Dosing device

Abstract

A device for dosing consumables for tablets, capsules, or syringes, comprising at least one cartridge intended to contain a component of the consumable and having a dosing unit for the dosed dispensing of the consumable, a cartridge magazine for receiving and transporting at least one of the cartridges, at least one container for filling with the consumable, a container carrier for receiving and transporting at least one of the containers, and a filling station for the dosed filling of the individual container with the component of the consumable from the cartridge, and further comprising a controller for controlling the dosing device, wherein the filling station comprises a precision scale configured to detect the weight of the dosed component of the consumable, and wherein the dosing device is controllable in such a way thatthat a predetermined weight of the component of the edible preparation is dosed.,

Description

The present patent application relates to a device for metering (metering device) consumption preparations for tablets, capsules or syringes. Tablets are portioned and compressed under pressure powders, granules or substrates. A capsule consists of a casing which is filled with the consumable in powder or granulate form or in liquid form. Gelatin, cellulose or carrageenan are usually used as the casing for this purpose. The consumable may be a medicament, food supplement and the like.Tablets are pressed from powder mixtures. Usually-although not always-these mixtures are granulated, i.e. converted into coarser particles, before pressing. The sequence of the tablet production is then divided into the steps of preparing the substances and weighing in, granulating pressing. In capsules, the consumable is filled into a part of the capsule, which is then closed with a further part of the capsule, for example by pressing the two capsule parts together.Current devices for the production of tablets or capsules are either largely manual, which enables an exact flexible metering of the consumable, but entails its low efficiency. Automatic devices allow only a slight flexible dosing of the ingredients of the consumable.DE 699 296 33 T2 discloses a capsule packaging machine with a monitoring and regulating device,It is therefore the object of the invention to provide a dosing device of the type mentioned at the beginning which flexibly enables an accurate dosing of a consumable preparation.The object is achieved according to the appended claims. Preferred further developments are described in particular in the dependent patent claims.According to one aspect, a device for metering consumption preparations for tablets, capsules or syringes comprises: at least one cartridge which is provided to contain a component of the consumption preparation and which has a metering unit for metered dispensing of the component of the consumption preparation from the cartridge; a cartridge magazine for receiving and transporting at least one of the cartridges, at least one container for filling with the consumption preparation, a container carrier for receiving and transporting at least one of the containers, a filling station for filling the individual container with the component of the consumption preparation from the cartridge, and / or further a controller for controlling the metering device. The filling station can comprise a precision weighing device which is configured to record the weight of the dosed component of the consumption preparation. The dosing device is controllable in such a way that a predetermined weight of the component of the consumption preparation is dosed.The invention offers, among other things, the technical advantage that the consumable product, which is for example a medicament formed from an active substance and a filler, can be accurately dosed. The weighing of the dosed consumption product, in particular also of the individual components thereof, can take place during the dosing. For this purpose, the weight of the container with the consumable product can be weighed in a simple manner. When the consumable product is metered in, the weight increases with the known dead weight of the container and the increasing weight of the metered-in consumable product, so that the amount of the latter can be determined. Therefore, the container is placed on a precision scale during the metering. For receiving and transporting the container further through the container carrier, the container carrier is preferably raised, so that the container is lifted from the precision weighing. For particularly accurate dosing, cartridges with a spindle drive are used, for example, as are described in detail in EP 4 019 065 B1. The cartridges, the cartridge magazine, the container carrier and the precision weighing are connected to a common control which controls the operations of the dosing device.The cartridge magazine and also the container carrier can be designed as a round magazine, linear magazine or high magazine. Round magazines are particularly well suited for continuous operation. The container carrier is designed, for example, as a rotationally rotatably mounted driven disk.The cartridges can be designed as powder cartridges or as liquid cartridges. Powder cartridges can, for example, accommodate powder or granules.The device can be configured to dose a second component of the consumption preparation into the container in addition to the component of the consumption preparation, wherein the second component of the consumption preparation is dosed out of a cartridge different from the component of the consumption preparation. For example, in the case of a medicament as a consumption preparation, a filler can be metered in with accurate weight in addition to the active substance. It is entirely possible to dose more than two components of the consumption preparation to form one consumption preparation.The filling station may comprise a mixing station for mixing the component of the consumption preparation with the second component of the consumption preparation. By means of the mixing station, better mixing of several components of the consumption preparation can be achieved. For example, the mixing station can be designed as a vibrating station which, for example, vibrates the container filled with the components of the consumption preparation.The dosing device may comprise a pressing device for pressing the previously dosed consumption preparation. The pressing device comprises, for example, a plunger with which the consumable preparation in the container is compressible. In this case, force is exerted on the plunger and the force compresses the powder, so that the materials of the consumable preparation are connected to one another and a solid tablet is thus created, for example.The container carrier can be displaced, for example, vertically into a lower position and an upper position, wherein the container in the lower position rests on a measurement surface of the precision scale and in the upper position is held at a distance from the measurement surface by the container carrier. For this purpose, the container has, for example, an upper flange and a lower portion which adjoins the flange, wherein the container carrier has in each case an opening for lowering the lower portion of the container arranged on the container carrier, and the flange rests on the container carrier in the case of the container arranged on the container carrier. This construction offers easy exchangeability of the containers. Furthermore, all containers can be lifted together by lifting the container carrier. Placing the container filled with consumable on the precision wrap is easily possible. The container has, for example, a conical section which effects a centering of the container relative to the opening when the container is introduced into the opening. In this way, position tolerances between the opening in the container carrier and the container can be compensated.For example, at least one of the cartridges has a screw for metering the component of the consumption preparation and / or the second component of the consumption preparation. Metering by means of a screw enables a very exact metering and a secure storage of the consumable preparation in the cartridge.According to one aspect, a method for dosing edible preparations comprises the following method steps: (a) arranging cartridges on a cartridge magazine; (b) arranging containers on a container carrier; (c) positioning a selectable cartridge by means of the cartridge magazine and a selectable container by means of the container carrier at a filling station; (d) filling the container with a predetermined weight of a component of an edible preparation from a cartridge, wherein the filled weight is measured by weighing the container during filling by means of a precision scale and the filling is controlled such that the predetermined weight value of the filled component of the edible preparation is achieved; and / or (e) further transport of the container by means of the container carrier.In method step (b), the container can be placed on a measurement surface of the precision weighing and, after method step (d) but before method step (e), can be raised again in a method step (d1) such that it is carried by the container carrier.After method step (d1), a pressing process for pressing together the consumed preparation can take place on a pressing device.Before method step (d), a lower half of a capsule can be arranged on the container, into which the consumption preparation is filled in method step (d).An upper half of the capsule can then be arranged on the lower half of the capsule, wherein the upper half of the capsule and the lower half of the capsule are pressed together during the pressing operation. This enables the production of capsules with the dosing device.It is provided that the features directed at a device are combined with the features mentioned with regard to the method, that is to say that the device according to the invention is used in the method according to the invention; and also that features of the various exemplary embodiments can be combined.The invention is described below by way of example with reference to the attached schematic figures. FIG. 1 shows a device for dosing food preparations (dosing device) in a perspective schematic view; FIG. 2 shows a detail of the device for dosing consumption preparations from FIG. 1 with the container arranged on the container carrier in a schematic view; FIG. 3 shows a cartridge for powdered media of the device for dosing consumption preparations according to a first exemplary embodiment; and FIG. 4 shows a cartridge for liquid media of the device for dosing consumption preparations according to a second exemplary embodiment.Preferred embodiments of the invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the figures, the same reference numerals are used for the same or corresponding components, unless otherwise indicated.FIG. 1 shows by way of example a device 1 for metering edible preparations 3 in a perspective schematic view.A plurality of cartridges 5, which in this embodiment are cylindrical, are shown in the upper part of the figure and are provided for receiving and dispensing the consumable preparation 3. In this exemplary embodiment, the cartridges 5 are held in an annularly arranged manner by a substantially cylindrical cartridge magazine 7. In this exemplary embodiment, the cartridge magazine 7 is designed to be rotatable about its cylinder axis, so that it can make a desired cartridge 5 available at a specific rotational angle position by rotation. The cartridge magazine 7 enables the receiving and the transport of at least one of the cartridges 5. a control 8 is provided in order to actuate the actuator system, in this exemplary embodiment electric motors, for rotating the cartridge magazine 7.Furthermore, the device comprises at least one container 9 for filling with the consumable preparation 3. In this exemplary embodiment, a plurality of the containers 9 and a container carrier 11 which can hold and transport the containers 9 are provided. The illustration shows the container carrier 11 below the cartridge magazine 7. In this exemplary embodiment, the container carrier 11 is substantially disk-shaped and can rotate about an axis of rotation. By rotating the container carrier 11, the containers 9 arranged on the container carrier 11 are transported.In this exemplary embodiment, the containers 9 have an upper flange 9 aand a lower portion 9 bwhich adjoins the flange 9 a. The upper flange 9 acan be, for example, rotationally symmetrical with a larger outer diameter than the lower section 9 b, which is likewise cylindrical but closed on its underside. The lower section 9 bthen extends cylindrically downwards, while the upper flange 9 ais disk-shaped with a central opening, so that a kind of cup with a rim results.In the container carrier 11, an opening 12 is provided for lowering the lower section 9 bof the container 9. When the lower portion 9b of the container 9 is inserted into the opening 12 as far as possible, the flange 9a of the container 9 rests on the container carrier 11 and the container 9 is thus held resting on the container carrier 11. In this way, the containers 9 can be simply deposited on the container carrier 11 and can be displaced upwards relative to the container carrier 11 by a force from below. The directions at the bottom and at the top refer to the operably arranged device 1. in this embodiment, the container 9 has a conical portion 9c which, when the container 9 is introduced into the opening 12, effects a centering of the container 9 with respect to the opening 12. For this purpose, the conical section 9 cis provided at the lower region of the cylindrical lower section 9 b, i.e. at a maximum distance from the flange 9 ain the axial direction. When the lower portion 9b is inserted into the opening 12, the conical portion 9c centers the container 9 with respect to the opening 12 and thus facilitates the insertion. Also, the opening 12 may be tapered at its upper inner edge to facilitate insertion of the container 9 into the opening 12.Below the cartridge magazine 7 a filling station 13 is shown for the dosed filling of the individual containers 9 with the component of the consumption preparation 3 from the cartridge 5. The cartridges 5 each have a dosing unit 15 for dosing the consumption preparation 3.Below the container carrier 11 a precision scale 19 is arranged which is configured to record the weight of the dosed component of the consumption preparation 3. In this exemplary embodiment, the precision scale 19 has a measurement surface 20 on its upper side,On the left, the figure shows a control 8 of the device 1 for dosing consumption preparations 3, to which the cartridge magazine 7, the container carrier 11, the pressing device 23 and the precision weighing device 19 are connected and, if appropriate, further sensors and actuators of the dosing device 1 can be connected in order to control the processes of the dosing device 1 or the method for dosing.The dosing unit 15 can be controlled in such a way that a predetermined weight of the component of the consumption preparation 3 is dosed. For this purpose, in this exemplary embodiment, the container carrier 11 is designed to be lowerable by means of an actuator system, so that it can be held in a lower position P 1 and an upper position P 2.In the lower position of the container carrier 11, the container 9 rests on the measuring surface 20 of the precision scale 19, so that a measurement of the weight of the container 9 is also possible with the consumption preparation 3 located therein. By measuring the weight of the empty container 9 and of the container 9 filled with the consumption preparation 3, the amount of consumption preparation 3 in the container 9 can be determined and, by appropriate control of the dosing unit 15, can be adjusted exactly in the amount during the process of dosing. After the dosing, in this exemplary embodiment the container carrier 11 is moved into the upper position P 2, in which the containers 9 are free of contact from the precision weighing. Then, the container 9 is transported further by moving the container carrier 11.A mixing station 21 is provided which is configured to mix the dosed consumption preparation 3. In this exemplary embodiment, the mixing station 21 comprises for this purpose a vibration actuator which oscillates the consumable preparation 3 so that mixing results.A pressing device 23 is provided, which is configured to press the consumable preparation 3. This produces, for example, a tablet-shaped consolidated consumption preparation 3.The dosing device 1 can be configured for capsule production. Then, for example, a capsule lower half is inserted into the container 9 before the metering and metered into the capsule lower half. Before pressing on the pressing device 23, an upper capsule half is placed on the lower capsule half and both together are connected by pressing to form a closed capsule with the consumption preparation 3 therein. The feeding of the capsule halves can be effected manually or automatically. For example, a first station is provided which inserts the underside of the capsule into the container 9. The container carrier 11 is then rotated, so that the inserted capsule bottom side can be filled at the filling station 13. Subsequently, the container carrier 11 is rotated, so that the filled lower capsule half is conveyed to a station, where the upper capsule half is then placed on and the two capsule halves are pressed. The two capsule halves can also be glued together, if necessary, or thermally connected to one another by heating.FIG. 2 shows a detail of the device 1 for metering edible preparations from FIG. 1 with the container 9 arranged on the container carrier 11 in a schematic view.The container 9 is inserted into an opening 12 of the container carrier 11 (shown with hatching). The container 9 has a flange 12 awhich is configured to come to rest on the container carrier 11 when the container 9 is arranged on the container carrier 11. The container 9 has at its lower end a conical portion 9c which facilitates the insertion of the container into the opening 12 on the container carrier 11. The configuration enables the container 9 to be suspended from the container carrier 11. At the same time, however, the container 9 is arranged on the container carrier 11 so as to be freely movable in the vertical direction in such a way that it can be brought to a standstill by lowering the container carrier 11 on the precision scale 19 (not shown in FIG. 2 ). This enables accurate and flexible weighing of the container 9 with the consumable product 3 located therein and at the same time simple further transport of the container 9. As a result, the device is structurally simple and easily serviceable.FIG. 3 shows a cartridge 5 for powdered media of the device 1 for dosing consumption preparations 3 of the first exemplary embodiment.The consumable product 3 preferably comprises powdered constituents which are dispensed from corresponding cartridges 5. The cartridge 5 has a space 29 for receiving a consumable preparation 3 or a component thereof. At the lower end, the figure shows a dispensing opening 35 of the cartridge 5, which is provided for the dosed dispensing of the consumable preparation 3 from the cartridge 5. A rotatable worm or spindle 25, which is of spiral design, runs in the interior of the cartridge 5 as part of the metering unit 15. In this embodiment, a screw drive 27 which serves for rotating the screw and is part of the dosing unit 15 is integrated in the cartridge 5 on its upper side. The worm drive 27 can likewise be provided at the filling station and a force transmission can be formed to the worm 25. The worm drive 27 is controlled by the controller 8 for the exactly dosed dispensing of the consumable preparation 3 from the cartridge 5.FIG. 3 shows a cartridge 5 for liquid media of the device 1 for metering consumption preparations 3 of the second exemplary embodiment.The consumable product 3 may also comprise liquid constituents which are dispensed from corresponding containers 9. For this purpose, the cartridge 5 has a space 29 for receiving the liquid consumption preparation 3, or a component thereof. A dosing plunger 31 is arranged displaceably in the cartridge 5. The metering piston 31 is driven by a drive spindle 27 which engages in an internal thread in the metering piston 31. By driving and displacing the dosing piston 31, the space 29 is reduced and the consumable preparation 3 is dispensed in a dosed manner through the dispensing opening 35 provided at the bottom of the cartridge 5.The above embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail by way of example. The features of the exemplary embodiments can be combined in whole or in part and the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described.List of reference characters1 Device for metering edible preparations 3 edible preparation 5 cartridge 7 cartridge magazine 8 controller 9 container 9 a flange 9 b lower portion 9 c conic portion 11 container carrier 12 opening 13 filling station 15 metering unit 17 controller 19 precision scale 20 measuring surface 21 mixing station 23 pressing device 25 worm 27 worm drive 29 space 31 metering piston 33 conveying movement 35 dispensing opening P 1 lower position P 2 upper positionReferences included in the specificationThis list of documents cited by the applicant has been produced in an automated manner and is only included for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent application or utility model application. The DPMA does not take any adhesion for any faults or omissions.Patent Literature citedDE 699 296 33 T2

[0004] EP 4 019 065 B1

[0008]

Claims

Device (1) for metering consumption preparations (3) for tablets, capsules or syringes, having at least one cartridge (5) which is provided to contain a component of the consumption preparation (3) and which has a metering unit (15) for metered dispensing of the consumption preparations (3), having a cartridge magazine (7) for receiving and transporting at least one of the cartridges (5), having at least one container (9) for filling with the consumption preparation (3), having a container carrier (11) for receiving and transporting at least one of the containers (9), and having a filling station (13) for metered filling of the individual container (9) with the component of the consumption preparation (3) from the cartridge (5), and furthermore having a controller (17) for controlling the metering device (1), wherein the filling station (13) comprises a precision weighing (19) which is configured to record the weight of the dosed component of the consumption preparation (3), and wherein the dosing device (1) is controllable such that a predetermined weight of the component of the consumption preparation (3) is dosed.Device (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the cartridge magazine (7) and / or the container carrier (11) is designed as a round magazine, linear magazine or high magazine.Device (1) according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the cartridges (5) are designed as powder cartridges or as liquid cartridges.Device (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device (1) is configured to dose a second component of the consumption preparation (3) into the container (9) in addition to the component of the consumption preparation (3), wherein the second component of the consumption preparation (3) is dosed out of a cartridge (5) different from the component of the consumption preparation (3).Device (1) according to claim 4, characterised in that the filling station (13) comprises a mixing station (21) for mixing the component of the consumption preparation (3) with the second component of the consumption preparation (3).Device (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device (1) comprises a pressing device (23) for pressing the previously dosed consumption preparation (3).Device (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the container carrier (11) is designed as a driven disc which is rotatably mounted in a rotary manner.Device (1) according to claim 7, characterised in that the container carrier (11) is vertically displaceable into a lower position (P1) and an upper position (P2), wherein the container (9) in the lower position (P1) rests on a measuring surface (20) of the precision scale (19) and in the upper position (P2) is held at a distance from the measuring surface of the container carrier (11).Device (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of the cartridges (5) has a screw (25) for metering the component of the consumption preparation (3) and / or the second component of the consumption preparation (3).Device (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the container (9) has an upper flange (9a) and a lower portion (9b) which adjoins the flange (9a), wherein the container carrier (11) in each case has an opening (12) for lowering the lower portion (9b) of the container (9) arranged on the container carrier (11) in, and the flange (9a) rests on the container carrier (11) in the case of the container (9) arranged on the container carrier (11).Device (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the container (9) has a conical section (9c), which effects a centering of the container (9) with respect to the opening (12) when the container (9) is introduced into the opening (12).Method for dosing consumption preparations (3) comprising the following method steps: (a) arranging cartridges (5) on a cartridge magazine (7); (b) arranging containers (9) on a container carrier (11); (c) positioning a selectable cartridge (5) by means of the cartridge magazine (7) and a selectable container (9) by means of the container carrier (11) at a filling station (13); (d) filling the container (9) with a predetermined weight of a component of a consumption preparation (3) from a cartridge (5), wherein the filled weight is measured by weighing the container (9) during filling by means of a precision scale (19) and the filling is controlled such that the predetermined weight value of the filled component of the consumption preparation (3) is reached; (e) Further transport of the container (9) by means of the container carrier (11).Method according to claim 12, characterised in that in the method step (b), the container (9) is placed on a measuring surface (20) of the precision scale and, after the method step (d) but before the method step (e), in a method step (d1), is raised again such that it is carried by the container carrier (11).Method according to one of claims 12 or 13, characterised in that after the method step (d1) a pressing process for pressing the consumable preparation (3) together takes place on a pressing device (23).Use of a device according to at least one of Claims 1 to 11 in a method according to at least one of Claims 12 to 14.

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