Device for blistering pills, tablets, capsules and the like and method therefor

Abstract

A device according to the invention for blistering pills, tablets, capsules or the like has a feeding system (1) comprising a funnel (1a) and a feed cassette(1b), in which a number of tubes (4) are movably held, to be precise in such a way that they open out into a number of drop shafts (9a) of a drop-shaft arrangement (9), with which a blister pack can be filled, characterized in that the feed cassette (1b) comprises a vibration plate (10), which has, for the number of tubes (4), a number of openings (14) by which the tubes (4) are guidedly held, wherein the vibration plate (10) has a vibration-articulation point (13a), which is operatively connected to a vibration unit (13b) in such a way that the tubes (4) can be indirectly made to undergo a vibrational movement perpendicularly to a number of longitudinal axes (4a) of the number of tubes (4) by way of the vibration unit (13b), the vibration-articulation point (13a) and the vibration plate (10).

Description

Device for blister packing pills, tablets, capsules and the like and method therefor Technical area

[0001] The present invention relates to a device and a corresponding method for packaging individual medicaments in blisters, in particular to a device and a method for blister packing pills, tablets, capsules and the like according to the preamble of claim 1 and claim 9, respectively. State of the art, technological background of the invention

[0002] Pharmaceutical products such as pills, tablets, capsules, and the like are often packaged in disposable packaging before being shipped to consumers. Such disposable packaging includes thermoformed and cold-drawn blister packs, as well as pouches, bags, or disposable bottles.

[0003] An important aspect in the manufacture of these packages is the placement of the pills in the blister packs before a sealing film layer is applied. This process is preferably carried out by an automatic machine capable of precisely and accurately placing the pills at high speed. One embodiment of a blister packaging machine is known, for example, from US Pat. No. 5,737,902. The feed system described therein comprises a feed cassette with a number of tubes and a chute assembly with multiple chutes for guiding individual pills into the appropriate container. Above the feed cassette is an orientation plate that guides the tablets into the feed cassette, which in turn guides the tablets into the chutes.

[0004] The orientation plate closes off a funnel, which is located above the feed cassette of the feed system, towards the tubes. The hopper filled with tablets to be packed performs an up-and-down movement to separate and orient the tablets into the tubes. This allows these tablets to be fed sequentially through the tubes to the drop chutes, allowing simultaneous and precise filling from all drop chutes into the corresponding tablet cavities of blister packs. Only when all tablet cavities of a blister pack contain one tablet each can this blister pack be used for sale.

[0005] Experience shows, however, that tablets, even if they have been individually fed into the tubes, can become stuck in them. This can be due to external influences, such as humidity or contamination, or to properties of the tablet surfaces themselves, which can cause the tablet to become jammed or wedged in the tubes, thus interrupting simultaneous and precise filling from all drop chutes into the corresponding tablet cavities of blister packs—at least locally or temporarily. Description of the invention

[0006] The object of the present invention is to further develop a device and a method for blister packing pills, tablets, capsules, and the like in such a way that an improved, simultaneous, and precise filling of blister packs is enabled; in particular, the conveyance of tablets through the tubes to the drop chutes is to be improved by means of one of the invention.

[0007] The problem underlying this invention for the device is solved by the features of claim 1; the features further developing this inventive concept are the subject of subclaims 2 to 8. The problem underlying this invention for the method is solved by the features of claim 9.

[0008] The essence of the present invention is to be seen in the device for blister packing pills, tablets, capsules or the like, that a feeding system is equipped with a hopper and a feeding cassette, in which a number of tubes are arranged in a movably supported manner in such a way that they open into a number of chutes of a chute arrangement with which a blister pack can be filled, characterized in that the feed cassette comprises a vibration plate which has a number of openings for the number of tubes, through which the tubes are held and guided, wherein the vibration plate has a vibration articulation point which is operatively connected to a vibration unit in such a way that the tubes can be excited to a vibration movement indirectly via the vibration unit, the vibration articulation point or the vibration plate perpendicular to a number of longitudinal axes of the number of tubes.

[0009] By means of the vibration plate according to the invention, which sets the tubes in a vibrating motion perpendicular to their longitudinal axis, jamming or wedging of tablets, pills, or capsules falling through the tubes can be prevented. It is advantageous that the vibration plate is enclosed by the feed box. Possible embodiments are characterized by the vibration plate closing off the feed box at the top to the hopper, or at the bottom to the drop chute arrangement, or – in a type of sandwich structure – being arranged between two pin plates also arranged in the feed box. A further advantage of each of these embodiments is that this vibration plate can also be added to existing feed plate installations.

[0010] An advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the vibration plate is positively connected to at least one shaped spring, so that the vibration plate can be reset against the vibration movement.

[0011] In advantageous embodiments of the invention, it can further be provided that the operative connection between the vibration plate and the vibration unit is formed as a fixed connection by means of the vibration articulation point, or that this operative connection is formed as a touch contact, or as a magnetic coupling.

[0012] The essence of the present invention is to be seen in the method for blister packaging pills, tablets, capsules or the like, that a feeding system with a funnel and a feeding cassette in which a A number of tubes are arranged in a movable manner in such a way that they open into a number of chutes of a chute arrangement with which a blister pack can be filled, characterized in that the feed cassette comprises a vibration plate which has a number of openings for the number of tubes, through which the tubes are held and guided, wherein the vibration plate has a vibration articulation point which interacts with a vibration unit in such a way that the tubes are excited to a vibration movement indirectly via the vibration unit, the vibration articulation point or the vibration plate perpendicular to a number of longitudinal axes of the number of tubes.

[0013] Advantages of the method for blister packaging pills, tablets, capsules or the like arise in a similar way as for the device for blister packaging.

[0014] Further embodiments of the device according to the invention and of the method according to the invention and their associated advantages are the subject of the detailed description and the figures. Short description of the drawings

[0015] The invention is explained below by way of example with reference to figures. Identical objects are generally provided with the same reference numerals in the figures. It should be noted that the figures do not limit the subject matter of the invention as such, but merely show exemplary embodiments of the inventive concept—as presented in the claims.

[0016] They show purely schematically the Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a blistering device according to the invention with a feeding system comprising a vibrating plate; Fig. 2 is a further perspective view of the device according to Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the device according to the invention with a vibration unit for the vibration plate; Fig. 4 shows a further embodiment of the device for blister packing according to Fig. 1 with a vibration plate between two pin plates in a feed box, and Fig. 5 shows yet another embodiment of the blister packing device according to Fig. 1 with a vibrating plate which closes the feed box downwards. Ways to implement the invention

[0017] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a blistering device according to the present invention with a feed system 1 comprising a vibrating plate 10. This feed system 1 has a hopper 1a arranged above a feed box 1b, which is designed to receive bulk material in the form of pills, tablets, capsules and the like, which are not explicitly shown here, however. The hopper 1a has, on its underside facing the feed box 1b, an orientation plate 3 with recesses 5, wherein movably mounted tubes 4 project through the recesses 5 into the hopper 1b. During operation, the hopper 1a performs an up and down movement 6 relative to the tubes 4, whereby the bulk material (not shown) can be fed individually to the tubes 4.

[0018] The tubes 4 are also movably arranged in the feed box 1b, wherein these tubes 4 open in the direction of fall of the bulk material into a compartment shaft arrangement 9 with a number of drop shafts 9a. The feed box 1b is closed laterally by means of a box side wall 2, behind which - as will be shown below in connection with Fig. 2 - a shaped spring 12 is operatively connected to the vibration plate 10 according to the invention. In the embodiment shown here in Fig. 1, the vibration plate 10 is arranged on the upper side of the feed box 1b facing the hopper 1a, wherein the feed box 1b is provided with a base plate 11 towards the drop shaft arrangement 9, and between Two pin plates 7a, b are arranged between this base plate 11 and the vibration plate 10 for the purpose of separating the bulk material sliding down into the tubes 4.

[0019] Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of the feed box 1b of the blister packing device according to Fig. 1, wherein the above-mentioned shaped spring 12—here exposed by removing the box side wall 2—is visible. A support element 16 is arranged at each of the outer corners of the base plate 11, each of these support elements 16 having a number of guide grooves 16a arranged such that the two pin plates 7a, b are slidably arranged in these guide grooves 16a for the purpose of separating bulk material in the tubes 4.

[0020] The shaped spring 12 is, on the one hand, arranged in a fixed position on the base plate 11 or between adjacent support elements 16 and, on the other hand, is positively connected to the vibration plate 10, whereby the vibration plate 10 is thereby held movable and can be excited to a periodic movement transversely to a longitudinal axis 4a of the tubes 4 against the spring force of the shaped spring 12.

[0021] The positive connection between the vibration plate 10 and the shaped spring 12 is formed in the present case by means of brackets 10a on the vibration plate 10 and locking bars 12a of the shaped spring engaging therebetween in a positive manner.

[0022] The vibrating plate 10, the pin plates 7a, b, and the base plate 11 have aligned openings 14 in which the tubes 4 are movably arranged. The tubes 4 have projections 15 on their side walls, by means of which the tubes 4 are operatively connected to the vibrating plate 10 according to the invention. Upon periodic excitation of the vibrating plate 10, the tubes 4 are stimulated to vibrate transversely to their longitudinal axis 4a in such a way that bulk material falling through the tubes 4 has no chance of becoming wedged or stuck in these tubes 4.

[0023] The vibration plate 10 has a vibration pivot point 13a, which, as shown in Fig. 3, is operatively connected to a vibration element 13b. This operative connection between the vibration element 13b and the vibration pivot point 13a on the The vibration plate 10 can be formed as a glued or screwed connection, or as a snap-in connection or a magnetic coupling. As can also be seen in Fig. 3, the feed box 1b comprises a box end wall 8, on which the vibration element 13b can be arranged. The present perspective view obliquely from above of the feed box 1b clearly shows how the vibration plate 10 is hinged to the snap-in beams 12a of the shaped springs 12 (not visible here) by means of its brackets 10a.

[0024] Fig. 4 shows an embodiment of the invention in which the vibration plate 10 is arranged in a type of sandwich structure between the two pin plates 7a, b, and Fig. 5 shows a further embodiment of the invention in which the vibration plate 10 is designed such that it closes off the feed box 1b at the bottom. List of reference symbols 1 Feeding system la hopper lb feed box 2 box side wall 3 Orientation plate 4 tubes, movably mounted 4a Longitudinal axis of tube 4 5 recesses in 3 6 Movement arrow for up and down movement of lb 7a, b Pin plate for separation 8 Box end wall 9 Drop shaft arrangement 9a Drop shaft 10 Vibration plate 10a console on 10 for 12a 11 Base plate from lb 12 shaped springs 12a locking bar on 12 for 10a 13a Vibration pivot point at 10 for 13b 13b Vibration unit for 13a 14 openings in 7a, 7b, 8, 10 for 4 15 projections on 4 for the purpose of effective connection with 10 16 Support element 16a Guide groove on 16

Claims

Patent claims 1 Device for blister packing pills, tablets, capsules or the like, comprising a feed system (1) with a funnel (1a) and a feed cassette (1b), in which a number of tubes (4) are arranged in a movably supported manner, in such a way that they open into a number of chutes (9a) of a chute arrangement (9) with which a blister pack can be filled, characterized in that the feed cassette (1b) comprises a vibration plate (10) which has a number of openings (14) for the number of tubes (4), through which the tubes (4) are guided, wherein the vibration plate (10) has a vibration articulation point (13a) which is operatively connected to a vibration unit (13b) in such a way that the tubes (4) are moved perpendicularly to a number of longitudinal axes indirectly via the vibration unit (13b), the vibration articulation point (13a) or the vibration plate (10). (4a) the number of tubes (4) can be excited to a vibrating movement. 2 Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the vibration plate (10) is positively connected to at least one shaped spring (12) so that the vibration plate (10) can be reset against the vibration movement. 3 Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the vibration plate (10) is arranged on the side of the feed box (lb) facing the hopper (la) so as to close the latter. 4 Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the feed box (1b) comprises a first and a second pin plate (7a, 7b), the vibration plate (10) being arranged between said first and said second pin plate (7a, 7b). 5 Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the vibration plate (10) is arranged on the side of the feed box (1b) facing the drop shaft arrangement (9) so as to close the latter. 6 Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the operative connection between the vibration plate (10) and the vibration unit (13b) is designed as a fixed connection by means of the vibration articulation point (13a). 7 Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the operative connection between the vibration plate (10) and the vibration unit (13b) is designed as a contact by means of the vibration articulation point (13a). 8 Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the operative connection between the vibration plate (10) and the vibration unit (13b) by means of the vibration articulation point (13a) is designed as a magnetic coupling. 9 Method for blistering pills, tablets, capsules or the like, comprising a feed system (1) with a funnel (1a) and a feed cassette (1b) in which a number of tubes (4) are arranged in a movably supported manner, in such a way that they open into a number of chutes (9a) of a chute arrangement (9) with which a blister pack can be filled, characterized in that the feed cassette (1b) comprises a vibration plate (10) which has a number of openings (14) for the number of tubes (4), through which the tubes (4) are guided, wherein the vibration plate (10) has a vibration articulation point (13a) which cooperates with a vibration unit (13b) in such a way that the tubes (4) are moved perpendicularly to a number of longitudinal axes indirectly via the vibration unit (13b), the vibration articulation point (13a) or the vibration plate (10). (4a) the number of tubes (4) are stimulated to vibrate.

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