Abstract:
A metering device has a filling material container with a metering disk. Metering bores for products such as microtablets are disposed in the metering disk. Underneath the metering disk in a transfer region, there is a capsule filling shaft which is disposed in line with prepared capsule bottoms. The invention proposes supporting the filling material container so that it can rotate on an axis which is disposed inclined in relation to the vertical. This permits the microcapsules to be easily dispensed into the metering bores, permits the microtablets to be handled in a manner that is gentle on the product, and permits a high performance of the metering device.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The invention relates to a metering device for metering and dispensing powder into hard gelatin capsules.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0004]    A metering and dispensing device of the type with which this invention is covered is disclosed by DE 196 51 237 A1. The known device is designed for metering and dispensing powder into hard gelatin capsules and to that end, has a powder deflecting body as well as a tamping and ejecting die so that powder can be compressed in metering bores of a metering disk and can be transferred into prepared bottoms of hard gelatin capsules. The known device should be improved in such a way that it is suitable for metering granular products or products in small pieces, in particular pharmaceutical products such as microtablets, capsules, dragées, or the like, wherein the highest possible performance and the gentlest treatment of the product should be achieved.  
         OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    The metering device according to the invention has the advantage over the prior art that it is mechanically simple in design and permits a high performance with metering that is gentle to the product. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]    The invention will be better understood and further objects and advantages thereof will become more apparent from the ensuing detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 is a simplified longitudinal section through the metering device according to the invention,  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 2 is a top view of a metering disk,  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 3 shows a detail from FIG. 2,  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 4 shows an arrangement of metering bores that has been modified in relation to FIG. 3, and  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a tablet filling shaft. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0012]    The device  10  shown in FIG. 1 is used to meter and dispense so-called microtablets  1  into capsule bottoms  2  of hard gelatin capsules. However, the device  10  can also be used to meter other products, such as capsules, dragées, bonbons, or the like. Instead of capsule bottoms  2 , other suitable receptacles for the products can be used, e.g. cups of a blister packing strip.  
         [0013]    The device  10  has a filling material container  11 , which is comprised of a metering disk  12  and a filling material container ring  13  connected to the metering disk  12 . The filling material container  11  is supported so that it can rotate around an axis  14  which is pivoted in relation to the vertical axis  15  by an angle α which in the exemplary embodiment is approx. 30 degrees.  
         [0014]    As can best be inferred from FIGS. 2 and 3, a large number of cross sectionally round metering bores  17  are embodied in the metering disk  12 . In the exemplary embodiment, the metering bores  17  are arranged in such a way that at a particular radius R from the axis  14 , there is a group of five or four metering bores  17  every 45 degrees of rotation angle. Furthermore, according to FIG. 3, a group of five metering bores  17  with a radius r 1  from the axis  14  and four neighboring metering bores  17  with a radius r 2  from the axis  14  are combined into a respective bore group  18 , which is associated with one capsule bottom  2 . If, according to FIGS. 2 and 3, the groups of four and five metering bores  17  are disposed offset from each other at larger radii, then a particularly dense grouping of metering bores  17  for a bore group  18  can be achieved in a smaller radius range.  
         [0015]    According to FIG. 1, two microtablets  1  are disposed one over the other in each metering bore  17 , wherein the diameter of the metering bores  17  is respectively slightly greater than the diameter of the microtablets  1 . In connection with FIGS. 2 and 3, it is clear that in accordance with the nine metering bores  17  associated with a bore group  18 , a total of eighteen microtablets  1  are dispensed into a capsule bottom  2 .  
         [0016]    A plate- or ring-shaped countersupport  19  is disposed against the underside of the metering disk  12  and closes the bottoms of the metering bores  17 , with the exception of a transfer region  20 , as the filling material container  11  is rotated around the axis  14 . In the transfer region  20 , the countersupport  19  has a recess  21  for a capsule filling shaft  22 .  
         [0017]    The block-shaped tablet filling shaft  22  has a funnel-like shaft  24  for each bore group  18 . On the side oriented toward the metering disk  12 , this shaft  24  has an oblong entry cross section  25  (see FIG. 5) which is adapted in accordance with the respective outer limit of a bore group  18  and on the side oriented toward the capsule bottoms  2 , has an exit cross section  26  which is adapted to the diameter of the capsule bottom  2 .  
         [0018]    A capsule part carrier  27  with bores  28  for the capsule bottoms  2  is disposed underneath the tablet filling shaft  22 . In order to receive the microtablets  1 , the capsule part carrier  27  can be pivoted according to FIG. 1 into a position in which the capsule bottoms  2  are flush with exit cross sections  26  of the shafts  24 . In order to close the capsule bottoms  2 , the capsule part carrier  27  can be pivoted away laterally. For the design and function of a capsule part carrier  27  of this kind in connection with a capsule filling and closing machine, reference is made to DE 38 30 013 A1, which is incorporated herein by reference to the extent that the device  10  can be a component of a capsule filling and closing machine of this kind.  
         [0019]    A guide and drive ring  30  is fastened to the underside of the metering disk  12  in its edge region. On its inner circumference, the guide and drive ring  30  has an internal gearing  31 , which is disposed in operational connection with a drive pinion  32  of the rotating drive of the filling material container  11 , which is preferably embodied as a servomotor. A continuous guide groove  33  is embodied on the outer circumference of the guide and drive ring  30  and is engaged by three guide rollers  34  which are disposed offset from one another by 120 degrees and provide for the support of the filling material container  11 , wherein only one guide roller  34  can be seen in FIG. 1 because of the view selected.  
         [0020]    It is also essential that according to FIG. 1, the filling material, which is disposed in the filling material container  11  and is in the form of microtablets  1 , does not completely fill the filling material container  11 , but only reaches a filling material level  35 . This filling material level  35  is below the level of the entry cross sections  25  of the capsule filling shaft  22  and the transfer region  20 . Furthermore, the angle a of the axis  14  of the filling material container  11  must be big enough that upon rotation of the metering disk  12 , microtablets  1  disposed above the metering bores  17  roll back into the storage region  36  of the filling material due to the downward pulling force of the slope.  
         [0021]    The device  10  operates as follows: The filling material container  11  is rotated either cyclically or continuously by the drive pinion  32 . In the course of rotation, the metering bores  17  travel down into the storage region  36  with microtablets  1 , as a result of which two microtablets  1  are disposed one over the other in each metering bore  17 . With further rotation of the metering disk  12 , the metering bores  17  filled with the microtablets  1  travel out of the storage region  36 . If additional microtablets  1  have collected in the region of the metering bores  17 , then with further rotation of the metering disk  12 , these additional microtablets  1  roll or slide back into the storage region  36  of the filling material container  11  due to the downward pulling force of the slope acting on them. As soon as the metering bores  17  come into line with the shafts  24  of the tablet filling shaft  22 , the microtablets  1  fall out of the metering bores  17  into the tablet filling shaft  22  and from there into the readied capsule bottoms  2 . The filled capsule bottoms  2  are then pivoted away by means of the capsule part carrier  27 , out of the filling position shown in FIG. 1, whereupon other, empty capsule bottoms  2  are brought under the capsule filling shaft  22 . Then the events described above are repeated.  
         [0022]    It should also be mentioned that the form of the metering bores is not limited to round metering bores  17 . Rather, the metering bores  17   a  can also be embodied e.g. as oblong in accordance with FIG. 4 so that each pair of microtablets  1  can be disposed next to one another in a plane. In this instance, the thickness of the metering disk is such that it is only possible to arrange the microtablets  1  in a plane of the metering disk or in the metering bores  17   a  is possible. Furthermore, the arrangement of the metering bores  17   a  shown in FIG. 4 is such that they are respectively offset from one another by 90 degrees so that a space-saving arrangement is achieved.  
         [0023]    The foregoing relates to preferred exemplary embodiments 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.