Apparatus for and method of manufacturing soft capsules

• US 6,260,332 B1
• Filed: 02/08/1999
• Issued: 07/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kamata
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kamata
• Inventors: Takayanagi, Tetsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, EUGENE LEE
• Application Number:
  US09/246,236
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 534/54, 534/53, 535/60, 535/59, 539/00, 425/348, 425/362, 425/345
• US Class Current: 53/454
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 3/07 into the form of capsules or similar small containers for oral use
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 9/023 Packaging fluent material B65B9/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 53/90 Capsules

Abstract

An apparatus for and a method of manufacturing soft capsules wherein a filling material such as liquid medicine is encapsulated by two pieces of gelatin sheet are provided. The soft capsule manufacturing apparatus comprises a pair of die rolls that are close to and confront each other, each die role having capsule pockets in a plurality of rows, and a nozzle segment having an inverse mountain-like projection for supplying a filling material, wherein the inverse mountain-like projection has curved faces that are positioned in confronting relation with each other at right and left sides about the lower end central portion thereof, have nozzle holes, wherein the inverse mountain-like projection confronts a curved recess that is surrounded by curved peripheral surfaces of the die rolls at the upper sides thereof, and wherein two gelatin sheets are supplied between the die rolls from the upper portion thereof to receive the filling material therein corresponding to the capsule pockets of each die roll to manufacture soft capsules, and wherein the nozzle holes are arranged on the curved faces in a plurality of rows corresponding to the capsule pockets provided on the die rolls in a plurality of rows. With this arrangement, when the pump is actuated one time, the filling material is supplied at a time from the nozzle holes arranged in a plurality of rows to the capsule pockets arranged in a plurality of rows, leading to remarkable increase of the production of the capsule pockets.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing soft capsules in a soft capsule manufacturing apparatus comprising first and second die rolls that are close to and confront each other, each of the die rolls having capsule pockets in a plurality of rows, a nozzle segment having a tapering downward projection with first and second curved faces that are positioned at opposing sides of a lower end central portion of the nozzle segment, each of said curved faces having a plurality of rows each having a plurality of nozzle apertures, wherein the first curved face of the nozzle segment is positioned adjacent an upper portion of the first die roll and the second curved face of the nozzle segment is positioned adjacent an upper portion of the second die roll, the plurality of rows of the nozzle apertures in the first and second curved faces corresponding to the capsule pockets formed in the first and second die rolls, the method comprising the steps of:

feeding gelatin sheets between the first die roll and the first curved face and also between the second die roll and the second curved face of the nozzle segment and into contact with each other at a nip located at a narrowest part between the first and second die rolls;

applying filling material simultaneously through all of the plurality of nozzle apertures of all of the plurality of rows on the first and second curved faces onto the gelatin sheets overlying the die rolls at positions having the capsule pockets; and

cutting the gelatin sheets about the capsule pockets to form soft capsules.

2. The method of manufacturing soft capsules of claim 1, wherein applying filling material to a plurality of rows of the capsule pockets through the plurality of rows of the nozzle apertures enables the die rolls to rotate at a speed at least twice the speed of die rolls receiving filling material applied at the same speed by a single row having a plurality of the nozzle apertures.

3. The method of manufacturing soft capsules of claim 1, wherein the step of applying the filling material to the capsule pockets includes driving the filling material through the plurality of rows of the nozzle apertures during each stroke of a pump.

4. A soft capsule manufacturing apparatus comprising:

a pair of die rolls that are positioned so as to have a nip therebetween, each of said die rolls having a plurality of rows each having a plurality of capsule pockets therein;

a nozzle segment for supplying a filling material and having opposing curved faces opening downwardly from a lower end portion of the nozzle segment projecting toward the nip between the die rolls, each of the curved faces of the nozzle segment receiving and confronting a portion of a respective one of the pair of die rolls, said curved faces each having a plurality of substantially parallel rows spaced in a feed direction, each said row having a plurality of spaced nozzle apertures for supplying a filling material, and the apertures of a first said row are non-aligned in the feed direction with the apertures of an adjacent second said row as provided on each said curved face; and

means for advancing gelatin sheets between the respective curved faces of the nozzle segment and the respective die rolls in the feed direction to enable passageways in said nozzle segment to transfer filling material from a source to the plurality of rows of the nozzle apertures to apply the filling material to capsules formed in the gelatin sheets at the nip.

5. The soft capsule manufacturing apparatus of claim 4, including a pump for driving the filling material through the plurality of rows of the nozzle apertures to fill the capsule pockets during each stroke of the pump.