Abstract:
A device and a method for ejecting at least one capsule are proposed, comprising at least two ejecting mechanisms for ejecting at least one capsule from a holder receiving the capsules. A drive control mechanism is provided in order to move the ejecting mechanisms independently of one another in the ejecting direction, depending on whether the capsule assigned to the ejecting mechanism is detected as defective.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a 35 USC 371 application of PTC/EP 2007/056659 filed on Jul. 3, 2007. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention is based on a device and a method for ejecting at least one capsule. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     One device of this generic type is already known from German Patent Disclosure DE 103 51 212 A1. A machine for filling and closing two-piece capsules includes a capsule ejector for axially ejecting the capsules from their respective receptacle. Guide flaps that are individually triggerable and can be pivoted relative to a pivot axis and are each associated with one capsule receptacle are provided. They each include two guide tracks for the respective associated capsule. The ejected capsule is put on either one or the other guide track, depending on whether the capsule is in order or is defective. As a result, capsules that are in order are separated from defective capsules. 
     OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     However, this device is relatively complex. It is therefore the object of the present invention to disclose a device and method that in a simple way enable individual capsule ejection. This object is attained by the characteristics of the dependent claims. 
     The device of the invention and the method for ejecting at least one capsule have the advantage over the prior art that multiple ejecting mechanisms can already be triggered individually and independently of one another. As a result, it becomes possible, in the event of a defective capsule, to discard that capsule individually. Because the motion of the ejecting mechanism, which in particular is ejecting a defective capsule, is varied in a targeted way, downstream sorting devices can be dispensed with. According to the invention, only the ejecting mechanisms which are intended to lead to an ejection of that particular capsule are moved upward. In a following station, all the capsules that still remain can then be ejected. The resultant device is relatively simple in construction, since a suitable drive construction must be provided anyway for moving the ejecting mechanisms. All that is additionally needed is to provide individual control elements, for instance in the form of pneumatic cylinders, for each ejecting mechanism individually, and these control elements assure that depending on the desired capsule rejection, the appropriate ejecting mechanism is moved in the ejection direction together with the carriage. 
     In an expedient refinement, it is provided that the slaving control means include a carriage that is movable in the ejection direction. By way of this carriage, the various ejecting mechanisms can be moved in the ejection direction, regardless of which ejecting mechanisms is supposed to eject the associated capsule at that time or not. This simplifies the drive construction, since only a single part has to be set in motion. 
     In an expedient refinement, it is provided that the slaving control mechanism put the applicable ejecting mechanism into communication with the carriage in such a way that this ejecting mechanism is movable in the ejection direction together with the carriage. According to the invention, the slaving control mechanism is thus disposed on the carriage, thereby making a space-saving construction possible. The slaving control mechanism can now act directly on the ejecting mechanisms, which are preferably guided in the carriage. 
     In an expedient refinement, it is provided that as control elements, cylinders, in particular pneumatic cylinders, are used. These are distinguished by easy triggering. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       One exemplary embodiment is shown in the drawing and will be described in further detail below, in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a basic top view on a capsule filling and closing machine, in which the device for ejecting at least one capsule is employed; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the essential components of an ejection device; 
         FIG. 3  is a sectional view of the ejection device, in a position in which the carriage is in the upper position, but no capsule ejection is intended; 
         FIG. 4  shows the ejection device in the lower slide position, for preparing a capsule ejection; and 
         FIG. 5  shows the ejection device in its ejection position. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In  FIG. 1 , a machine is shown for filling and closing capsules  24 , which each comprise one lower capsule part and one upper capsule part. As a capsule conveyor, the machine includes a conveyor wheel which rotates in increments about a vertical axis, and by means of which twelve work stations  1  through  12  can be approached. The capsule conveyor includes twelve holders  22  for this purpose, in each of which five receptacles, for instance, each for one capsule  24 , are embodied. The individual work stations  1  through  12  of the machine have different tasks upon filling of the capsules  24 . For instance, in work station  1 , the put-together capsules  24  are sorted and placed in the receptacles in the holders  22 . After a rotation of the conveyor wheel to work station  3 , the capsules  24  are released there; that is, the upper capsule part is separated from the lower capsule part. Also in work station  3 , the upper capsule parts of the capsules  24  placed in the holders are tested for their quality. Upon the approach to work station  5  by the holders  22 , the capsules  24  are filled by a powder filling station. Once the lower capsule parts have been filled, the capsules are closed again in work station  8 . In work station  9 , the capsules  24  are weighed. In this operation it is checked whether capsules  24  have been filled with enough powder. Based on this weighing, it is decided whether the capsule has been properly filled, or incorrectly filled. Incorrectly filled capsules  24  are ejected in the next work station  10  by the corresponding ejection device, which will be described in further detail below. In work station  11 , all the capsules  24  that remain in the holder  22  and are in order are ejected and are transferred for instance to a following packaging device, such as a blister pack machine. In work station  12 , cleaning of the holder  22  is done, for instance by blown air. 
     The device for ejecting at least one capsule  24  will now be described in further detail in conjunction with  FIGS. 2 through 5 . This device comprises a carriage  16 , which can be moved up and down in the ejection direction. In the carriage  16 , as many ejecting means  18  are guided as there are receptacles  25  in the holder  22  for the corresponding capsules  24 . Pneumatic cylinders  20 , as an example for slaving control means, are disposed on the carriage  16 . Capsules  24  ejected by ejecting means  18  are diverted via a capsule groove  26 . 
     In  FIGS. 3 through 5 , the mechanism that makes individual triggering of the ejecting means  18  possible is shown in further detail. The carriage  16  includes recesses  17 , corresponding to the number of ejecting means  18 . These recesses  17  are dimensioned such that upon an up-and-down motion of the carriage  16 , the ejecting means  18  are not moved. Pneumatic cylinders  20  are also mounted on the carriage  16 , corresponding to the number of ejecting means  18 . Respective control pistons  23  of the pneumatic cylinders  20 , via corresponding transverse bores, reach in the direction of the respective recess  17 . Above the pneumatic cylinders  20 , suitable sensors  27 , depending on the number of applicable ejecting means  18 , are disposed that serve to monitor the position and to control the ejecting means  18 . At the end of the ejecting means  18 , there is a part that is widened somewhat compared to the tappet with a slaving face  19 . This slaving face  19  cooperates with a shoulder  21  in the recess  17 , so that the ejecting means  18  cannot exit from the carriage  16  at the top. The device for ejecting at least one capsule  24  has a tabletop  30 . A lower guide  28  and an upper guide  32  are connected by positive engagement to this tabletop  30 . The two guides  28 ,  32  serve to guide the ejecting means  18 . The respective ejecting means  18  reach the corresponding capsule receptacle  25  in the holder  22  via a bore. In the ejection position, the holder  22  is located below its deflector  34 , which deflects an ejected capsule  24  in the direction of the capsule groove  26 . 
     The ejection device functions as follows: The motion of the plurality of ejecting means  18  is controlled via a single carriage  16 . Depending on the cycle of the conveyor wheel, the carriage  16  moves one time per cycle in the ejection direction. From  FIG. 3 , it can be seen that the carriage  16  is in the upper position. However, the ejecting means  18  shown is in its lower position. This means that the capsule  24  associated with this ejecting means  18  is not to be ejected. In that case, the motion of the carriage  16  from below in the ejection direction does not act on the motion of the ejecting means  18 ; in other words; the ejecting means  18  remains in its position. The recess  17  is designed such that the motion of the carriage  16  does not cause a motion of the corresponding ejecting means  18 . 
     In the next cycle, the carriage  16  is moved back to its lower position, as shown in  FIG. 4 . In the lower position, the slaving face  19  of the ejecting means  18  rests on the shoulder  21  of the recess  17  in the carriage  16 . The slaving face  19  extends downward so far that, via a lateral opening, the control piston  23  can act on the underside of the slaving face  19 . Depending on whether the applicable ejecting means  18  is now meant to lead to a capsule ejection or not, the corresponding control pistons  23  are driven outward in the direction of the recess  17 . Those ejecting means that are not meant to lead to a capsule ejection are not put into communication with the associated control piston  23 . In  FIG. 4 , the slaving position of the ejecting means  18  is shown; that is, the control piston  23  of the pneumatic cylinder  20  is cooperating with the underside of the slaving face  19 , so that upon a corresponding upward motion of the carriage  16 , the corresponding ejecting means  18  is carried along upward as well, together with the pneumatic cylinder  20  and the control piston  23 . What is essential here is that the various ejecting means  18  can be triggered independently of one another for slaved motion by suitably associated control pistons  23 . This makes it possible for capsules  24  to be ejected individually to be detected in a targeted way from the ejection motion of the corresponding ejecting means  18  that are moved by the carriage  16 . After the corresponding assumption of the slaving position of the control piston  23 , the carriage  16  is now moved in the ejection direction. The associated sensors  27  monitor whether the upper position of the respective ejecting means  18  is reached. The sensors  27  are disposed in stationary fashion relative to the carriage  16 . They are embodied as proximity sensors. The ejecting means  18  are moved in the ejection direction so far that the capsule  24  is spun out of the capsule receptacle  25  in the holder  22  and deflected by the deflector  34  toward the capsule groove  26 . 
     Various concepts for how the control pistons  23  and thus the ejecting means  18  can be individually triggered are conceivable. The goal of the device in every case is to separate incorrectly filled capsules  24  from capsules  24  that are in order. To that end, in a first variant, the defective capsules  24  can be ejected in a targeted way in the station  10 . The weighing device  13  provides the information to a controller as to which of the capsules  13  are in order or defective. If in station  10  the defective capsules  24  are not to be ejected, then the control pistons  23  associated with the various defective capsules  24  and the associated ejecting means  18  are moved in the direction of the recess  17 . The control pistons  23  of those ejecting means  18  that are disposed below capsules  24  that are in order are conversely not moved. Only those ejecting means  18  that are located below a defective capsule  24  are slaved in the ejection direction by the carriage  16 ; ejecting means  18  located below capsules  24  that are in order are not slaved in the ejection direction by the carriage  16 . At the station  10 , all the defective capsules  24  located in the holder  22  are expelled. After leaving the station  10 , thus only the capsules  24  that are in order are in the holder  22 . They are then taken out at the station  11 . Now, a targeted triggering of the ejecting means  18  is no longer necessary; that is, all the ejecting means  18  can be moved into each of the capsule receptacles  25  of the holder  22 , so that all the capsules  24  still located in the holder  22  can be ejected. 
     In a second variant, it would also be conceivable for only the capsules  24  that are in order to be ejected in station  10 . Thus those control pistons  23  that are associated with the properly filled capsules  24  are triggered. Ejecting means  18  associated with defective capsules  24  are not moved in the ejection direction by the carriage  16 . After leaving the station  10 , in the second variant, there are then only defective capsules  24  in the holder  22 . These defective capsules  24  are all ejected in work station  11 . All the ejector pins in work station  11  are moved in the ejection direction and convey the defective capsules  24 , still located therein, out of the holder  22 . 
     The device and method for ejecting at least one capsule is employed especially in hard gelatin capsule filling machines. In them, the capsules can be filled with powder, pellets, liquids, or tablets. Still other methods for ascertaining a properly or incorrectly filled capsule  24  can be imagined. All that is necessary are suitable criteria by which a capsule  24  that is in order can be distinguished from a defective capsule. 
     The foregoing relates to the preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention, it being understood that other variants and embodiments thereof are possible within the spirit and scope of the invention, the latter being defined by the appended claims.