Unit for filling containers with products, in particular, pharmaceutical products

• US 20050217208A1
• Filed: 05/20/2003
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IMA - Industria Macchine Automatiche SPA (Vacchi Family)
• Original Assignee: IMA - Industria Macchine Automatiche SPA (Vacchi Family)
• Inventors: Cicognani, Sergio
• Granted Patent: US 7,878,366 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 53/54
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/14 by agitators or vibrators
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/18 by suction-operated grippers
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 37/04 by vibratory feeders
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 37/14 by pneumatic feeders
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/08 Packaging groups of articles, the articles being individually gripped or guided for transfer to the containers or receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/103 for packaging pills or tablets
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 57/14 and operating to control, or stop, the feed of articles or material to be packaged
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 57/20 Applications of counting devices for controlling the feed of articles other applications B65B65/08
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 65/08 Devices for counting or registering the number of articles handled, or the number of packages produced by the machine
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/848 the article-engaging elements being suction or magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 53/90 Capsules

Abstract

A unit (100) for filling containers (2) with products (1), in particular pharmaceutical products (1), includes a hopper (3,3a) containing a mass of products (1) in bulk, conveying means (5,6) aimed at feeding the products (1) leaving the hopper (3) along a predetermined path (P) up to a station (SR), where the containers (2) are filled with the products (1). The containers (2) are fed to the filling station (SR) by transporting means (4,C). A checking station (SC) for checking the products (1) is situated along the path (P) upstream of the filling station (SR). The conveying means (5,6) include first means (51,52,53) consisting of vibrating planes and second conveying means (6). The second conveying means (6) are situated at the checking station (SC) between the conveying vibrating planes means (51,52,53) and the filling station (SR). The second conveying means (6) are equipped with holding means (65) for holding single products (1) thus forming, on the second conveying means (6), a series of single products (1), spaced apart and moving forward to the filling station (SR) along a portion of the path (P).

Claims

1. A unit (100) for filling the containers (2) with products (1), in particular pharmaceutical products (1), including:

a hopper (3,3a) for containing a mass of products (1) in bulk;

conveying means (5,6) for feeding said products (1) coming out of said hopper (3) along a predetermined path (P);

a filling station (SR), situated downstream of said conveying means (5,6) for filling said containers (2) with the products (1);

transporting means (4,C) for feeding said container to said filling station (SR); and

a station (SC) for checking said products (1), situated along said path (P) upstream of said filling station (SR);

said conveying means (5,6) including first conveying means (51,52,53), consisting of vibrating planes, and second conveying means (6) situated at said checking station (SC) between said conveying vibrating planes means (51,52,53) and said filling station (SR);

the unit being characterized in that said conveying means (5,6) further include product holding means (65) associated to said second conveying means (6) for keeping single products, so as to form, on said second conveying means (6) a succession of single spaced apart products (1), moving forward to said filling station (SR) along a part of said path (P);

2. A unit, according to claim 1, characterized in that said second conveying means (6) include a drum (6) rotating continuously, which moves said series of single products (1) to said filling station (SR) along a curved portion of said path (P).

3. A unit, according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said holding means (65) include a plurality of channels (66,67,68) communicating with a suction source in order to keep said products (1) on the second conveying means (6) along said portion of path (P) by effect of aspiration.

4. A unit, according to any of previous claims from 1 to 3, characterized in that said checking station (SC) includes optical means (7) for detecting said products (1), in order to identify determined physical features of said products (1) in bulk and in order to count the products passing to said filling station (SR), sending relative reference signals to a processing device (E) connected to the optical means (7).

5. A unit, according to claim 4, characterized in that said detecting means (7) include at least one videocamera (71), which detects information concerning features said products (1) kept on said second conveying means (6) along said portion of the path (P).

6. A unit, according to any of previous claims from 1 to 5, characterized in that said filling station (SR) includes a plurality of feeding channels (9), through which transiting products (1) pass;

and deflecting means (8), aimed at detaching said products (1) held by said second conveying means (9) and at transferring the detached products (1) into said feeding channels (9).

7. A unit, according to claim 4 and 6, characterized in that said deflecting means (8) include a plurality of deflecting bars (81), each of which is associated to a relative feeding channel (9);

each of said deflecting bars (81) being operated, by activating means controlled by said processing device (E), to move alternately between a detach position (A), in which a free end of the bar (81) is situated close to said second conveying means (6), in order to detach the products (1) conveyed by the second conveying means (6) and to allow the products (1) to enter a relative channel (9), and single products rejection position (B), in which a free end of the bar (81) is situated far from said second conveying means (6), in order to allow said products (1) to move on the second conveying means (6), until they reach a deflecting panel (85), that makes single products (1) fall into a rejection container (86).

8. A unit, according to any of previous claims 6 or 7, characterized in that each feeding channel (9) is defined by an upper housing (91), whose outlet mouth communicates with an inlet mouth of a lower housing (92), which is in turn equipped with a relative outlet mouth situated above a container (2);

bulkhead means (93) being situated between said upper housing (91) and said lower housing (92), said bulkhead means (93) being operated, by said processing device (E), to move alternately between a position, in which said outlet mouth of said upper housing (91) is closed and a position, in which the same outlet mouth is open.

9. Unit, according to any of previous claims from 1 to 8, characterized in that said first vibrating planes conveying means (51,52,53) and said second conveying means (6) are equipped with a plurality of guides or grooves (54,64), on which the products (1) move;

said holding means (65) acting on said grooves (64) of said second conveying means (6). to hold series of single products (1) along said portion of path (P).

10. A packaging machine (M), characterized in that it includes at least one unit (100) for filling containers (2) with products (1), in accordance with one or more of the previous claims from 1 to 9.