System for individualized filling of blisters of blister packs

• US 8,406,916 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2008
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Uhlmann Pac-Systeme GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Uhlmann Pac-Systeme GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Bentele, Josef, Pfau, Georg
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOGAN, KYLE O
• Application Number:
  US12/275,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20090133362A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,586 Days
• Field of Search: 700214-216, 700219-222, 531/15
• US Class Current: 700/216
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/18 by suction-operated grippers
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/103 for packaging pills or tablets
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/105 by grippers B65B5/12 and B65B5/108 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/12 Introducing successive articles, e.g. confectionery products, of different shape or size in predetermined positions
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 57/12 and operating to control, or stop, the feed of wrapping materials, containers, or packages

Abstract

Blister packs each having a plurality of pockets with individualized assortments of small objects are filled by fitting to each of a plurality of shuttles a respective such blister pack and circulating the shuttles around an annular track through a plurality of filling machines. Each machine has a plurality of supplies each holding a bulk quantity of small objects of a respective type, respective feeders each receiving the objects of a respective supply and advancing same one at a time to a respective picking location, and respective pickers. A memory of each shuttle is programmed with data regarding the intended contents of the pockets of the respective blister pack, and in each of the machines, the memories of the shuttles are read as they pass through the respective filling machine. The respective pickers are operated to move small objects from the feeders to the pockets in accordance with the data for the respective blister pack.

Claims

1. A method of filling blister packs each having a plurality of pockets with individualized assortments of small objects, the method comprising the steps of:

fitting to each of a plurality of shuttles a respective blister pack;

circulating the shuttles around an annular track through a plurality of filling machines each having

a plurality of supplies each holding a bulk quantity of small objects of a respective type,

respective feeders each receiving the objects of a respective supply and advancing same to a respective picking location, and

respective pickers;

programming a memory of each shuttle with data regarding the intended contents of the pockets of the respective blister pack;

in each of the machines, reading the memories of the shuttles as they pass through the respective filling machine, stopping each of the shuttles with the respective blister pack in the filling machine, and operating the respective pickers to pick, lift, and move the small objects from the feeders to the pockets of the stopped blister packs in accordance with the data for the respective blister pack; and

removing blister packs from the shuttles downstream of the filling machines and erasing the respective memories.

2. The filling method defined in claim 1 wherein the track subdivides at each machine into a siding segment that passes through the respective machine and a bypass segment that does not, the method comprising the step of moving shuttles along the bypass segments past filling stations in which blister packs on shuttles are being filled.

3. The filling method defined in claim 1, further comprising the step in each of the filling machines of

verifying that the objects in the pockets of a blister pack correspond to the data in the respective memory and at a culling station triggering culling of the pack when the contents of the respective pockets are incorrect.

4. A method of filling blister packs each having a plurality of pockets with individualized assortments of small objects, the method comprising the steps of:

fitting to each of a plurality of shuttles a respective blister pack;

circulating the shuttles around an annular track through a plurality of filling machines each having

a plurality of supplies each holding a bulk quantity of small objects of a respective type,

respective feeders each receiving the objects of a respective supply and advancing same to a respective picking location, and

respective pickers;

programming a memory of each shuttle with data regarding the intended contents of the pockets of the respective blister pack; and

in each of the machines, reading the memories of the shuttles as they pass through the respective filling machine and operating the respective pickers to pick, lift, and move the small objects from the feeders to the pockets in accordance with the data for the respective blister pack;

verifying in each of the filling machines that the objects in the pockets of a blister pack correspond to the data in the respective memory and at a culling station triggering culling of the pack when the contents of the respective pockets are incorrect; and

supplying a shuttle from which a pack has been culled with a fresh pack and then recirculating it through the filling machines without changing the data in the respective memory.