sealing sleeve rising, the upper end of the sealing sleeve cooperates with the corresponding sealing part of the filling assembly to form a second seal, so as to form a closed filling chamber between the packaging material, the sealing sleeve and the filling assembly.

2. The vacuum filling system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sealing body is made of a flexible material or a material with elastic deformation capability.

3. The vacuum filling system according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a first lifting drive mechanism and a second lifting drive mechanism; the first lifting drive mechanism is drivenly connected to the sealing sleeve and is used to drive the sealing sleeve to move up and down in the vertical direction; the second lifting drive mechanism is drivenly connected to the bracket and is used to drive the bracket to move up and down in the vertical direction.

4. The vacuum filling system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first lifting drive mechanism includes a first lifting shaft, and the second lifting drive mechanism includes a second lifting shaft; the second lifting shaft is a hollow shaft, the first lifting shaft passes through the inner cavity of the second lifting shaft, and the first lifting shaft and the second lifting shaft are coaxially arranged.

5. The vacuum filling system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The filling assembly includes a filling needle and a needle sleeve fitted on the outside of the filling needle. The upper end of the sealing sleeve and the needle sleeve are mechanically inserted and fitted together by a non-elastic sealing element to form the second seal. The opening of the packaging material and the sealing body are fitted together by an end face abutment to form the first seal.

6. The vacuum filling system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The lower end of the filling needle extends downward, and in the state where the first seal and the second seal are formed, the lower end of the filling needle passes through the inner cavity of the sealing sleeve and extends into the packaging material.

7. The vacuum filling system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sealing sleeve has a vacuum channel on its side wall. One end of the vacuum channel is connected to the filling chamber, and the other end is used to connect to an external negative pressure device.

8. The vacuum filling system according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a weighing device located below the bracket, the bracket having a low clearance position and a high sealing position that abuts against the sealing body; when the bracket is in the low clearance position, the packaging material is supported on the bearing surface of the weighing device, and the bracket is separated from the packaging material. When the bracket moves upward from the low position to the high position of the sealing, the bracket contacts the packaging material and lifts the packaging material, so that the packaging material is in a state of being detached from the weighing device.

9. A filling method, applied to a vacuum filling system as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1: Control the bracket to drive the packaging material to rise, so that the opening of the packaging material abuts against the sealing body at the lower end of the sealing sleeve to form a first seal; S2: Control the sealing sleeve to rise until the upper end of the sealing sleeve engages with the fixed filling assembly to form a second seal; S3: Under the conditions formed by the first seal and the second seal, the filling needle in the filling assembly is kept stationary, and the medicine is injected into the packaging material through the filling needle; S4: After filling is completed, control the bracket to descend and reset, so that the packaging material descends and detaches from the sealing body.

10. The filling method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The vacuum filling system also includes a weighing device; Before step S1, the bracket is in a low position to avoid obstacles, and the packaging material is supported on the weighing device to complete the weighing of the empty bottle; In steps S1 and S2, the bracket rises and lifts the packaging material, causing the packaging material to detach from the weighing device; After step S4, the bracket descends to the clearance low position, and the packaging material is supported again on the weighing device to complete the full bottle weighing.

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