Process and apparatus for treating containers for storing substances for medical, pharmaceutical or cosmetic applications

• US 9,828,124 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2016
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schott Pharma AG & Company KGaA (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Schott AG (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Inventors: Wissner, Kai, Pawlowski, Edgar, Deutschle, Gregor Fritz, Koch, Kristopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Gravini, Stephen M
• Application Number:
  US14/995,927
• Publication Number:
  US 20160130022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: 34284
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 43/42 Feeding or positioning bags, boxes, or cartons in the distended, opened, or set-up state; Feeding preformed rigid containers, e.g. tins, capsules, glass tubes, glasses, to the packaging position; Locating containers or receptacles at the filling position by means of filling-nozzles B65B39/00; Supporting containers or receptacles during the filling operation by filling-nozzles B65B39/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 7/2892 by deformation of the container rim
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 5/06 the process involving freezing

Abstract

A process and apparatus are provided for treating or processing containers that are used for storing substances for medical, pharmaceutical or cosmetic applications or contain the same. During the process, cylindrical containers open at least at one end are automatically led past or pass through processing stations for treatment or processing by means of a conveying device, while the containers are jointly held by a carrier in a regular two-dimensional arrangement. The carrier includes a plurality of openings or receptacles that determine the regular arrangement. The treatment or processing of the containers is performed on or in at least one of the processing stations while the containers are supported by the carrier.

Claims

1. A process for the treatment or processing of containers, which serve for storing substances for medical, pharmaceutical or cosmetic applications or contain such substances, wherein the containers are conveyed automatically, by a conveyor, to processing stations or pass them for the treatment or processing, in which process

a plurality of containers are conveyed by the conveyor while the containers are supported by a supporting structure in a regular two-dimensional array, wherein the supporting structure comprises a plurality of openings or receptacles, which define the regular array, and

the treatment or processing of the containers at or in at least one of the processing stations is carried out while the containers are supported by said supporting structure or while the containers are accommodated in openings or receptacles of said supporting structure,

in which process a metal lid is crimped on the upper rim of the containers by a crimping device, wherein

the containers are displaced in the respective opening or receptacle in an axial direction to a raised position to be crimped and are rotated about a longitudinal axis thereof in said raised position while the containers are accommodated in the openings or receptacles of the supporting structure, and

are pushed back into the openings or receptacles to be supported by said supporting structure.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein for said crimping the containers are lifted by a lifting rod into the raised position, wherein the containers are rotated about the longitudinal axis in said raised position by a turntable and wherein the respective turntable is supported on the lifting rod and wherein the upper rims of the containers together with the metal lids placed thereon are centered during rotation by centering discs.

3. The process according to claim 1, wherein the containers continue to be accommodated in the openings or receptacles in the raised position of the supporting structure, however, are supported on an additional supporting surface or by an additional holding or gripping device to be treated or processed at or in the processing station.

4. The process according to claim 3, wherein the additional supporting surface comprises at least one rotatable and driven turntable on which the containers are rotated while being treated or processed at or in the processing station and while the containers are accommodated in the openings or receptacles of the supporting structure.

5. The process according to claim 1, further comprising a holding device associated with the openings or receptacles of the supporting structure, which hold the plurality of containers on the supporting structure at the predetermined positions and in the two-dimensional array, wherein said holding device supports the containers on the supporting structure in a positive-fit manner.

6. The process of claim 5, wherein the supporting structure comprises a plurality of mutually-associated transverse webs extending in parallel with each other and spaced apart from each other at regular intervals, along which a plurality of pairs of resilient, concavely shaped holding arms are disposed which positively fix the upper rims of the containers accommodated by a pair of opposite holding arms, wherein the containers are inserted into or retracted from the holding arms while spreading the holding arms.

7. The process of claim 5, wherein the holding device comprises at least two resilient holding tongues, which are disposed at a rim of the respective opening or receptacle and protrude from an upper side of the supporting structure for supporting the respective container, wherein the holding tongues are resiliently pivoted or clapped away when the containers are inserted into the openings or receptacles and wherein the holding tongues support the containers with a radial play.

8. The process of claim 7, wherein the holding tongues support the containers such that the containers rest loosely on upper sides of the holding tongues with an upper rim formed at an upper end of the containers.

9. The process of claim 7, wherein the holding tongues embrace an expanded rim formed at an upper end of the containers such that the containers are supported by the holding tongues with a radial play or with a radial and axial play.

10. The process of claim 9, further comprising slanted insertion surfaces are formed at upper ends of the holding tongues each of which pass into a holding nose protruding inwards from the holding tongues for supporting the containers.

11. The process according to claim 1, further comprising a holding device associated with the openings or receptacles of the supporting structure, which hold the plurality of containers on the supporting structure at the predetermined positions and in the two-dimensional array, wherein said holding device is configured for holding the containers on the supporting structure by friction.

12. The process of claim 11, wherein the holding device is formed as circumferential receptacles extending in the longitudinal direction of the containers and wherein side wall portions of the containers are embraced at least partially to accomplish said friction.

13. The process of claim 12, wherein the receptacles have a polygonal cross-section, wherein the frictional engagement is accomplished by the interaction of opposing side walls of said receptacles and the cylindrical side walls of the containers, wherein the side walls of the receptacles are formed of an elastic plastic or are coated or provided with such an elastic plastic, and wherein all side walls of the openings or receptacles can be adjusted in a coordinated manner all-together between a first position and a second position, wherein, in the first position, the containers can be inserted with little force into the openings or receptacles or can be displaced therein, and wherein, in the second position, the containers are fixed by friction.

14. The process according to claim 1, further comprising webs or side walls between the openings or receptacles of the supporting structures prevent a direct contact of adjacent containers, which are accommodated therein.

15. An apparatus for the treatment or processing of containers, which serve for storing substances for medical, pharmaceutical or cosmetic applications or contain such substances, said apparatus comprising:

a conveying device;

a plurality of processing stations, wherein the respective containers are treated or processed in or at a respective processing station;

said apparatus being configured for the treatment or processing of the containers such that a plurality of containers are conveyed automatically, by said conveying device, to said processing stations or pass them to be treated or processed while the containers are supported by a supporting structure in a regular two-dimensional array, said supporting structure having a plurality of openings or receptacles, which together determine the regular array,

said apparatus further comprising a crimping device, where a metal lid is crimped on the upper rim of the containers, said apparatus being configured such that the containers

are displaced in a longitudinal direction to a raised position while the containers are in the respective opening or receptacle to be crimped and are rotated about a longitudinal axis in said raised position while the containers are accommodated in the openings or receptacles of the supporting structure, and

are pushed back into the openings or receptacles after said crimping.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, which is further configured such that the treatment or processing of the containers is carried out at or in the respective processing station while the containers are supported by a supporting structure.