Capsule Filling Device with Movable Head for High Throughput
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing capsule filling machines require longer filling times to ensure accurate dosing, limiting output due to the need for multiple filling stations and complex structural arrangements.
Innovation Solution
A device with a filling device and capsule holder featuring a movement mechanism for relative movement between the filling device and capsule holder, allowing a single filling device to fill capsules in multiple positions, combined with a dosing wheel and storage funnel for efficient material guidance, reducing structural complexity and increasing throughput.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple filling stations are arranged in a row to fill multiple capsules, then the filling capacity increases, but the device complexity and structural arrangement become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the filling device movable relative to the capsule holder through a movement device. Instead of having multiple stationary filling stations, a single filling device moves to different positions to fill multiple capsules, transforming a static multi-component system into a dynamic single-component system that achieves the same productivity with reduced complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The filling device is designed to perform multiple filling operations at different positions, making it a universal device that can fill any capsule in the holder. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for dedicated filling stations for each capsule, reducing the overall number of components while maintaining high filling capacity.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple filling stations are used to ensure accurate dosing, then the dosing precision is improved, but the filling time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The movement device enables continuous filling operations by moving the single filling device from one capsule to the next without interruption. The dosing wheel continues to dose material continuously while the filling device moves between capsules, eliminating idle time between filling operations and reducing total filling time while maintaining dosing accuracy through the consistent dosing mechanism.
3Device complexity
If a single filling device moves to multiple positions to fill capsules, then the device complexity is reduced, but the filling speed must be increased to maintain productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The dosing wheel uses pneumatic or hydraulic mechanisms to rapidly dose and discharge filling material at each position. This enables the single filling device to quickly complete each filling operation, compensating for the time spent moving between positions and maintaining high overall filling speed despite the simplified single-device configuration.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a device for introducing filling material (21) into capsules (22), comprising a filling device (25) for feeding filling material (21) to the capsules (22), a capsule holder (30) with at least one row of seats (31) in which the capsules (22) that are to be filled are arranged, a station arrangement with several stations arranged one after another, wherein the station arrangement comprises at least one filling station (5) and a synchronously operating drive, and a movement device which, at the capsule-filling station (5), executes a relative movement between the filling device (25) and the capsule holder (30), wherein the filling device (25) adopts, relative to the capsule holder (30), at least a first filling position for filling a first capsule and a second filling position for filling a second capsule.