Abstract:
The present invention relates to a device for introducing filling material ( 21 ) into capsules ( 22 ), comprising a filling device ( 25 ) for feeding filling material ( 21 ) to the capsules ( 22 ), a capsule holder ( 30 ) with at least one row of seats ( 31 ) in which the capsules ( 22 ) that are to be filled are arranged, a station arrangement with several stations arranged one after another, wherein the station arrangement comprises at least one filling station ( 5 ) and a synchronously operating drive, and a movement device which, at the capsule-filling station ( 5 ), executes a relative movement between the filling device ( 25 ) and the capsule holder ( 30 ), wherein the filling device ( 25 ) adopts, relative to the capsule holder ( 30 ), at least a first filling position for filling a first capsule and a second filling position for filling a second capsule.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a device for introducing filling material, in particular powdery filling material, into capsules. 
         [0002]    Capsules, e.g. from gelatin, which are produced from substantially cylindrical hollow forms with hemispherical end regions, are used frequently, in particular for medicines. One half of the capsules is filled with a filling material, in particular a medicine, and then the other half of the capsule is placed thereon in order to obtain a closed capsule. In this connection, the filling of the capsule is effected in filling machines which have to ensure a high level of precision when introducing the respective quantities in order to prevent faulty dosings of a medicine. This is why longer capsule filling times are frequently produced, which restricts a production capacity of a filling machine. DE 199 15 259 A1 makes known, for example, a device for dosing and introducing powdery filling material into containers where two filling units are arranged next to each other in a row. In this connection, it is possible, in particular, to effect a part filling by means of the first filling unit and a subsequent final filling by means of the second filling unit. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    In contrast, the advantage of the device for introducing filling material into capsules is that, compared to the known devices, an increase in performance is achieved by means of filling the capsules in an improved manner. In this connection it is possible to dispense with, in particular, several filling stations and nevertheless to achieve a rapid fill time. This is achieved in that the device includes a filling device for filling the capsules and a capsule holder, the capsule holder having at least one row of several accommodating means in which the capsules to be filled are arranged. In addition, there is provided a station arrangement having a plurality of stations which are arranged one after the other. In this connection, there is provided a movement apparatus which enables a relative movement between the filling device and the capsule holder at a capsule filling station, wherein the filling device, in relation to the capsule holder, assumes at least one first filling position for filling a first capsule and one second filling position for filling a second capsule. This means that all the capsules accommodated in the capsule holder can be filled by means of one single filling device by providing the relative movement between the filling device and the capsule holder by assuming several filling positions. Consequently, the filling device can fill the capsules located in the capsule holder both in the first and the second filling position. In addition, the device is distinguished in particular by very low structural expenditure. 
         [0004]    In a particularly preferred manner, the station arrangement includes a station wheel having a plurality of capsule holders. This means that a very efficient operating cycle can be achieved during the filling operation. The movement apparatus, in this case, carries out a relative movement between the filling device and the capsule holder in the radial direction. 
         [0005]    In this case, a relative movement between the filling device and the capsule holder in a first direction and a second direction is preferably possible in a horizontal plane. This means that, in particular, several parallel rows of capsules are able to be filled. In a particularly preferred manner, in this case, the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction. 
         [0006]    In addition, in a preferred manner, the filling station has a dosing wheel and a hopper funnel for accommodating the filling material. As a result, an operationally reliable guiding of the filling material into the dosing wheel can be achieved without a large amount of structural expenditure. 
         [0007]    Furthermore, the filling station has a particularly compact design and a sufficient filling amount can easily be introduced into the various filling positions. 
         [0008]    The dosing wheel has at least one first filling chamber and one second filling chamber and during a movement operation the dosing wheel is rotated from the first filling position to the second filling position in order to move a filling chamber filled with filling material into the filling position and to fill up the empty filling chamber again. As a result of the simultaneous movements of the dosing wheel and of the capsule holder, fillings of capsules can be carried out both in the first filling position and in the second filling position in rapid succession. 
         [0009]    A filling operation of a capsule at the capsule filling station by means of the filling device is the shortest of all the individual operations in the station arrangement. In a particularly preferred manner, a filling operation in the capsule filling station, in this case, lasts half as long as the next shortest operation in a station. 
         [0010]    In a particularly preferred manner, the capsule holder includes a first row of accommodating means and a second row of accommodating means, which are arranged parallel to each other. This means that a plurality of capsules can be arranged over a small area. In a further preferred manner, even more rows parallel to each other, e.g. three or four or five rows, can be arranged. 
         [0011]    The device additionally includes a second capsule filling station with a second filling device. This means that it is possible, for example, for a part filling of the capsules to be effected in the first filling station and a final filling of the capsules to be effected in a second filling station. 
         [0012]    The movement apparatus is arranged at the filling device and the filling device is moved in relation to the capsule holder. This means a high degree of variability of the relative movement between the filling device and the capsule holder can be ensured. 
         [0013]    The movement apparatus preferably includes a driven cam disk or a linear motor or a servomotor. As a result, an operationally reliable movement of the movement apparatus in the radial and vertical direction is possible with short cycle times. As an alternative to this, intermediate gearing or a slide combined with a coupling means or guiding means can be provided as an intermediate member between the motor and the filling device in order to convert a generated vertical movement into a horizontal movement by means of a guiding means. In addition, a threaded drive (rack/pinion) can also be used for this purpose. As an alternative to this, it is also possible for the drive to be positioned under the machine plane or base plate of the station. 
         [0014]    As an alternative to this or in addition, the movement apparatus is arranged at the capsule holder in order to move the capsule holder in relation to the filling device. However, it is disadvantageous in this connection, in particular when using a station wheel, for the capsule holder to have to be removed from the station wheel and to have to be moved in relation to the filling device. 
         [0015]    In addition, in a preferred manner the movement apparatus includes a guiding element with a curved path. As a result, an operationally reliable radial movement of the capsule holder is achieved with a minimized number of components and with the space occupied being compact. 
         [0016]    A connecting link guide is provided additionally in order to move the capsule holder into a first position and a second position. As a result, a radial movement of the capsule holder is made possible when the device is at a standstill. Consequently, once the capsules located in the first row of the accommodating means have been filled, positioning onto the second row of the capsule holder can be effected in a simple manner and afterwards all the capsules located therein can be filled one after the other. As a result, improved machine efficiency is achieved with shorter cycle times. The drive of the connecting link, in this connection, can be effected in a purely mechanical manner or via a cam gear by means of a linear motor or servomotor. In the case of smaller outputs, the use of a pneumatic drive is also possible as an alternative. 
         [0017]    For a rapid filling operation, the filling device preferably includes several filling units which are arranged in a row in order to fill several capsules of one row at the same time. In a particularly preferred manner, in this case, a number of filling units corresponds to a number of capsule accommodating means in a row of the capsule holder. In a further preferred manner, the filling device is a pressure/vacuum filling device, a fill amount being sucked in by means of vacuum and output by means of pressure. 
         [0018]    The filling device preferably includes a flexible product supplying means which is provided between the storage hopper and the filling station. Consequently, it is possible to supply a product to the moving filling station in an optimum manner. For better cleaning and in order to prevent influences on the properties of the product, it is advantageous for the supplying means to be produced from steel and to be developed in a pivotable manner. Flexible seals are provided in each case between the storage hopper or the filling station and the pivotable product supplying means. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0019]    Preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which, in detail: 
           [0020]      FIG. 1  shows a schematic top view of a device for introducing filling material according to a first exemplary embodiment of the invention, 
           [0021]      FIG. 2  shows a schematic sectioned view through a filling device of  FIG. 1  in a first position, 
           [0022]      FIG. 3  shows a schematic sectioned view through a filling device of  FIG. 1  in a second position, 
           [0023]      FIG. 4  shows a schematic sectioned view of a movement apparatus for the filling device of  FIGS. 2 and 3 , 
           [0024]      FIG. 5  shows a schematic sectioned view of an alternative movement apparatus for the filling device of  FIGS. 2 and 3 , 
           [0025]      FIG. 6  shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of a movement apparatus including connecting link guide in a first position, 
           [0026]      FIG. 7  shows a perspective view of the movement apparatus of  FIG. 6  in a second position, 
           [0027]      FIG. 8  shows an enlarged view of the connecting link guide in the first position of  FIG. 6  and 
           [0028]      FIG. 9  shows an enlarged representation of the connecting link guide in the second position of  FIG. 7 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0029]    A device  20  for introducing powdery filling material  21  according to a first preferred exemplary embodiment is described in detail below with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 5 . 
         [0030]      FIG. 1  shows an overall view of the device  20  which includes a station wheel  40  having a total of twelve stations  1  to  12 . A total of twelve capsule holders  30  are arranged along the circumference of the station wheel  40 , each capsule holder  30  having a plurality of accommodating means  31 ,  32  for accommodating capsules  22 . The accommodating means  31 ,  32 , in this case, are arranged in two rows, namely a first row R 1  and a second row R 2 , parallel to each other in each capsule holder  30 . A direction of rotation of the station wheel  40  is marked by the arrow A. 
         [0031]    The stations of the station wheel  40 , in this case, are as follows. Empty, closed capsules, which include a capsule bottom part  23  and a capsule top part  24 , are supplied from a hopper to the station  1 . The capsules, in this case, are inserted individually in each case into an accommodating means  31  of the capsule holder  30 . 
         [0032]    The capsules  22  are opened at the station  2 , i.e. the capsule top part  24  is removed from the capsule bottom part  23  such that the capsule bottom part  23  remains in the accommodating means  31 . 
         [0033]    It should be noted that it is also possible for the supplying and opening of the capsules to be effected at the same station. It is also possible for the first row to be filled with capsules at station  1  and the second row to be filled with capsules at station  2  and for opening to take place preferably at the same time at the stations. 
         [0034]    The stations  3  and  4  are not occupied in this exemplary embodiment. 
         [0035]    The station  5  is a filling station in which the opened capsules  22  are filled. A filling device  25  which is shown in detail in  FIGS. 2 and 3  is provided for this purpose. The filling device  25  includes a dosing wheel  26  and a hopper funnel  27  in which the powdery filling material  21  is arranged. The filling device  25  includes a movement apparatus (not visible here) which moves the filling device  25  in two directions, namely a first direction X and a second direction Y. The two directions X, Y, in this case, are perpendicular to each other (cf.  FIG. 1 ) and move the filling device  25  in a horizontal plane. The movement apparatus, in this case, preferably includes two separate drives which move the filling device  25  in the two directions X, Y.  FIG. 2 , in this case, shows an initial position of the filling operation, the filling device  25  being arranged above an accommodating means  31  of the first row R 1  of the accommodating means and being consequently positioned in a first filling position. The dosing wheel  26  has a first dosing chamber  28   a  and a second dosing chamber  28 b. In the position shown in  FIG. 2 , a small filling amount  50  is sucked into the first dosing chamber  28   a  by means of a vacuum at an accommodating position E. The dosing wheel  26  is then rotated by 180° in the direction of the arrow B and by means of compressed air outputs the small filling amount  50  at a discharging position F such that the filling amount  50  falls into the capsule bottom part  23 . As can be seen from  FIG. 3 , the filling device  25  then carries out a movement in the direction X such that the discharging position F is consequently positioned in a second filling position above an accommodating means  32  of the second row R 2 . A second filling amount  51  is then filled in the same way into the capsule bottom part  23  in the accommodating means  32  of the second row R 2 . In order then to fill the next capsule bottom part  23  in the accommodating means following in the second row R 2 , the filling device  25  is moved in the direction Y and the capsule bottom part  23  in the next accommodating means is filled. The filling device  25  can then be moved in the X direction again in order to fill the next capsule bottom part  23  in the first row R 1 . As an alternative to this, it is also possible, once the capsule bottom part  23  filled beforehand in the first row R 1  has been filled, to move the filling device in the second direction Y to a second filling position in order to fill a further capsule bottom part  23  in the first row R 1 . In the same way, once the capsule bottom part  23  in the second row R 2  has been successfully filled beforehand, it is also possible to effect a movement in the second direction Y in order to fill a further capsule bottom part  23  in the second row R 2 . Consequently, by means of horizontal relative movements of the filling device  25  following one after the other in an arbitrary manner in the first or second directions X, Y to the respective first and second filling positions, it is possible to fill all the capsule bottom parts  31  of a capsule holder  30  in a variable sequence. As the storage hopper  27  is always entrained, there is always a sufficient amount of filling material  21  present. In a particularly preferred manner, it is also possible for the dosing wheel  26  to have four dosing chambers which are arranged at an angle of 90° with respect to one another, the dosing wheel  26  being rotated on in each case by 90°, in this connection, for the accommodating and discharging of the filling material  21 . It should be noted that, as an alternative to this, the filling device can also include several filling units in a row, the number of filling units being the same as the number of the accommodating means  31 ,  32  in the row R 1  and R 2  or being a multiple or a part amount thereof 
         [0036]    Where applicable, another further filling device can also be provided at the station  6  such that, for example, the first filling device performs a part filling at the station  5  and the second filling device  6  performs a concluding final filling and precise dosing of the filling amount. 
         [0037]    A weighing device, for example, can be provided at the station  7  in order to check the filled capsules. 
         [0038]    The station  8  is an ejector station where the damaged or non-filled or wrongly filled capsules can be rejected. 
         [0039]    At the station  9 , the capsule top parts  24  are again positioned above the now filled capsule bottom parts  23  and in the station  10  the capsules are closed again. This can be effected, for example, by lowering the capsule top parts onto the capsule bottom parts. 
         [0040]    The station  11  is the discharging station for the filled capsules and the station  12  is a cleaning station in which the capsule holders  30  are cleaned in order to avoid faulty fillings or to avoid receiving the capsules wrongly in the accommodating means  31 . 
         [0041]      FIG. 4  shows a movement apparatus  50  which is arranged at the filling device  25  and carries out a relative movement between the filling device  25  and the capsule holder  30  in the X direction. As can be seen from  FIG. 4 , the movement apparatus  50 , in this connection, includes a slide  53  which is fastened by way of one end to the filling device  25  and is supported or mounted in a holding device  55  so as to be displaceable by means of a bearing arrangement  54 . The opposite end of the slide  53  is rotatably fastened on a cam disk  51  which is moved by a drive  52 , e.g. a servomotor, in the direction of the arrow K and consequently moves the slide  53  together with the filling device  25  in the X direction. As a result, the filling device  25  is displaced from the position shown in  FIG. 4  above the first row R 1  into the position above the second row R 2  of the capsule holder  30 . Corresponding to the shape of the cam disk  51 , a subsequent rotation of the driven cam disk  51  effects a corresponding movement in the reverse X direction. The movement apparatus  50  and the filling device  25 , in this exemplary embodiment, are arranged substantially in a common plane. 
         [0042]    As can also be seen from  FIG. 4 , the filling device  25  also has a flexible product supplying means  200  which is realized in a tubular manner and is pivotably arranged between a storage hopper  210  and the hopper funnel  27 . The achievement here is that the filling material  21  is supplied in a optimum manner from the storage hopper  210  to the moving filling station  25 . 
         [0043]    As shown in  FIG. 5 , a movement apparatus  60  can also be provided as an alternative to this, a cam disk  61  of said movement apparatus is arranged together with drive  62  below the base plate  67  of the station  5 . The movement apparatus  60  has a holding device  68  which is mounted on the base plate  67 , in which holding device a first slide  63  is supported so as to be displaceable by means of a first bearing arrangement  64 . One end of the slide  63  is rotatably connected to the cam disk  61  which is driven by a drive  62 , preferably in the form of a servomotor. The opposite end of the first slide  63  is connected via a guide  65  to a second slide  66  which is displaceably mounted in the holding device  68  by means of a second bearing arrangement  67 . 
         [0044]    As can be seen from  FIG. 5 , in this connection a substantially perpendicular movement of the first slide  63  in a direction S is generated into a movement in the direction X which brings about the displacement of the filling device  25  from the first row R 1  to the second row R 2  of the capsule holder  30 . A drive for the movement of the filling device  25  in the Y direction is not shown in each case in  FIGS. 4 and 5  to simplify the representation, it being possible for the drive in the Y direction to be constructed in an identical manner to that in the X direction. As an alternative to this, it is also possible to provide a linear drive. 
         [0045]    Accordingly, an operationally reliable movement of the movement apparatus  50  or  60  between the filling device  25  and the capsule holder  30  with a high degree of variability is made possible. In addition, rapid filling of the capsules with clearly reduced cycle times is ensured as a result. Moreover, it is possible to adapt or incorporate the movement apparatus  50 ,  60  in a flexible manner corresponding to the respective space available at the station wheel  40  of the device  20 . 
         [0046]    With reference to  FIGS. 6 to 9 , a device  20  for introducing powdery filling material according to a second preferred exemplary embodiment is described in detail below. Identical or operationally identical components are designated here with the same references as in the first exemplary embodiment. 
         [0047]    Contrary to the previously described first exemplary embodiment, the device  20  in the case of said second exemplary embodiment includes a movement apparatus  70  which is arranged at the station wheel  40  and carries out a relative movement between the filling device  25  and the capsule holder  30  in the radial direction or the X direction. To this end, the movement apparatus  70  has a guiding element  71  with a curved path  72 . In addition, a connecting link guide  73  with a recess  74  realized therein (cf.  FIG. 8 ) is provided on the guiding element  71 . A support  75  (cf.  FIG. 6 ) is fastened in the recess  74 , by means of which support a capsule holder  30  is fastened on the movement apparatus  70  by means of a rod  76  fixed in the support  75 . 
         [0048]    In the case of the rotational movement A of the station wheel  40 , the capsule holder  30  is moved corresponding to the shape of the curved path  72  in the radial direction or X direction in relation to the filling device  25  (not shown here). The connecting link guide  73 , in this case, is situated in a first position B, which is shown by an arrow in each case in  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 8 , such that a row R 1  of capsule bottom parts  23  (cf.  FIG. 6 ) located in the capsule holder  30  are able to be filled. 
         [0049]    To fill the capsule bottom parts  23  which are located in an adjacent row R 2 , the connecting link guide  73 , with the station wheel  40  at a standstill, is displaced from the first position B into a second position C, which is shown by an arrow and is illustrated in  FIG. 9 . In the second position C of the connecting link guide  73 , a filling of capsule bottom parts  23  in a second row R 2  of a capsule holder  30 ′ positioned in such a manner can then be effected (cf.  FIG. 7 ). 
         [0050]    It should be noted that, as an alternative to this, a combination of the two previously described movement apparatuses is also possible such that both the filling device and the capsule holder are able to be moved. This means that more rapid positioning of the capsule holder used and of the filling station is possible, as a result of which a further increase in the machine efficiency is achievable in the individual case. However, machine expenditure is also increased as a result. It should further be noted that the filling device  25  has a fill time which is half of a time of a station with the second-shortest processing time. This means that it is possible to maintain a predetermined clock pulse of the station wheel  40  in a very good manner, it being possible to fill both the first row R 1  and the second row R 2  of the capsule holder  30  in only one station in particular when a filling device with five filling units is used. 
         [0051]    The device for introducing filling material  21  into capsules  22  is preferably used for filling capsules with medicines.