Apparatus for applying banding solution to capsules

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus (10) for applying a banding liquid to a capsule, comprising a tank for storing the banding liquid, a roller driven by a rotary drive device and partially submerged in the banding liquid, and a transport device (26) for transporting the capsule to be banded, the transport device (26) having a boundary facing the tank, wherein the tank and the roller are arranged on a common carrier, and the common carrier is movable along the axis of motion of the carrier by a drive device controlled by a control device between a use position in which the roller transfers the banding liquid from the roller to the capsule to be banded, and a different position, separated from the use position, in which the roller is unable to transfer the banding liquid from the roller to the capsule to be banded.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for applying a binding liquid to capsules, comprising a tank for storing the binding liquid, a roller driven by a rotary drive device and partially submerged in the binding liquid, and a transport device for transporting the capsules to be banded, the transport device having a boundary facing the tank. Such an apparatus is known, for example, from European Patent Application Publication No. 0154966.

Background Art

[0002] When banding capsules, a rotating roller submerged in a bath containing the binding liquid is used. Usually, the binding liquid is highly viscous and adheres to the rotating roller, whereby the binding liquid can be transferred from the tank via the roller to the capsule and applied to the capsule.

[0003] The contents of the capsules may be, in particular, drugs / medicines or dietary supplements, and the capsules are provided, for example, as gelatin capsules or as hard capsules formed from gelatin and cellulose. The binding liquid is used to seal the capsules and protect the contents of the capsules from the influence of external media and, in the case of liquid contents, from leakage. Furthermore, the seal is used to protect against tampering resulting from unauthorized opening of the capsules.

[0004] The binding liquid can contain a solvent that enables a material bond to occur between the outer surface of the capsule and the binding liquid. Usually, since capsules are produced and banded in extremely large quantities and at high speeds, it is extremely important to securely band the capsules.

[0005] Because a large number of capsules need to be banded in the shortest possible time, the capsules are typically handled and transported automatically and at high speed. In this process, unsealed capsules are fed onto a transport device, such as a conveyor belt, and the banding fluid is supplied to the capsules as they are transported. Downstream in the transport direction, the newly banded capsules are dried along a drying path. Even with the most careful adjustment and maintenance of the equipment for applying the banding fluid, interruptions can occur during capsule handling and transport. If a capsule stops along its transport path, this can lead to problems such as an excess amount of banding fluid being applied to individual capsules and / or the banded capsules not being supplied to the drying path quickly enough. These potential problems, when operations are interrupted, necessitate discarding the entire capsule production batch and then restarting the equipment with new capsules. [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] Starting from these points, the fundamental objective of the present invention is to identify a device that allows for easy interruption and resumption of the banding process. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] This objective is achieved in the type of apparatus described at the beginning, according to the present invention, by having the tank and rollers arranged on a common carrier, and by a drive device controlled by a control device, the common carrier is able to move between a position in use where the rollers transfer the banding fluid from the rollers to the capsules to be banded, and a position different from this position, where the rollers are located at a distance from the capsules to be banded such that the banding fluid cannot be transferred from the rollers to the capsules to be banded.

[0008] The apparatus according to the present invention comprises a carrier on which both a tank for containing banding fluid and a roller are arranged, and the carrier is automated and can move along its axis of motion using a control device and a drive device. The carrier can move at least to a use position in which the roller transfers the banding fluid from the roller to the capsule to be banded, and so in this use position, the upper part of the roller, as viewed in the direction of gravity, is in contact with the capsule to be banded. Furthermore, the carrier can move to a position other than the use position, where the roller is located at a distance from the capsule to be banded such that the banding fluid cannot be transferred from the roller to the capsule to be banded.

[0009] The carrier can be positioned differently from its usage position very quickly through the control and drive mechanisms, especially without manual handling by staff. However, it is possible to manually move the carrier from its usage position to a different position, for example, by pressing an emergency button. Furthermore, the carrier's movement can be assisted by sensors that detect the operating status of the device, particularly any interruptions in the transport of the capsules being banded.

[0010] The apparatus according to the present invention makes it possible to avoid excessively long contact times between the capsule and the banding fluid. This prevents damage, including the possibility of capsule softening. Thus, it is also possible to avoid undesirable leakage of the capsule contents and the associated contamination of apparatus components and retention of the banding fluid.

[0011] By placing both the tank containing the banding fluid and the rollers on a common carrier, it is possible to maintain the depth to which the rollers are submerged in the banding fluid, regardless of the carrier's position along its axis of motion. This allows the manufacturing process to be temporarily interrupted only when necessary, after which the carrier can be returned to its use position, thereby resuming processing of ongoing batches of capsules to be banded.

[0012] Preferably, the axis of motion of the carrier is oriented vertically.

[0013] It is particularly preferable that the control device and drive device are configured to move the carrier to an inspection position where an open intermediate space is formed between the boundary of the conveying device and the rollers. This makes it possible to provide an intermediate space that allows access to the rollers from above and access to the conveying device from below, while maintaining the depth of the rollers submerged in the banding fluid, for example, during relatively long operational interruptions in the process of maintenance of the rollers, tanks and / or conveying device.

[0014] If the carrier is capable of moving along an inspection axis that extends perpendicular to the carrier's axis of motion, maintenance work that needs to be performed at the carrier's inspection position can be made even easier. For example, such an inspection axis extends horizontally. This may be provided, for example, by a horizontal slide guide on the carrier, which allows the carrier to be positioned laterally relative to the conveying system together with the tank and rollers.

[0015] It is particularly preferable that the control device and drive device are configured to move the carrier to an intermediate position, which is located between the operating position and the inspection position, when viewed along the carrier's axis of motion. This intermediate position makes it possible to position the rollers at a short distance from the capsules to be banded without transferring the banding fluid to the capsules to be banded.

[0016] In particular, at the intermediate position, it is preferable that the rollers protrude beyond the boundary of the conveyor device in the direction of the capsule to be banded, when viewed along the axis of motion. Therefore, although the rollers with the banding fluid remain in close proximity to the capsule to be banded, the banding fluid is not applied. The carrier can be returned to the use position from this intermediate position very quickly, thereby allowing the interrupted banding process to be immediately resumed.

[0017] A further preferred embodiment specifies that the control device is also used to control the rotational drive of the rollers. This makes it possible to control the rotational drive of the rollers according to the position of the carrier along the carrier's axis of motion.

[0018] In particular, it is preferable that the control device is configured to operate the roller rotation drive device at the carrier's usage position and at an intermediate position of the carrier or the aforementioned intermediate position. In this way, the roller can continue to rotate even when the carrier is in a position other than the usage position, that is, in particular, even when the roller is in the aforementioned intermediate position, which is adjacent to the capsule to be banded but does not transport the banding fluid.

[0019] Furthermore, it is preferable that the control device is configured to stop the roller's rotational drive mechanism at the carrier's inspection position or at the aforementioned inspection position. Such stopping is particularly advantageous during relatively long, intentional interruptions of the banding process, such as for maintenance or cleaning of the tank or rollers.

[0020] The drive unit preferably includes an actuator for generating driving motion. Such an actuator may be operated electrically, pneumatically, or hydraulically.

[0021] For example, preferably, a position sensor assigned to at least one position among a use position, a position different from this use position, an intermediate position, and an inspection position is used to detect the movement of the carrier along the movement axis of the carrier. In this way, it becomes possible to superimpose the controlled movement of the carrier on the closed-loop control, and thus it becomes possible to achieve particularly reliable positioning of the carrier.

[0022] Furthermore, the driving movement of the actuator can be directly converted into the movement of the carrier. For example, it is possible to use a double-acting lifting cylinder that raises and lowers the carrier along the movement axis. However, it is also possible that the driving movement is converted into the movement of the carrier along the movement axis of the carrier by a mechanism.

[0023] In particular, it is preferable that the drive device or the actuator of the drive device generates a driving movement along a horizontal drive axis. Preferably, the drive axis and the movement axis of the carrier extend perpendicular to each other.

[0024] A particularly suitable mechanism is a slot type mechanism. By such a mechanism, it becomes possible to achieve reliable and accurate conversion of a simple actuator into the movement of the carrier.

[0025] A further advantage of the slot type mechanism is that the driving movement of the actuator can be variably converted into the movement of the carrier. It is particularly preferable that the gears have gear portions with different conversions respectively.

[0026] For example, the mechanism has a first mechanism portion assigned to the movement of the carrier between the use position and the intermediate position or the above intermediate position.

[0027] It is also possible for the mechanism to have a second mechanism portion assigned to the movement of the carrier between the inspection position or the above inspection position and the intermediate position or the above intermediate position.

[0028] It is particularly preferred that the uniform driving motion of the actuator is converted into a relatively low-speed motion of the carrier over the first driving part and into a relatively high-speed motion of the carrier over the second driving part. The low-speed motion is used to enable accurate control of the motion of the carrier so that the carrier can be moved reliably and accurately between the use position and an intermediate position slightly spaced from this use position. The high-speed motion of the carrier in the direction of the inspection position and from the inspection position is used to provide a relatively large displacement of the carrier by the usually uniform driving motion of the actuator, enabling the provision of a particularly sufficiently high intermediate space.

[0029] Further features and advantages of the present invention form the subject matter of the following description and illustration of exemplary embodiments.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0030] [Figure 1] It is a front view of an embodiment of an apparatus for applying a binding liquid to a capsule. [Figure 2] It is an enlarged view of the detail shown at II in FIG. 1 at the inspection position of the carrier for the tank and the roller. [Figure 3] It is a corresponding view to FIG. 2 at the use position of the carrier. [Figure 4] It is a corresponding view to FIG. 2 at the intermediate position of the carrier.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0031] An apparatus for applying a binding liquid to a capsule is generally designated by reference numeral 10 in FIG. 1. The apparatus 10 has a housing 12 used for arranging a supply unit 14 for capsules to be banded, a banding unit 16, and a drying unit 18. The supplied, banded, and dried capsules can be taken out at the dispensing opening 20.

[0032] The supply device 14 is equipped with a chute 22 for storing capsules to be banded. The capsules reach the conveying device 26, in particular a belt-type conveying device, via conveying wheels 24. This conveying device 26 is also shown in detail in Figures 2 to 4 and is known to exist (shown only in Figure 2), and is equipped with a number of capsule carriers 29, which are movable along the support 27 of the conveying device 26, so that the capsules are arranged to be distributed individually and regularly on the support 27 and are able to roll on the support 27.

[0033] After banding, the capsules reach a drying path 18 in the form of a conveying system, where the banded capsules to be dried are guided along a number of conveying carriers 28. These conveying carriers 28 move parallel to a chain drive unit having a self-known deflection roller 30.

[0034] The banding unit 16 is shown in detail in Figures 2 to 4. The banding unit 16 has a drive device 32 that generates drive motion along a drive axis 34, particularly a horizontal drive axis. Preferably, motion along the horizontal drive axis 34 is converted by a mechanism 36 into motion of a carrier 38, preferably along a vertical motion axis 40. In this way, the carrier 38 can be moved between an inspection position (see Figure 2), a usage position (see Figure 3), and an intermediate position (see Figure 4).

[0035] The carrier includes a carrier plate 42 used to accommodate at least one tank 44 in which banding fluid 46 is stored. Optionally, the carrier 38 is also provided with a second tank 48, which is also filled with banding fluid 50.

[0036] The banding unit 16 further comprises at least one roller 52, 54 which is driven to rotate about each of its respective axis of rotation 56, 58. At least one axis of rotation 56, 58 is fixed relative to the carrier 38. A rotary drive mechanism, which is known and therefore not shown in the drawings, is also fixed to the carrier 38.

[0037] At least one roller 52, 54 is preferably an assembly of multiple parallel discs, the lower portion of each disc as viewed in the direction of gravity, submerged in the respective banding fluid 46, 50. By rotating the discs of the rollers 52, 54, the banding fluid 46, 50 is carried upward as viewed in the direction of gravity and supplied to the capsule 60 to be banded (see Figure 3).

[0038] The conveying device 26 conveys the capsules 60 to be banded along the conveying direction 62, and the capsules 60 to be banded roll on the support 27 and rotate in the capsule rotation direction 64. This capsule rotation direction 64 is defined such that the capsules 60 to be banded have a rotation direction parallel to the conveying direction 62 on the side opposite to the banding unit 16 (i.e., the upper side). In the region of the capsule facing the rotating rollers 52, 54, the capsule rotation direction 64 and the coating rotation direction 65 of the rollers 52, 54 extend in the same direction, that is, in the opposite direction to the conveying direction 62.

[0039] The conveying device 26 has a boundary 66 facing the banding unit. This boundary is formed, for example, by the lower boundary of the support 27. At the inspection position (see Figure 2), an intermediate space 68 is formed between the rollers 52, 54 and the boundary 66 of the conveying device 26, which allows for maintenance of the banding unit 16 from above and maintenance of the conveying device 26 from below. Such maintenance may be assisted by the fact that the banding unit 16 can be moved along a preferably horizontal inspection axis 70, for example, by providing a corresponding slide guide or drawer.

[0040] At the position where the carrier 38 is used, it is positioned at a height such that the rollers 52 and 54 bring the banding liquid 46 and 50, transported from the tanks 44 and 48, into contact with the capsule 60 to be banded, thereby transferring the banding liquid 46 and 50 to the capsule 60.

[0041] The carrier 38 may move along the axis of motion 40 to at least one position that is different from the usage position shown in Figure 3. This position is - The inspection position may simply be as shown in Figure 2, -It may simply be an intermediate position as shown in Figure 4, -Both the inspection position shown in Figure 2 and the intermediate position shown in Figure 4 may be used.

[0042] In the intermediate position shown in Figure 4, the rollers 52 and 54 are positioned at a distance such that it is no longer possible to transfer the banding fluid 46 and 50 from the capsule 60 to be banded. In this example, the rollers 52 and 54 are positioned immediately adjacent to the capsule 60 to be banded, preferably such that the uppermost portions 71 and 72 of each roller 52 and 54 remain above the boundary 66 of the conveying device 26 when viewed along the axis of motion 40.

[0043] The drive unit 32 has an actuator 74, such as an electric actuator, which is operated by the control device 76.

[0044] The mechanism 36 is preferably formed with a plurality of mechanism parts, for example, as a slot-type mechanism having a slot guide 78. The first mechanism part 80 has a gentle slope, and the second mechanism part 82 following the first mechanism part has a steeper slope. A slot wheel 84, rotatably mounted on a holder 86, is guided within the slot 78. The holder 86 is coupled to a carrier 38.

[0045] The first mechanism 80 is assigned to the movement of the carrier 38 between the operating position and the intermediate position, and the second mechanism 82 is assigned to the movement of the carrier 38 between the intermediate position and the inspection position.

Claims

1. A device (10) for applying a banding solution (46) to a capsule (60), - A tank (44) for storing the banding fluid (46), - A roller (52) driven by a rotary drive device and partially submerged in the banding fluid (46), - A conveying device (26) for transporting capsules (60) to be banded, the conveying device (26) having a boundary (66) facing the tank (44), In a device (10) equipped with, - The tank (44) and the roller (52) are arranged on a common carrier (38), - The common carrier (38) is movable along the axis of motion (40) of the carrier (38) by a drive device (32) controlled by a control device (76) between a position of use in which the roller (52) transfers the banding fluid (46) from the roller (52) to the capsule (60) to be banded, and a position different from the position of use in which the roller (52) is located at a distance from the capsule (60) to be banded in which the banding fluid (46) cannot be transferred from the roller (52) to the capsule (60) to be banded. A device (10) characterized by the following.

2. The apparatus (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the control device (76) and the drive device (32) are configured to move the carrier (38) to an inspection position in which an open intermediate space (68) is formed between the boundary (66) of the conveying device (26) and the roller (52).

3. The apparatus (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that the control device (76) and the drive device (32) are configured to move the carrier (38) to an intermediate position where the carrier (38) is located between the operating position and the inspection position, when viewed along the motion axis (40) of the carrier (38).

4. The apparatus (10) according to claim 3, characterized in that at the intermediate position of the carrier (38), the roller (52) protrudes beyond the boundary (66) of the conveying device (26) in the direction of the capsule (60) to be banded, when viewed along the axis of motion (40).

5. The apparatus (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the control device (76) is also used to control the rotation drive device of the roller (52).

6. The apparatus (10) according to claim 5, characterized in that the control device (76) is configured to operate the rotation drive device of the roller (52) at the usage position of the carrier (38) and at an intermediate position of the carrier (38) or at the intermediate position.

7. The apparatus (10) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the control device (76) is configured to stop the rotation drive device of the roller (52) at the inspection position of the carrier (38) or at the inspection position.

8. The device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the drive device (32) is provided with an actuator (74) for generating drive motion.

9. The apparatus (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the driving motion is converted by the mechanism (36) into the motion of the carrier (38) along the motion axis (40) of the carrier (38).

10. The apparatus (10) according to claim 9, characterized in that the mechanism (36) is a slot-type mechanism.

11. The apparatus (10) according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the mechanism (36) has mechanism parts (80, 82) that each involve different transformations.

12. The apparatus (10) according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the mechanism (36) has a first mechanism portion (80) assigned to the movement of the carrier (38) between the working position and the intermediate position or between the intermediate position.

13. The apparatus (10) according to any one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that the mechanism has a second mechanism portion (82) assigned to the movement of the carrier (38) between the inspection position or the inspection position and the intermediate position or between the intermediate position.

14. The device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the carrier (38) is movable along an inspection axis (70) that extends perpendicularly to the motion axis (40) of the carrier (38).

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