Patent Publication Number: US-2022212820-A1

Title: Bottle capping station, in particular for products of the pharmaceutical industry

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This patent application claims priority from Italian patent application no. 102019000007195 filed on 24 May 219, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a capping station for a filling machine to fill bottles (i.e. bottles, small bottles, flasks or other containers). 
     The present invention finds advantageous application to a bottle filling machine for products of the pharmaceutical industry to which the following discussion will make explicit reference without thereby losing its generality. 
     PRIOR ART 
     A filling machine to fill bottles for products of the pharmaceutical industry comprises a conveying system which moves a succession of bottles through an empty bottle weighing station, through a filling station wherein a predetermined quantity of liquid or powdery product is fed into each bottle, through a full bottle weighing station, through a capping station, wherein each bottle is provided with a respective cap, and finally through a labeling station wherein at least one label is applied to each bottle. 
     In particular, a known capping station comprises a lower conveying system which moves a plurality of full bottles in an upright position, an upper conveying system, arranged above the lower conveying system, which moves a plurality of caps designed for closing each one a respective bottle, and a capping device which picks up a cap from the lower conveying system and applies it to a respective bottle (placing the cap on the neck of the bottle). For this latter operation, the capping station is provided with a heating unit designed for heating at least the neck (and possibly also the cap) so as to allow the sealing between the cap and neck of the bottle once they are brought into contact with one other. Such heating unit comprises a plurality of electrical resistances carried by a support beam which can be operated in movement by an electric motor between a work position, wherein the plurality of resistances is close to the bottles (and possibly also to the caps) so that the heat of the resistances affects at least the neck of each bottle, and a rest position, wherein the plurality of resistances are sufficiently far from the bottles so as to ensure that the heat affects neither the bottles nor the caps. In detail, a known heating unit comprises an operating device, generally electric, arranged for operating the support beam forward up to the work position, before the cap is applied, and for operating the heating device backwards up to the rest position after a predetermined time interval. The predetermined time interval will be such as to ensure that the heat of the electrical resistances affects the area between the neck of the bottle and the cap for a time sufficient to partially soften at least the neck of the bottle (and possibly also the cap), so as to allow the welding between the cap and neck once brought into contact with one other. 
     However, such system has some drawbacks: in fact if, due to any fault of the operating device, the support beam is not retracted to the rest position after the predetermined time interval, an excessive heating of the neck of the bottle (and possibly of the cap) occurs. This could cause an excessive softening of the neck of the bottle (and possibly of the cap) with the consequent risk of permanent deformation of the bottle and/or the cap, which could damage the capping and/or make the bottle unusable or, in the worst cases, the heating could be such as to cause the bottle and/or the cap to catch fire. 
     The patent application US2009145083A1 describes a bottle capping station provided with a capping head carried by a hollow support element in the form of a bracket, movable vertically and comprising a vertical part which passes through a cover; the operating mechanism of the rotation of the capping head and the control mechanism of the jaws of the capping head are contained in a part of the support element which extends above the cover. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the present invention is to provide a bottle capping station, in particular for products of the pharmaceutical industry, which is provided with a heating unit, is free from the drawbacks described above and is, at the same time, easy and cost-effective to manufacture. 
     According to the present invention, a bottle capping station for products of the pharmaceutical industry is provided, according to what claimed in the appended claims. The claims describe embodiments of the present invention forming an integral part of the present description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show a non-limiting example thereof, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a bottle for products of the pharmaceutical industry; 
         FIG. 2  is a lateral and schematic view of a capping station made according to the present invention, wherein some components have been omitted for clarity; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic and perspective view of a heating unit of the capping station of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a rear view of the heating unit of  FIG. 3 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is plan view of the heating unit of  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
     In  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the reference numeral  1  indicates a bottle as a whole (bottle, small bottle, flask or other container), for example disposable (i.e. one-use, which is therefore used only once and is then replaced) of a known type particularly suitable for containing a pharmaceutical product  2 , in liquid or powdery form. The bottle  1  shown in  FIG. 1  is closed by means of a cap  3 . The bottle  1  shown in  FIG. 1  is also provided with (at least) a label  6  which is glued to an outer surface of the bottle  1 . 
     In particular, the bottle  1  shown in  FIG. 1  is generally filled in a filling machine, wherein the bottles  1  are moved along a processing path through a plurality of stations, along which the bottles  1  are, in succession, weighed empty, filled with a predetermined quantity of product  2  of the pharmaceutical industry, weighed full to check that each bottle  1  has been filled correctly (i.e. to check that bottle  1  contains the determined quantity of substance  2  of the pharmaceutical industry), provided with a cap  3 , and finally provided with a label  6 . 
     The present description is focused on a capping station  7 , partly illustrated in  FIG. 2 , i.e. on that part of the bottle filling machine  1 , wherein the full bottles  1  are closed by applying a cap  3 . In particular,  FIG. 2  shows a plurality of full bottles  1 , preferably made of plastic, which are moved in an upright position along a lower carousel conveyor (not shown) and which are ready to each receive a closing cap  3 . Furthermore, the capping station  7  comprises at least one further upper conveyor (not shown), typically also of the carousel type, arranged above the lower conveyor and designed for moving a plurality of caps  3  intended to be applied to the neck  4  of each bottle  1  by means of a specially provided capping device (not shown). 
     In order to facilitate the application operation of the cap  3 , the capping station  7  also comprises a heating unit  8 , illustrated in figures from  2  to  5 , which is designed for heating at least a neck  4  of each of the bottles  1  to be capped, so as to determine the welding between neck  4  and cap  3  when these are brought into contact with one other. 
     Hereinafter, reference will be made to a heating unit  8  designed for heating in particular the neck  4  of the bottle  1  before it receives the cap  3 ; however, such heating unit  8  could also heat the cap  4  to be applied on each bottle  1  to be capped, or alternatively it could heat only the cap  4  to be applied on each bottle  1  to be capped. 
     In detail, the heating unit  8  shown in figures from  2  to  5  comprises a movable frame  9  which is connected to a fixed support body  10  by means of two horizontal guides  11  parallel to one another carried by the fixed support body  10  and by means of a shaft  12  mounted on the fixed support body  10  so as to be rotatable around a horizontal rotation axis X. With particular reference to  FIG. 3 , the movable frame  9  is connected to the shaft  12  by means of two arms  13 , rigidly hinged to the shaft  12  at one end and to the movable frame  9  at the other end; moreover, the frame  9  is sliding along the two guides  11  by means of a pair of opposed carriages  14 , which are connected to one other by means of an intermediate bracket  15  and carry a support beam  16  on which a plurality of heating devices  17  are mounted (typically electrical resistances). In this way, the rotation of the shaft  12  will induce a rotation of the arms  13 , which will cause the carriages  14  to slide along the guides  11  with consequent movement of the support beam  16  from a rest position (not shown), wherein the heating devices  17  are far from the bottles  1 , to a work position, wherein the heating devices  17  are close to the neck  4  of the bottles  1 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , so as to heat the neck  4  of the bottles  1 . 
     With particular reference to  FIG. 3 , the shaft  12  can be operated in rotation around the rotation axis X by a main operating device  18  which comprises an electric motor  19  provided with an eccentric pin  20  connected to a connecting rod  21 , which is in turn hinged to a crank  22  rigidly connected to the shaft  12 , so that the activation of the electric motor  19  induces a rotation of the eccentric pin  20  and consequently, thanks to the connecting rod  20 -crank  22  mechanism, a rotation of the shaft  12 . 
     Furthermore, the heating unit  8  made according to the invention comprises a safety operating device  23 , which is independent of the main operating device  18 , and can be operated in emergency conditions, i.e. when a fault of the main operating device  18  occurs (for example of the electric motor  19 ) to move the support beam  16  from the work position to a rest position, wherein the support beam  16  is at a distance from the bottles  1  such as to ensure that the heat of the heating devices  17  does not excessively heat the bottles  1 . Such rest position can coincide with the aforementioned rest position, i.e. that which the support beam  16  assumes following the activation of the main operating device  18 , or it can be a different rest position (but in any case more or less close to the rest position assumed due to the activation of the main operating device  18 ). 
     The presence of the safety operating device  23  allows eliminating the risk of damage of the bottle  1  or of the cap  3  due to an excessive heating of the bottle  1  or of the cap  3 , i.e. to an excessively prolonged heating, ensuring that in the event of a fault of the main operating device  18 , the movable frame  9  of the heating unit  8 , and therefore the support beam  16 , can be promptly removed all the same, advantageously avoiding damaging, or in the worst cases burning, the bottles  1 . 
     In detail, the safety operating device  23  comprises at least one control device which is arranged for detecting a fault of the main operating device  18  and for operating the safety operating device  23 . In particular, the main operating device  18  will be configured for ensuring that at each heating cycle the support beam  16  is operated in movement up to the work position and after a predetermined time interval it is again operated in movement up to a rest position. The control device will then be programmed for detecting any faults of the main operating device  18  by checking if the support beam  16  remains in the work position for a time longer than the predetermined time interval. 
     According to an embodiment of the invention, the control device comprises a position sensor (not shown) which detects instant by instant the position of the support beam  16 , a timer (not shown) which counts the time starting from the moment in which the support beam  16  assumes the work position and resets each time the support beam  16  returns to the rest position, and a processing unit (not shown) which compares instant by instant the time measured by the timer with the predetermined time interval and as soon as the value measured by the timer exceeds the predetermined time value it activates the safety operating device  23 , so as to induce, independently of the main operating device  18 , the support beam  16  to assume a rest position, inducing in particular the sliding of the carriages  14  along the guides  11  so as to move the support beam  16  away from the bottles  1 . 
     With particular reference to  FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 , the safety operating device  23  is interposed between the main operating device  18  and the carriages  14  for making the carriages  14  slide along the guides  11  independently of the main operating device  17 , or independently of the activation of the electric motor  19 . 
     With particular reference to  FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 , the safety operating device  23  comprises two single-effect pneumatic cylinders  24 , normally expanded, arranged for acting on the carriages  14  by means of the intermediate bracket  15  (see  FIG. 5 ), and two elastic elements  25 , in particular two normally compressed springs, arranged for acting on the carriages  14  always by means of the intermediate bracket  15 , transmitting to the intermediate bracket  15  a direct force away from the bottles  1  which would tend to slide the carriages  14  and therefore the support beam  16  towards the rest position but which is normally opposed by the pneumatic cylinders  24  which are normally expanded. Consequently, when a fault of the main operating device  18  occurs, it will be sufficient to operate the pneumatic cylinders  24  for inducing the return stroke of the pneumatic cylinders  24  so that the contrasting action of the pneumatic cylinders  24  is no longer present; consequently, the elastic elements  25 , acting on the intermediate bracket  15 , cause the carriages  14  to slide along the guides  11  up to the rest position. 
     Alternatively, the safety operating device  23  could also comprise a single pneumatic cylinder  24  and/or a single elastic element  25 . Each elastic element  25  could also be incorporated in a corresponding pneumatic cylinder  24 . 
     It is understood that the capping station  7  object of the present invention could be used for capping any type of bottle  1  and/or phial and/or flask, for example bottles  1  suitable for cosmetic products, for food products, for cleaning products, etc. Likewise, it is clear that for the purposes of the invention the bottles  1  could be made of glass, instead of plastic, or of a glass-plastic composite material, etc. 
     It is also understood that the main operating device  18  described above could be made with any other equivalent mechanism, for example the electric motor  19  could be connected directly to the shaft  12 , without thereby losing functionality. 
     The capping station  7  described above has numerous advantages. 
     First, the capping station  7  allows heating efficiently at least the neck  4  of the bottle  1  so as to facilitate the application of the cap  3  in conditions of maximum safety, minimizing the risk of damage of the bottle  1  and/or of the cap  3 . In this way, it will be possible to reduce the percentage of waste (i.e. defective bottles  1 ) without compromising the speed of the capping station  7  and therefore the hourly productivity. 
     Finally, the capping station  7  described above is simple and cost-effective to manufacture, as it is composed of few additional elements with respect to the known capping stations and said additional elements are structurally simple, just as the movements of the operating devices are simple and easy to implement.