Apparatus and method for filling syringes

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for filling syringes, the apparatus comprising a pipeline for delivering a low-viscosity material dispensed from a container, at least one downward injection port for connecting to a syringe to be filled with the material delivered through the pipeline, a piston arranged in the syringe for linear movement in the longitudinal direction of the syringe and sealing the injected substance between the injection port and the piston, and a syringe rod coupled to the syringe for pushing the piston into the syringe and indicating the position of the piston, each injection port being provided with a needle valve for opening and closing the injection port.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for filling syringes with low viscosity materials, as well as a method for using such an apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] A syringe containing a flowable material is formed with a dispensing nozzle at one end and a large aperture at the other end, the dispensing nozzle may be blocked or sealed, and the large aperture may be hermetically sealed with a piston. To expel the material in the syringe, the dispensing nozzle is unblocked or the seal is broken, causing the piston to be pushed into the syringe, displacing the material in the syringe through the dispensing nozzle.

[0003] To produce syringes filled with flowable material, devices are known which fill syringes or cartridges by means of a high pressure pump system.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a liquid filling device that includes a hydraulic valve, a syringe, and a cylinder with a cylinder rod. The hydraulic valve pressurizes liquid supplied from a tank, a pump, or a cartridge to discharge it into the syringe. The syringe may be filled with liquid discharged from the hydraulic valve at a fixed volume. When the cylinder rod is inserted into the lower end of the syringe and the liquid discharged from the hydraulic valve is raised within the syringe, the cylinder rod in the syringe presses the liquid filled in the syringe with a fixed pressure.

[0005] Patent Document 2 discloses a hydraulic fluid filling device, which includes a base body having a fluid storage tank and a hydraulic supply motor, a liquid supply unit, and a liquid filling unit. The liquid supply unit includes left and right hydraulic cylinders, a liquid storage container, a piston connecting rod, and a pressure piston. The liquid filling unit includes a dispense valve, a syringe, and a discharge prevention cylinder having a cylinder rod and supporting the inner cap of the syringe.

[0006] Patent Document 3 discloses a liquid syringe filling device, which includes a storage container sealed with a cover for storing the liquid to be pumped, a first pressurizing unit for pushing the liquid in the storage container outward, a pumping valve connected to the cover through a liquid inlet pipe and to which a syringe is attached so that the pumped liquid fills the syringe, and a controller for controlling the pressure of the first pressurizing unit and the pressure of the air supplied to the pumping valve, and for controlling the pumping time difference when replacing the syringe, and the cover includes an air vent installed in the cover for discharging air bubbles contained in the liquid stored in the storage container.

[0007] Patent Document 4 discloses a liquid syringe filling device, which includes a storage container that is hermetically sealed by a ram plate and has an outlet located on the container or the ram plate, a pipeline that is pressed by the ram plate to deliver the material ejected from the outlet, and a syringe that is connected to an injection port and delivers the material through the pipeline, wherein a piston is disposed within the syringe so as to be able to move linearly in the longitudinal direction of the syringe and seals the injected material between the injection port and the piston, and a sensor rod is connected to the syringe so as to be able to move between a spaced position spaced from the piston and a contact position where the sensor rod is pressed against the piston by its weight, and further, the injection port has a needle valve that opens and closes the injection port, and closes the injection port to stop the injection of the material.

[0008] However, these devices have a problem in that when the fluid material has a low viscosity, bubbles are generated in the fluid material by the syringe, and the material is likely to leak from the syringe filling nozzle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2012-0058492(A) [Patent Document 2] Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2017-0125702(A) [Patent Document 3] Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2019-0063236(A) [Patent Document 4] Korean Design Patent Application Publication No. 20-2021-0000786(U) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for filling syringes that can be quickly filled with low-viscosity materials and that prevents the generation of air bubbles and leakage of material. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for filling syringes using the apparatus that can be quickly filled with low-viscosity materials and that prevents the generation of air bubbles and leakage of material. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The apparatus for filling syringes of the present invention comprises: a pipeline for delivering the low viscosity material discharged from the container; at least one downward injection port for connection with a syringe to be filled with material to be delivered through the pipeline; a piston disposed within the syringe for linear movement in the longitudinal direction of the syringe, the piston sealing the injection substance between the injection port and the piston; a syringe rod coupled to the syringe to push the piston into the syringe and indicate the position of the piston; Each injection port is equipped with a needle valve for opening and closing the injection port.

[0012] In various embodiments, the injection port includes a syringe filling nozzle.

[0013] In various embodiments, the pipeline is equipped with a mesh screen filter.

[0014] In various embodiments, the pipeline is disassembled during cleaning.

[0015] In various embodiments, the syringe rod is comprised of a syringe rod, a spring that presses the rod, and a syringe rod barrel that sets the lower end of the spring and exposes the upper end of the rod.

[0016] In various embodiments, the syringe rod is comprised of a syringe rod and a limit sensor attached to the head of the syringe rod.

[0017] In various embodiments, the injection port is opened and closed by the position of the piston.

[0018] The method for filling a syringe of the present invention comprises the steps of: delivering the low viscosity material discharged from the container through a pipeline; Filling a syringe connected to a downward injection port with a material delivered through a pipeline, wherein a piston is disposed within the syringe for linear movement in the longitudinal direction of the syringe, a syringe rod is coupled to the syringe to seal the injected substance between the injection port and the piston, to push the piston into the syringe, and to indicate the position of the piston; and closing the injection port to stop injection of material via the injection port needle valve.

[0019] In various embodiments, the injection port is opened and closed by the position of the piston.

[0020] Advantageous Effects of the Invention The syringe filling apparatus and method of the present invention allows for rapid filling of low viscosity materials and prevents the formation of air bubbles and leakage of material. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1]1 is an overall side view of the device of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a side view of a pipeline equipped with a mesh screen filter according to an apparatus of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a side view showing an exploded state of a pipeline according to the device of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a needle valve of an injection port according to the device of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a syringe filling nozzle of an injection port according to a device of the present invention. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams showing the process of fixing a syringe to an injection port in the device of the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a process of filling a syringe with a low viscosity material according to the device of the present invention. [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a syringe rod according to the device of the present invention. [Figure 9] 10 is a schematic diagram showing another syringe rod according to the device of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is another overall side view of the device of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a side view of a device of the present invention with multiple injection ports. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is another side view showing the device of the present invention with multiple injection ports. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] definition The terms "comprising" or "comprise" are used herein in their broadest sense to mean and encompass the ideas of "including," "include," "consist(ing) essentially of," and "consist(ing) of." The use of "for example," "eg," "such as," and "including" to list examples does not limit the examples listed. Thus, "for example" or "such as" means "for example, but not limited to" or "such as, but not limited to," and encompasses other similar or equivalent examples.

[0023] As used herein, the term "syringe" or "syringes" is used in the broadest sense to mean and encompass the concept of a cylindrical container with a dispensing nozzle formed at one end and a large aperture formed at the other, such as a cartridge. As used herein, the term "piston" or "pistons" is used in the broadest sense to mean and encompass the concept of a material for hermetically sealing the large aperture of a syringe or cartridge, such as a plunger. To expel material from the syringe, the dispensing nozzle is unblocked or the seal is broken, and the piston is pushed into the syringe, displacing the material in the syringe through the dispensing nozzle.

[0024] Exemplary embodiments of the apparatus and method of the present invention are described in detail below, and serve as embodied examples for describing the apparatus and method of the present invention without limiting the scope of the apparatus and method of the present invention.

[0025] FIG. 1 is a general side view of the syringe filling apparatus of the present invention, a low viscosity material delivery section, comprising a pipeline (1) and, optionally, a valve (2) and a pressure sensor (3); The low-viscosity material injection unit includes a needle valve (4), an injection port (5), a syringe (6), a piston (7), and a syringe fixing plate (8).

[0026] The low-viscosity material is dispensed in a container (not shown) and delivered through a pipeline (1). Examples of low-viscosity materials include, but are not limited to, moisture-curable materials, ultraviolet-curable materials, and thermosetting materials. Of these, moisture-curable materials are preferred. The viscosity of the low-viscosity material at 25°C is not particularly limited, but is preferably 1,000 mPa·s or less.

[0027] In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, a valve (2) and pressure sensor (3) are shown, but are optional. The pressure of the low viscosity material can be controlled by the valve (2), pressure sensor (3), and control panel (not shown). The pressure can be varied depending on the low viscosity material and the required syringe fill speed.

[0028] Even if the low-viscosity material in the container is pre-filtered, impurities may be introduced during delivery. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, a mesh screen filter (12) is introduced into the pipeline (1) to reduce the amount of impurities injected into the syringe. The mesh size of the mesh screen filter (12), i.e., the number of openings per inch, depends on the size of the impurities and the viscosity of the low-viscosity material, and is preferably in the range of 50 to 200. The mesh screen filter (12) can be located just before the low-viscosity material is injected into the syringe (6), although its location can be changed. Generally, conventional syringe filling devices do not have such a filtering function.

[0029] Furthermore, in the embodiment shown in Figure 3, it is desirable to design the low-viscosity material delivery section so that it can be disassembled, as this allows for easy thorough cleaning of the disassembled parts after use of the low-viscosity material. This helps prevent cross-contamination between low-viscosity materials in small-scale production of various products.

[0030] In the device of the present invention, the injection port (5) is equipped with a needle valve (4) for opening and closing the injection port. In the prior art, it is difficult to accurately control the filling amount and leakage of low-viscosity materials from the syringe dispensing nozzle due to residual pressure. To solve this problem, the device of the present invention is designed to fill low-viscosity materials using a needle valve (4) that directly opens and closes the injection port (5) to prevent leakage of low-viscosity materials caused by residual pressure.

[0031] In Figure 3, the needle valve (4) is driven by a needle valve cylinder. In the embodiment shown in Figure 4, the needle valve (4) is preferably connected to a piston rod (13) of the needle valve cylinder. The flowable material is filled into the syringe (6) by the vertical reciprocating motion of the piston rod (13). The piston rod (13) is driven by compressed air supplied from an air compressor (not shown) through the air supply ports (14) and (14') of the needle valve cylinder. The needle valve cylinder is known as a pneumatic cylinder powered by compressed gas.

[0032] Furthermore, in the embodiment shown in Figure 5, the injection port (5) can be equipped with a syringe filling nozzle (15) that fits the dispensing nozzle of the syringe (6) and allows for semi-automatic operation of many different sizes of syringes (6). The shape and size of the syringe filling nozzle (15) can vary depending on the type of syringe, but it is preferably nipple-shaped. The syringe filling nozzle (15) can be made of stainless steel, but can also be made of other materials.

[0033] Figure 6 shows a schematic diagram of the process of fixing a syringe (6) under an injection port (5). The injection port (5) is in contact with the dispensing nozzle of the syringe (6). The dispensing nozzle is hermetically sealed to the injection port (5).

[0034] To prevent failure when filling low-viscosity materials, the syringe fixing plate (8) moves up and down along the length of the syringe to help ensure that the syringe (6) is accurately and horizontally mounted on the nipple. The syringe fixing plate (8) stops when it abuts against the larger aperture of the syringe (5). Thus, the syringe fixing plate (8) can fix the syringe (6) to the injection port (5).

[0035] The piston (6) is arranged in the syringe (5) so as to be linearly movable in the longitudinal direction of the syringe. When a flowable material is injected into the syringe through the injection port (4), the piston (6) hermetically seals the injected low-viscosity material within the syringe (5) between the injection port (4) and the piston (6). Specifically, the piston (6) can be made of a flexible material. The piston (6) is substantially circular when viewed from above along the longitudinal axis. The bottom surface of the piston (6) can be flat or tapered with its lowest point at the center of the bottom surface, allowing the bottom surface to have the same slope and make substantially uniform contact with the bottom surface of the syringe.

[0036] 7 is a schematic diagram showing the process of filling a syringe 6 with a low-viscosity material 9. The low-viscosity material 9 is injected into a syringe 6 fixed to a syringe fixing plate 8. The syringe 6 used in the device of the present invention may be of any size, but typically has a volume of 3 cc, 5 cc, 10 cc, 30 cc, 55 cc, 100 cc, 250 cc, or 500 cc.

[0037] The syringe rod (10) is attached to the syringe fixing plate (8) to detect the amount of low-viscosity material filled in the syringe (5). When the syringe rod (10) comes into contact with the piston (7), the piston pushes the syringe rod.

[0038] The proximity sensor (11) is positioned below the syringe fixing plate (8). As shown in Figure 6, the position of the proximity sensor (11) can be controlled so that the amount of low-viscosity material filled into the syringe (6) is determined according to the position of the proximity sensor (11). The proximity sensor (11) can detect contact with the piston (7). When the proximity sensor (11) detects contact with the piston, the needle valve (4) of the injection port (5) closes, and the injection of the low-viscosity material is stopped.

[0039] In the embodiment shown in Figure 8, the syringe rod (10) preferably comprises a syringe rod (16), a spring (17) that presses the rod, and a syringe rod barrel (18) that sets the lower end of the spring and exposes the upper end of the rod. The spring can press a piston through the syringe rod to an appropriate pressure. The syringe rod (16) and syringe rod barrel (18) can be made of stainless steel, but can also be made of other materials.

[0040] In the embodiment shown in Figure 9, syringe rod 10' preferably comprises a syringe rod and limit sensor 19 attached to the head of the syringe rod. As seen in Figure 9, limit sensor 19 can be controlled by determining the amount of low-viscosity material filled in syringe 6 in response to contact with piston 7. That is, when limit sensor 19 detects contact with piston 7, needle valve 4 of injection port 5 closes, stopping the injection of low-viscosity material.

[0041] The device of the present invention may include one or more injection ports. Each injection port can be connected to syringes of the same or different sizes. Conventional syringe filling devices are optimized for mass production of a single product. Therefore, they are limited to different types of syringes with different sizes for each product. However, as seen in FIGS. 11 and 12, the present invention enables increased accuracy in filling syringes with low-viscosity materials. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 11, if the syringe rods use springs, four separate syringes are arranged along the injection port (5). On the other hand, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 12, if the syringe rods are equipped with limit sensors, four separate syringes are also arranged along the injection port (5). When empty, each syringe has a stopper located within the syringe immediately adjacent to the syringe fixing plate. The filled syringe is then removed from the injection port and used later. The device of the present invention shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 allows four syringes to be filled simultaneously. The number of injection ports to be filled simultaneously can be controlled according to requirements. The syringe fixing plate and syringe rod can be operated manually, or semi-automatically, as can the pressure controlled by the low-viscosity material dispensed. When the supply of low-viscosity material in the container is exhausted, the injection port (4) can be closed by the needle valve (4) to prevent the formation of air bubbles and the leakage of the low-viscosity material.

[0042] An embodiment of the device of the present invention may include an emergency button, a fill button, and two double-handed buttons. The syringe fixing plate and syringe sensor rod can be operated manually, or semi-automatically, as they control the pressure at which the fluid material is dispensed. If the supply pressure from the container is high, residual pressure may remain between the valve and the needle valve. The main emergency button can stop the fluid material from being dispensed into the syringe. The secondary emergency button can stop the dispense of fluid material into each syringe or cartridge. The double-handed buttons can also be used to prevent possible finger pinching on the device.

[0043] Industrial Applicability The apparatus and method of the present invention allows for rapid filling of low-viscosity materials while preventing the formation of air bubbles and material leakage. Therefore, the apparatus and method of the present invention are particularly useful for filling syringes with high-viscosity, flowable materials, such as moisture-curable, ultraviolet-curable, and heat-curable materials, especially moisture-curable materials. Furthermore, the apparatus and method of the present invention are useful for mass production of a single product or small-scale production of a variety of products.

[0044] Reference number 1: Pipeline, 2: Valve, 3: Pressure sensor, 4: Needle valve, 5: Injection port, 6: Syringe, 7: Piston, 8: Syringe fixing plate, 9: Low viscosity material, 10, 10': Syringe rod, 11: Proximity sensor, 12: Mesh screen filter, 13: Piston rod, 14, 14': Air supply source, 15: Syringe filling nozzle, 16: Syringe rod, 17: Spring, 18: Syringe rod barrel, 19: Limit sensor

Claims

1. 1. An apparatus for filling syringes, comprising: a pipeline for delivering the low viscosity material discharged from the container; at least one downward injection port for connecting with a syringe to be filled with the low viscosity material delivered through the pipeline; a piston disposed within the syringe for linear movement along the length of the syringe, the piston sealing an injection substance between the injection port and the piston; a syringe rod coupled to the syringe to push the piston into the syringe and indicate the position of the piston; An apparatus wherein each injection port is provided with a needle valve for opening and closing said injection port.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the injection port comprises a syringe filling nozzle.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pipeline comprises a mesh screen filter.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pipeline is disassembled for cleaning.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the syringe rod is composed of a syringe rod, a spring that presses the syringe rod, and a syringe rod barrel that sets the lower end of the spring and exposes the upper end of the syringe rod.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the syringe rod comprises a syringe rod and a limit sensor attached to a head of the syringe rod.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the injection port is opened and closed by the position of the piston.

8. 1. A method of filling a syringe, comprising the steps of: delivering the low viscosity material discharged from the container through a pipeline; Filling a syringe connected to a downward injection port with the low-viscosity material delivered through the pipeline, wherein a piston is disposed within the syringe so as to be linearly movable in the longitudinal direction of the syringe, and a syringe rod is coupled to the syringe so as to seal the injected substance between the injection port and the piston, to push the piston into the syringe, and to indicate the position of the piston; and closing the injection port to stop injection of the low viscosity material via a needle valve in the injection port.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the injection port is opened or closed by the position of the piston.

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