Transport system for sterile-product tubs and use of a transport system
Patent Information
- Application Number
- EP2023727527
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2022-05-24
- Filing Date
- 2023-05-17
- Publication Date
- 2025-02-26
AI Technical Summary
Existing transport systems for sterile goods tubs are inflexible and require mechanical adjustments tailored to specific sizes and shapes, making them cumbersome and less suitable for varying geometries and clean room environments.
A planar transport system with a transport platform and additional platforms that can be electromagnetically coupled and moved independently, providing flexible support and positioning for sterile goods tubs, allowing for adaptable transport paths and secure handling without mechanical contact with the drive surface.
Enables precise, reliable, and friction-free transport of sterile goods tubs of different sizes and shapes, with high positioning accuracy and the ability to change transport routes easily, making it suitable for clean room environments like pharmaceutical plants.
Smart Images
Figure 1.1
Abstract
Description
[0001] Title: Transport system for sterile tubs and
[0002] Use of a transport system
[0003] Description
[0004] The invention relates to a transport system for sterile goods tubs, in particular a sterile goods tub transport system, with a conveyor element for arranging a sterile goods tub and with a drive for moving the conveyor element.
[0005] A transport system is known from a system previously used by the applicant, "ABO / ATO - Automatic Bag and tub opening", which has a conveying element in the form of a conveyor belt which can be moved along a transport path by means of a drive, so that sterile goods tubs arranged on the conveyor belt can be transported along the transport path.
[0006] For the acceptance of a sterile tub at a first station and its transfer to a second station, the position, orientation, and location of the sterile tub on the conveyor belt must be controlled and monitored. For this purpose, mechanical stops, sensors, and actuators are used. These components, in turn, must be configured and adapted to the size and shape of the sterile tubs to be transported.
[0007] Based on this, the present invention is based on the object of creating a simple and flexible transport system for sterile goods tubs.
[0008] This object is achieved in a transport system of the type mentioned at the outset in that the transport system is a planar transport system, that the conveying element is a transport platform which has a base surface for setting up a sterile goods tub to be transported, that the drive comprises a drive surface with which the transport platform can be electromagnetically coupled and moved parallel to the drive surface, and that the planar transport system has a first additional platform which can be electromagnetically coupled to the drive surface and is movable parallel to the drive surface independently of the transport platform and which has at least one support element assigned to the first additional platform for supporting a side wall of a sterile goods tub placed on the base surface of the transport platform.
[0009] The transport system according to the invention comprises a transport platform with a support surface for setting up a sterile goods tub. The weight of the sterile goods tub rests on the transport platform. For lateral support of the sterile goods tub, a first additional platform is provided, which has a support element that, in a supported state, interacts with a side wall of a sterile goods tub placed on the support surface of the transport platform.
[0010] The transport platform and the first additional platform can be moved independently of one another on the drive surface, so that the support element of the first additional platform can assume different relative positions to a sterile goods tub placed on the support surface of the transport platform.
[0011] The transport system according to the invention enables any desired transport paths for the sterile goods tub to be easily specified. The course of a transport path for a sterile goods tub can be freely selected across the drive surface. The transport paths can be easily adapted to new transport tasks and / or changed geometries of the sterile goods tubs to be transported without changing any mechanical peripherals. Planar transport systems are characterized by high positioning accuracy and reliable operation. In addition, these planar transport systems are friction-free because the transport platform and the first additional platform do not touch the drive surface but are spaced from the drive surface by a working gap. The transport system according to the invention is therefore particularly suitable for use in clean rooms, for example in pharmaceutical plants.
[0012] The first additional platform secures the sterile tub placed on the transport platform's support surface against lateral slippage. This allows for the use of a flat support surface that is suitable for sterile tubs of different sizes and shapes without further adjustment.
[0013] Particularly reliable support of the sterile goods tub on the support surface of the transport platform is achieved if the transport system has a second additional platform which can also be electromagnetically coupled to the drive surface and is movable parallel to the drive surface independently of the transport platform and independently of the first additional platform, and which has at least one support element assigned to the second additional platform for supporting the side wall of a sterile goods tub placed on the support surface of the transport platform. The support element of the first additional platform and the support element of the second additional platform are in contact with different sections of the side wall of the sterile goods tub during transport of the sterile goods tub supported by the transport platform.
[0014] It is possible for the respective support elements of the two additional platforms to be in a pressure-free contact state with the side wall of the sterile goods tub. It is preferred for the respective support elements of the two additional platforms to be in clamped engagement with the side wall of the sterile goods tub. This enables particularly reliable lateral fixation of the sterile goods tub on the support surface of the transport platform.
[0015] According to a preferred embodiment, the side wall of a sterile goods tub placed on the support surface has a substantially rectangular profile, the first additional platform is arranged adjacent to a first corner region of the side wall, the second additional platform is arranged adjacent to a second corner region of the side wall, and the first corner region and the second corner region are adjacent to one another or diagonally opposite one another. This enables the position of the sterile goods tub to be reliably secured on the support surface, in particular during movement of the sterile goods tub along a transport path and / or during rotation of the transport platform about a vertical axis of the transport platform that is perpendicular to the drive surface.The planar transport system preferably comprises a control device that controls a movement of the transport platform and a movement of the first additional platform and / or the second additional platform. This enables the specification of coordinated movements of the platforms.
[0016] It is further preferred if the first additional platform is rotatable about a first axis of rotation perpendicular to the drive surface and / or if the second additional platform is rotatable about a second axis of rotation perpendicular to the drive surface and / or if the transport platform is rotatable about a rotation axis perpendicular to the drive surface. This allows for a particularly flexible selection of different relative positions of the platforms, depending on a desired transport path and / or depending on a specific geometry of the side wall of the sterile goods tub.
[0017] It is particularly preferred if the at least one support element is strip-shaped and extends parallel to the drive surface. This enables gentle contact or engagement with the side wall of the sterile goods tub. At the same time, an anti-twist lock is formed, compared to a point-like contact.
[0018] The at least one support element can, for example, have a straight profile suitable for engagement with a straight section of a side wall of the sterile goods tub. An L-shaped support element is particularly preferred, which makes it possible to engage the side wall of a sterile goods tub in a corner area and thus support the sterile goods tub in different directions (in particular, all parallel to the drive surface).
[0019] It is further preferred that the at least one support element is held on a holder, wherein a distance of the support element from the drive surface is matched to a height of an upper edge of the side wall of a sterile goods tub that is placed on the support surface of the transport platform. This enables particularly tilt-stable support of the sterile goods tub.
[0020] The sterile goods are preferably syringes, vials, or cartridges. It is possible and preferred for the sterile goods to be nested. Holders or grids can be used for nesting sterile goods, which can be arranged or are arranged in an interior of the sterile goods tub and hold the sterile goods in a relatively aligned and spaced-apart state.
[0021] It is further preferred if the drive surface overlaps with a functional area of at least one of the following stations, preferably with functional areas of at least two of the following stations:
[0022] - Unpacking station for unpacking a sterile tub from an outer packaging and / or
[0023] - Opening station for opening a lid section of the sterile goods tub and / or - Removal station for removing sterile goods from an opened sterile goods tub and / or
[0024] - Filling station for filling the sterile goods and / or
[0025] - Weighing station for weighing empty sterile goods or filled sterile goods and / or
[0026] - Insertion station for inserting empty or filled sterile goods into an opened sterile goods tub.
[0027] A functional area of a station is understood to be an area in which the respective function of the station is carried out, for example the unpacking of a sterile goods tub from outer packaging in the functional area of an unpacking station. By overlapping a functional area of a station with the drive area, it is achieved that the sterile goods tub, possibly with outer packaging, can remain on the transport platform during further processing of the sterile goods tub, meaning that there is no need to transfer it to other transport systems. This further increases the reliability of the transport system.
[0028] The invention further relates to a preferred use of the transport system explained above, according to the features of claim 11. These features enable
[0029] - in the functional area of an unpacking station - the removal of a product initially placed laterally outside the
[0030] Sterile goods tubs arranged on the transport mover's platform are taken from an opened outer packaging of the sterile goods tub, for example from a bag cut open at the side.
[0031] In order to clamp the sterile goods tub between the respective support elements of the first additional platform and the second additional platform, it is possible for these support elements to first be inserted into the open outer packaging of the sterile goods tub by moving the additional platforms and then to be moved perpendicular to one another for the insertion movement. Once the clamped state has been reached, the additional platforms can be moved against the insertion direction and in this way transport the sterile goods tub clamped between the support elements out of the open outer packaging into a space above the installation surface of the transport mover. The clamped state is released by increasing the distance of the additional platform.
[0032] Further features and advantages of the invention are the subject of the following description and the drawing of an embodiment.
[0033] The drawing shows
[0034] Fig. 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of a transport system in an initial state;
[0035] Fig. 2 is a side view of the transport system according to Fig. 1;
[0036] Fig. 3 is a plan view of the transport system according to Fig. 1 along a line designated III - III in Fig. 4
[0037] Section plane, in a transport state; Fig. 4 a side view of the transport system according to Fig. 3;
[0038] Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the transport system according to Fig. 1 in a clamping state; and
[0039] Fig. 6 is a view corresponding to Fig. 5 in a steep state.
[0040] An embodiment of a planar transport system (hereinafter referred to as "system") is designated in the drawings by reference numeral 10. The system 10 comprises a drive surface 12 extending in a straight plane, which is preferably horizontally oriented (see Figs. 1 and 2). The drive surface 12 serves for the electromagnetic coupling and drive of a plurality of platforms, which are also called "movers."
[0041] The system 10 comprises a transport platform 14 with a flat drive body 15, which has a preferably flat support surface 16 for setting up a sterile goods tub 18.
[0042] It is possible, but not absolutely necessary, for the size and geometry of the support surface 16 to be adapted to the size and geometry of a base 20 of the sterile goods tub 18. It is also possible for the base 20 to be smaller than the support surface 16 or to protrude laterally beyond the support surface 16. The sterile goods tub has a rectangular side wall 22 with an upper edge 24 which extends along a lateral circumference of the sterile goods tub 18 and whose wall sections are preferably oriented perpendicular to the drive surface 12.
[0043] The sterile goods tub 18 has an interior space 26 which is laterally delimited by the side wall 22 and which is closed by a lid section 28 on a side of the sterile goods tub 18 facing away from the base section 20.
[0044] The interior space 26 serves to accommodate a nest 30 (see Fig. 3), on or in which sterile goods 32 are nested or held. The sterile goods 32 are, for example, a plurality of syringes, vials, or cartridges.
[0045] In addition to the transport platform 14, the system 10 comprises a first additional platform 34 and preferably also a second additional platform 36.
[0046] The additional platforms 34 and 36 each have a flat drive body 38 and 40, respectively. The drive bodies 38 and 40 can be smaller in size than the drive body 15 of the transport platform 14, so that a free area within which the transport platform 14 can be moved on the drive surface 12 is as large as possible.
[0047] The drive bodies 38, 40 serve to arrange holders 42, 44, which are each firmly connected thereto and are provided with respective support elements 46, 48 at their ends facing away from the drive bodies 38, 40. The support elements 46, 48 are each strip-shaped and extend parallel to the drive surface 12. The support elements 46, 48 preferably have an L-shaped profile, with sections 50 and 52 arranged perpendicular to one another.
[0048] The additional platforms 34 and 36 are rotatable—by appropriate control—about respective associated axes of rotation 54, 56, each oriented perpendicular to the drive surface 12. This allows the adjustment of a rotational position of the support elements 46 and 48, respectively, relative to a sterile goods tub 18. Preferably, the transport platform 14 is also rotatable about a rotational axis 84 oriented perpendicular to the drive surface 12, so that the orientation of the sterile goods tub 18 can be easily changed.
[0049] The drive surface 12 is formed by a drive, schematically designated 58 in Figures 2 and 4, which has coils to be energized in a conventional manner, which are distributed below the drive surface 12 and generate drive energy for driving the platforms 18, 34, 36. A controller 60 is provided to control these movements.
[0050] For interaction of the additional platforms 34 and 36 with the sterile goods tub 18, it is preferred if the respective support elements 46, 48 of the additional platforms 34, 36 interact with one of the four corner regions 62, 64, 66, 68 of the sterile goods tub 18, see, for example, Fig. 1. In an initial state shown in Fig. 1, the sterile goods tub 18 is placed on the support surface 16 of the transport platform 14. The support elements 46, 48 of the additional platforms 34, 36 are initially spaced from the side wall 22 of the sterile goods tub 18. The additional platforms 34 and 36 can then be positioned and aligned with regard to their rotational position about the rotation axes 54, 56 such that, upon approaching the side wall 22 of the sterile goods tub 18, the support elements 46, 48 come into contact with the side wall 22, in particular with the upper edge 24 of the side wall 22.
[0051] For example, it is possible for the support elements 46, 48 of the two additional platforms 34, 36 to engage diagonally opposite corner regions 62 and 66 of the sterile goods tub 18 (see Figs. 1 and 3). The engagement of the support elements 46, 48 with the side wall 22 can be in a pressureless engagement state or in an engagement in which at least one of the sections 50 and 52 of each support element 46, 48 is in clamping engagement with the side wall 22.
[0052] In any case, it is possible to transport the sterile goods tub 18 by moving the platforms 14, 34 and 36 synchronously with one another, for example along mutually perpendicular axes 70, 72 of the drive surface 12 or at an angle thereto, for example along a transport path 74 indicated by way of example in Fig. 3, which can have any desired course within a transport plane parallel to the drive surface 12.
[0053] In this way, the sterile goods tub 18 can be moved to any station within the extent of the drive surface 12, for example to an unpacking station 76 shown in Figures 5 and 6. In the unpacking station 76, the sterile goods tub 18 is unpacked from an outer packaging (not shown), for example in the form of a bag. For this purpose, the outer packaging is opened by means of a cut, for example in the region of a line 78 shown in Figure 5 with a dash-dotted line, so that the sterile goods tub 18 can be unpacked from the outer packaging following a removal direction 80.
[0054] For the relative movement of the sterile goods tub 18 relative to the outer packaging, the support elements 46 and 48 of the additional platforms 34 and 36 are retracted into the opened outer packaging (this is the state shown in Figure 5). Subsequently, the additional platforms 34 and 36 are moved toward each other parallel to the line 78, so that the respective sections 52 of the support elements 46 and 48 clamp the sterile goods tub 18 between them. Subsequently, the additional platforms 34 and 36 are removed from the outer packaging following the removal direction 80 together with the sterile goods tub 18 clamped between them, until the sterile goods tub 18 is arranged in a space 82 above the support surface 16 of the transport platform 14 (this is the state shown in Figure 6, in which the base section 20 of the sterile goods tub 18 already touches the support surface 16 or is arranged slightly above it).
[0055] In the event that the base section 20 of the sterile goods tub 18 already touches the support surface 16: By increasing the distance between the platforms 34 and 36, the respective sections 52 of the support elements 46 and 48 come out of engagement with the sterile goods tub 18, so that the sterile goods tub 18 is no longer clamped.
[0056] In the event that the base section 20 of the sterile goods tub 18 is arranged above the support surface 16 (option 1): By increasing the distance between the platforms 34 and 36, the respective sections 52 of the support elements 46 and 48 come out of engagement with the sterile goods tub 18, so that the sterile goods tub 18 is no longer clamped and falls onto the support surface 16 under the support of gravity.
[0057] In the event that the base section 20 of the sterile goods tub 18 is arranged above the support surface 16 (option 2): It is also possible that the additional platforms 34 and 36 are movable in a direction perpendicular to the drive surface 12 and in this way can lower the sterile goods tub 18 in a controlled manner onto the support surface 16 and that only then the distance between the platforms 34 and 36 is increased and the
[0058] clamping state is released.
Claims
Claims: Transport system for sterile goods tubs (18) , comprising a conveying element for arranging a sterile goods tub (18) and a drive (58) for moving the conveying element, characterized in that the transport system is a planar transport system (10), that the conveying element is a transport platform (14) which has a support surface (16) for setting up a sterile goods tub (18) to be transported, that the drive (58) comprises a drive surface (12) with which the transport platform (14) can be electromagnetically coupled and moved parallel to the drive surface (12), and that the planar transport system (10) comprises a first additional platform (34),which is electromagnetically coupled to the drive surface (12) and movable parallel to the drive surface (12) independently of the transport platform (14), and which has at least one support element (46) associated with the first additional platform (34) for supporting a side wall (22) of a sterile goods tub (18) placed on the support surface (16) of the transport platform (14). Transport system according to claim 1, characterized in that it has a second additional platform (36) which is electromagnetically coupled to the drive surface (12) and movable independently of the transport platform (14) and independently of the first, The additional platform (34) is movable parallel to the drive surface (12) and has at least one support element (48) assigned to the second additional platform (36) for supporting the side wall (22) of a sterile tub (18) placed on the support surface (16) of the transport platform (14).
3. Transport system according to claim 2, characterized in that the side wall (22) of a sterile goods tub (18) placed on the support surface (16) has a substantially rectangular shape, that the first additional platform (34) is arranged adjacent to a first corner region (62) of the side wall (22), that the second additional platform (36) is arranged adjacent to a second corner region (64, 66) of the side wall (22), and that the first corner region (62) and the second corner region (64, 66) are adjacent to each other or diagonally opposite each other.
4. Transport system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the planar transport system (10) comprises a control device (60) which controls a movement of the transport platform (14) and a movement of the first additional platform (34) and / or the second additional platform (36).
5. Transport system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first additional platform (34) is rotatable about a first axis of rotation (54) perpendicular to the drive surface (12) and / or that the second additional platform (36) is rotatable about a second axis of rotation (56) perpendicular to the drive surface (12) and / or that the transport platform (14) is rotatable about an axis of rotation (84) perpendicular to the drive surface (12). Transport system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one support element (46, 48) is strip-shaped and extends parallel to the drive surface (12). Transport system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one support element (46, 48) has a straight or an L-shaped profile. Transport system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one support element (46, 48) is held on a holder (42, 44), wherein a distance of the support element (46, 48) to the drive surface (12) is matched to a height of an upper edge (24) of the side wall (22) of a sterile goods tube (18) which is on the is positioned on the support surface (16) of the transport platform (14). Transport system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sterile goods (32) comprising syringes, vials or cartridges, wherein the sterile goods (32) are preferably nested. Transport system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drive surface (12) overlaps with a functional area of at least one of the following stations, preferably with functional areas of at least two of the following stations: - Unpacking station (76) for unpacking a sterile goods tube (18) from an outer packaging, - Opening station for opening a lid section (28) of the sterile goods tube (18) , - Sampling station for taking sterile goods (32) from an opened sterile goods tube (18) , - Filling station for filling sterile goods (32) , - Weighing station for weighing empty sterile goods (32) or filled sterile goods (32) , - Insertion station for inserting empty sterile goods (32) or filled sterile goods (32) into an opened sterile goods tub (18). Use of a transport system according to one of claims 2 to 10, in particular for unpacking a sterile goods tub (18) – initially arranged laterally outside the support surface (16) of the transport platform (14) – from an opened outer packaging of the Sterile goods tubs (18) , wherein the first additional platform (34) and the second additional platform (36) are arranged on opposite sides of the sterile goods tub (18), together with their respective support elements (46, 48) clamp the sterile goods tub (18) between them, move the sterile goods tub (18) in its clamped state into a space above the support surface (16) of the transport platform (14) and release the clamping state by increasing their distance.