A double cavity filling needle for a filling machine

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of double-cavity filling needles of filling machine, including needle body, the upper and lower surface of needle body is connected and communicated and is equipped with first chamber, and the inside of first chamber is vertically provided with inner tube, and the diameter of inner tube is less than the inside diameter of first chamber, the inner side of inner tube is connected and communicated with upper and lower surface and is equipped with second chamber, and second chamber and first chamber are independent of each other, by being provided with first inner cavity in needle body, and being vertically provided with inner tube in the inside center of first chamber, the inner side of inner tube is connected and communicated with upper and lower surface and is formed with second chamber for letting filling liquid medicine enter, in this way, when filling, external inert protective gas and filling liquid medicine can be simultaneously respectively entered into first chamber and second chamber, so that inert protective gas and liquid medicine can be filled into medicine bottle together.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of pharmaceutical filling needle technology, specifically to a dual-cavity filling needle for a filling machine. Background Technology

[0002] Maintaining the stability and efficacy of pharmaceuticals is crucial in the manufacturing process, especially in the filling of liquid formulations. Many active pharmaceutical ingredients are extremely sensitive to oxygen and are prone to oxidative degradation when exposed to air, leading to decreased drug content and increased related substances. This not only affects efficacy but may also cause potential safety issues. Therefore, introducing inert protective gases during the manufacturing process to isolate oxygen and ensure product quality has become a widely adopted key process measure.

[0003] Currently, filling needles in filling equipment generally adopt a single-channel design. During filling, nitrogen is first introduced into the empty bottle using a nitrogen-filling needle, and then the liquid medicine is filled into the next station using another needle. This method places high demands on the filling machine. It takes two stations to complete nitrogen filling and filling for one glass bottle of medicine. The filling machine needs to be designed with more stations and longer conveyor paths, resulting in a large and complicated structure and layout. This places great demands on equipment and space, ultimately increasing costs. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a dual-chamber filling needle for a filling machine, which aims to solve the problem that existing medicine bottles require different needles to inject inert protective gas or medicine liquid separately when filling them with liquid medicine, thus requiring more workstations in the filling process.

[0005] This utility model is achieved through the following technical solution: A dual-chamber filling needle for a filling machine includes a needle body, characterized in that a first chamber is formed by connecting the upper and lower surfaces of the needle body, and an inner tube is vertically arranged inside the first chamber, the diameter of the inner tube being smaller than the inner diameter of the first chamber. A second chamber is formed by connecting the inner side of the inner tube with the upper and lower surfaces, and the second chamber is independent of the first chamber. The first chamber is used to connect an inert protective gas flowing from top to bottom, while the second chamber is used to connect a filling liquid flowing from top to bottom.

[0006] Furthermore, both the first chamber and the second chamber are opened in a vertical direction, the inner tube is perpendicular to the inner center of the first chamber, the cross-section of the first chamber is a cylindrical structure, and the cross-section of the second chamber is an annular cylindrical structure.

[0007] Furthermore, the bottom surfaces of the first chamber and the second chamber are on the same plane.

[0008] Furthermore, the bottom surface of the first chamber protrudes beyond the bottom surface of the second chamber.

[0009] Furthermore, the inert protective gas is specifically high-purity nitrogen.

[0010] Furthermore, the upper outer side of the inner tube is provided with a first support member with an annular structure. The outer side of the first support member is provided with a plurality of sheet-like support segments at equal intervals along the circumferential direction. The first support member, the support segments and the inner tube are integrally formed. A slot corresponding to the support segment is opened between the upper surface of the needle body and the inner wall of the first chamber. The end of the support segment is adapted to be embedded in the slot.

[0011] Furthermore, a second support member with an annular structure is provided at the lower outer end of the inner tube. The second support member includes a support segment with a sheet-like structure. The support segment is equidistantly arranged on the outer side of the second support member along the circumferential direction. The second support member, the support segment and the inner tube are integrally formed. The support segment of the second support member abuts against the inner wall surface of the first chamber through its end.

[0012] Furthermore, the upper surface of the needle body is also provided with a sealing joint, which includes an infusion tube for delivering liquid medicine and a gas delivery tube for delivering nitrogen gas, wherein one end of the gas delivery tube is sealed and connected to the internal channel of the first chamber, and one end of the infusion tube is sealed and connected to the internal channel of the second chamber.

[0013] Furthermore, the needle body includes an upper needle tube and a lower needle tube, which are integrally formed. The diameter of the upper needle tube is larger than that of the lower needle tube, and a flange structure is formed at the connection section between the upper and lower needle tubes.

[0014] Furthermore, the needle body also includes a support plate, the top and bottom surfaces of which are provided with cylindrical mounting openings, and the inner diameter of the mounting openings is adapted to the diameter of the lower needle tube. During installation, the lower end of the needle body can be embedded in the upper surface of the support plate through the mounting openings.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, this utility model has the following advantages and beneficial effects: 1. This utility model discloses a dual-chamber filling needle for a filling machine. The needle body has a first inner cavity, and an inner tube is vertically arranged in the center of the first cavity. The inner side of the inner tube is connected to the upper and lower surfaces to form a second cavity for the filling liquid to enter. In this way, during filling, the external inert protective gas and the filling liquid can enter the first cavity and the second cavity at the same time, respectively, so that the inert protective gas and the filling liquid can be filled into the medicine bottle together.

[0016] 2. This utility model discloses a dual-chamber filling needle for a filling machine. By designing the first chamber as a ring-shaped cylindrical structure, it can fully surround the first chamber during use. When filling is performed, the nitrogen flowing on the outside can "encapsulate" the liquid medicine flowing on the inside, thus fully protecting the liquid medicine and ensuring the effectiveness and stability of the drug.

[0017] 3. The present invention relates to a dual-cavity filling needle for a filling machine. By setting corresponding support members on the outer side of the inner tube and setting multiple sheet-like support sections at equal intervals along the circumferential direction on the outer side of the support members, the inner tube can be stably and vertically installed in the center of the first chamber during installation. After installation, two mutually isolated and structurally stable chamber structures can be formed. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the present invention and form part of this application, do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of the dual-cavity filling needle of this utility model on the lifting mechanism station of the filling machine.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a first cross-sectional view of a dual-cavity filling needle for a filling machine according to the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a top view of the internal structure of the dual-cavity filling needle of a filling machine according to this utility model.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a second cross-sectional view of a dual-cavity filling needle for a filling machine according to the present invention.

[0022] The attached diagram shows the markings and corresponding component names: 1-Needle body; 11-Upper needle tube; 12-Lower needle tube; 13-First chamber; 131-Card slot; 14-Inner tube; 141-Second chamber; 15-First support component; 151-Second support component; 1511-Support section; 2-Support plate; 21-Mounting port.

[0023] 3-Gas delivery pipe; 4-Infusion tubing; 5-Sealed joint. Detailed Implementation

[0024] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, 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, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the described embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0025] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps described in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention.

[0026] At the same time, it should be understood that, for ease of description, the dimensions of the various parts shown in the accompanying drawings are not drawn according to actual scale.

[0027] Furthermore, for clarity and brevity, descriptions of well-known structures, functions, and configurations may have been omitted. Those skilled in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications can be made to the examples described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

[0028] Techniques, methods, and equipment known to a person skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and equipment should be considered part of the license specification.

[0029] In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values.

[0030] Example 1 like Figure 1 As shown, this utility model discloses a dual-chamber filling needle for a filling machine, including a needle body 1. The upper and lower surfaces of the needle body 1 are vertically connected to form a first chamber 13 for allowing external inert protective gas to enter. An inner tube 14 is vertically arranged in the center of the first chamber 13, and the lower surface of the inner tube 14 is flush with the lower surface of the needle body 1. The diameter of the inner tube 14 is smaller than the inner diameter of the first chamber 13. The inner side of the inner tube 14 is connected to the upper and lower surfaces and vertically forms a second chamber 141 for allowing filling liquid to enter.

[0031] During filling, the lifting mechanism on the filling machine station drives the needle assembly to move up and down, so that the needle body 1 can be inserted into the corresponding medicine bottle. Then, the external inert protective gas and the filling liquid can enter the first chamber 13 and the second chamber 141 at the same time, so that the inert protective gas and the medicine liquid can be filled into the medicine bottle together.

[0032] Specifically, such as Figure 1and Figure 2 As shown, the first chamber 13 has a cylindrical cross-section, and the second chamber 141 has an annular cylindrical cross-section. The first chamber 13 and the second chamber 141 are separated from each other, with the second chamber 141 perpendicular to the internal center of the first chamber 13. This design ensures that the flow channels of the first chamber 13 and the second chamber 141 do not interfere with each other, allowing the inert protective gas and the liquid medicine to flow within their respective channels. Furthermore, since the first chamber 13 is an annular cylindrical structure, it effectively surrounds the first chamber 13. During filling operations, the inert protective gas flowing on the outside can "envelop" the liquid medicine flowing on the inside, thus providing sufficient protection for the liquid medicine and ensuring its stability and efficacy.

[0033] Specifically, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, according to filling requirements, the cross-sectional area of ​​the internal channel of the first chamber 13 can be larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the internal channel of the second chamber 141. This design allows the outflow of inert protective gas from the first chamber 13 to be greater than the outflow of liquid medicine from the second chamber 141. Furthermore, the cross-sectional area of ​​the internal channel of the first chamber 13 can be equal to the cross-sectional area of ​​the internal channel of the second chamber 141. This design allows the outflow of inert protective gas from the first chamber 13 to be balanced with the outflow of liquid medicine from the second chamber 141. Even further, the cross-sectional area of ​​the internal channel of the first chamber 13 can be smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the internal channel of the second chamber 141. This design allows the outflow of inert protective gas from the first chamber 13 to be less than the outflow of liquid medicine from the second chamber 141. In summary, by changing the cross-sectional areas of the internal channels of the first chamber 13 and the second chamber 141, the requirements for preparing liquid medicines with different properties can be met.

[0034] Specifically, the inert protective gas is high-purity nitrogen. During use, when nitrogen enters the vial, it mixes and dilutes the gas inside. The diluted gas can then escape through the tiny gap between the vial opening and the needle. As this process continues, the oxygen concentration inside the vial decreases exponentially, thus rapidly creating a low-oxygen environment. Simultaneously, when the liquid enters the vial from the second chamber 141, the nitrogen blown out from the first chamber 13 forms a stable, continuously flowing nitrogen curtain on the bottom surface of the filling needle. This curtain dynamically envelops the falling liquid, ensuring maximum isolation from oxygen throughout the entire process from leaving the needle to entering the container and until the liquid level rises. This fundamentally solves the problem of oxidation loss of the active ingredients in the liquid during filling.

[0035] Specifically, such as Figure 2As shown, the bottom surfaces of the first chamber 13 and the second chamber 141 are on the same plane. This design allows nitrogen gas and liquid medication to exit from the bottom of the needle simultaneously. After exiting, the nitrogen gas can instantly envelop the liquid medication, thus forming a complete and uninterrupted nitrogen protective gas curtain. Furthermore, the bottom surface of the first chamber 13 can protrude beyond the bottom surface of the second chamber 141. This design allows nitrogen gas to exit from the bottom of the needle first, quickly replacing the air in the vial. This pre-establishes a low-oxygen environment, so when the liquid medication subsequently enters the vial, it will directly contact the low-oxygen environment, thereby preventing oxidation between the liquid medication and the air at the bottom of the vial.

[0036] Specifically, such as Figures 2 to 4 As shown, a first support member 5 with an annular structure is provided at the upper outer side of the inner tube 14. Multiple sheet-like support segments 1511 are equidistantly arranged on the outer side of the first support member 5 along the circumferential direction. The first support member 5, the support segments 1511, and the inner tube 14 are integrally formed. A groove 131 corresponding to the support segment 1511 is formed between the upper surface of the needle body 1 and the inner wall of the first chamber 13. The end of the support segment 1511 is fitted into the groove 131. After embedding, the end of the support segment 1511 can be securely connected to the groove 131 by welding. In use, the inner tube 14 can be installed and fixed using the support segments 1511 and the groove 131, allowing the inner tube 14 to be stably and vertically suspended in the first chamber 13.

[0037] Furthermore, a second support member 151 with an annular structure is provided at the lower outer side of the inner tube 14. Multiple sheet-like support segments 1511 are also provided at equal intervals along the circumferential direction on the outer side of the second support member 151. The second support member 151, the support segments 1511 and the inner tube 14 are integrally formed, and the end of the support segment 1511 abuts against the inner wall surface of the first chamber 13.

[0038] Specifically, such as Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the upper surface of the needle body 1 is also provided with a sealing joint 5. The sealing joint 5 includes a gas delivery tube 3 for delivering nitrogen gas and a liquid delivery tube 4 for delivering liquid medicine. Filling valves are provided at the liquid delivery tube 4 and the gas delivery tube 3. One end of the gas delivery tube 3 is sealed and connected to the internal channel of the first chamber 13, and one end of the liquid delivery tube 4 is sealed and connected to the internal channel of the second chamber 141. In use, when the filling valve is opened, the liquid medicine and nitrogen gas can be delivered to the first chamber 13 and the second chamber 141 through the gas delivery tube 3 and the liquid delivery tube 4, respectively, so as to complete the filling of the medicine bottle. Similarly, when the medicine is filled to the appropriate dosage, the filling valve is closed, and then the lifting mechanism at the filling machine station drives the needle away from the medicine bottle, so that the filling operation can continue for the next batch of empty medicine bottles.

[0039] Example 2 The purpose of this embodiment 2 is to solve the problem of how to connect and install the filling needle with the lifting mechanism of an existing filling machine, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the needle body 1 mainly consists of an upper needle tube 11 and a lower needle tube 12, which are integrally formed. The diameter of the upper needle tube 11 is larger than that of the lower needle tube 12, and a flange structure is formed at the connection section between the upper needle tube 11 and the lower needle tube 12. The needle body 1 also includes a support plate 2. The top and bottom surfaces of the support plate 2 have cylindrical mounting ports 21, the inner diameter of which is adapted to the diameter of the lower needle tube 12. During installation, the lower end of the needle body 1 can be embedded into the upper surface of the support plate 2 through the mounting port 21, and then the upper end of the needle body 1 is limited and supported by the flange structure on the upper surface of the support plate 2. At the same time, in order to facilitate the filling operation of the needle body 1, the support plate 2 can be connected to the lifting mechanism on the filling machine station. In this way, the lifting mechanism can drive the support plate 2 and the needle assembly to move up and down, and the needle body can be driven into the medicine bottle during the movement.

[0040] The working principle of this utility model is as follows: First, the gas delivery tube 3 and the liquid delivery tube 4 are sealed and connected to the first chamber 13 and the second chamber 141 in the needle body 1 respectively. Then, multiple needles are connected to the mounting port 21 on the support plate 2. After connection, the support plate 2 is fixed on the lifting mechanism at the filling machine station. The lifting mechanism drives the support plate 2 and the needle assembly to move up and down.

[0041] During the filling operation, the empty medicine bottle is placed on the conveyor belt and transported to the filling machine station. Then, the lifting mechanism drives the support plate 2 to move downward, allowing the needle body 1 to pierce into the empty bottle. At this time, the filling valve opens, and nitrogen gas and liquid medicine are delivered to the first chamber 13 and the second chamber 141 respectively through the gas delivery pipe 3 and the liquid delivery pipe 4. Since the first chamber 13 and the second chamber 141 are separated from each other, the liquid medicine and nitrogen gas can enter the medicine bottle together. At the same time, since the second chamber 141 can surround the first chamber 13, a nitrogen gas curtain can be formed when nitrogen gas and liquid medicine enter the medicine bottle. This gas curtain dynamically wraps the falling liquid medicine, so that it is isolated from oxygen to the maximum extent from leaving the needle to entering the container and until the liquid level rises throughout the entire process, fundamentally solving the problem of oxidation loss of active ingredients of the liquid medicine at the moment of filling.

[0042] The above specific embodiments further illustrate the purpose, technical solution and beneficial effects of this utility model. It should be understood that the above are only specific embodiments of this utility model and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this utility model should be included within the scope of protection of this utility model.

Claims

1. A dual-cavity filling needle for a filling machine, comprising a needle body (1), characterized in that, The needle body (1) has a first chamber (13) connected to the upper and lower surfaces, and an inner tube (14) is vertically arranged inside the first chamber (13). The diameter of the inner tube (14) is smaller than the inner diameter of the first chamber (13). The inner side of the inner tube (14) is connected to the upper and lower surfaces to form a second chamber (141), and the second chamber (141) is independent of the first chamber (13). The first chamber (13) is used to connect the inert protective gas flowing from top to bottom, while the second chamber (141) is used to connect the filling liquid flowing from top to bottom.

2. The dual-chamber filling needle for a filling machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first chamber (13) and the second chamber (141) are both opened in the vertical direction. The inner tube (14) is perpendicular to the inner center of the first chamber (13). The cross-section of the first chamber (13) is a cylindrical structure, and the cross-section of the second chamber (141) is an annular cylindrical structure.

3. The dual-chamber filling needle for a filling machine according to claim 2, characterized in that, The bottom surface of the first chamber (13) and the bottom surface of the second chamber (141) are on the same plane.

4. A dual-chamber filling needle for a filling machine according to claim 2, characterized in that, The bottom surface of the first chamber (13) protrudes beyond the bottom surface of the second chamber (141).

5. A dual-chamber filling needle for a filling machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inert protective gas is specifically high-purity nitrogen.

6. A dual-chamber filling needle for a filling machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer upper end of the inner tube (14) is provided with a first support member (15) with an annular structure. The outer side of the first support member (15) is provided with a plurality of sheet-like support segments (1511) at equal intervals along the circumferential direction. The first support member (15), the support segments (1511) and the inner tube (14) are integrally formed. The upper surface of the needle body (1) and the inner wall of the first chamber (13) are provided with a slot (131) corresponding to the support segment (1511). The end of the support segment (1511) is adapted to be embedded in the slot (131).

7. A dual-chamber filling needle for a filling machine according to claim 6, characterized in that, The lower outer side of the inner tube (14) is provided with a second support member (151) with an annular structure. The second support member (151) includes a support section (1511) with a sheet-like structure. The support section (1511) is equidistantly arranged on the outer side of the second support member (151) along the circumferential direction. The second support member (151), the support section (1511) and the inner tube (14) are integrally formed. The support section (1511) of the second support member (151) abuts against the inner wall surface of the first chamber (13) through its end.

8. A dual-chamber filling needle for a filling machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper surface of the needle body (1) is also provided with a sealing connector (5), which includes an infusion tube (4) for delivering liquid medicine and a gas infusion tube (3) for delivering nitrogen gas. One end of the gas infusion tube (3) is sealed and connected to the internal channel of the first chamber (13), and one end of the infusion tube (4) is sealed and connected to the internal channel of the second chamber (141).

9. A dual-chamber filling needle for a filling machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The needle body (1) includes an upper needle tube (11) and a lower needle tube (12), and the upper needle tube (11) and the lower needle tube (12) are integrally formed. The diameter of the upper needle tube (11) is larger than the diameter of the lower needle tube (12), and a flange structure is formed at the connection section between the upper needle tube (11) and the lower needle tube (12).

10. A dual-chamber filling needle for a filling machine according to claim 9, characterized in that, The needle body (1) also includes a support plate (2). The top and bottom surfaces of the support plate (2) are provided with cylindrical mounting ports (21), and the inner diameter of the mounting ports (21) is compatible with the diameter of the lower needle tube (12). During installation, the lower end of the needle body (1) can be embedded in the upper surface of the support plate (2) through the mounting ports (21).

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