Patent Publication Number: US-2012024667-A1

Title: Adjustable system for transferring and accumulating pharmaceutical devices

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an adjustable system for transferring and accumulating pharmaceutical/medical devices, in particular syringes. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     There are known in the art packaging systems for packaging pre-filled syringes into suitable containers, for example blister packages. 
     Generally, such systems comprise a plurality of stations where the syringes are sterilised, filled with one or more pharmaceutical products in liquid and/or solid form in one or more filling stations and finally packaged in blister packages. The syringes are transferred from one station to the subsequent one by means of guiding and transferring devices, which comprise a plurality of parallel belts forming a track with rails at a predetermined mutual distance, or gap, for supporting a flange or lugs of the syringes. 
     In case of failure of one or more of the stations, it is known in the art to arrange the guiding and transferring devices in shape of a serpentine, with bend and rectilinear parts, in order to provide for a accumulation/buffer of syringes for a subsequent station and preventing the stop of the packaging system. 
     The known guiding and transferring devices are dedicated components of the system, that are able to process one type of syringes only, depending on the syringe dimensions, in particular the transversal dimensions of the flange. 
     In fact, as the gap between the rails of the known guiding and transferring devices is fixed, too small syringes would not be supported by the belts, while too large syringes would get stuck between the belts. 
     In practice, where the syringes to be packaged change in dimension and/or shape, the known guiding and transferring devices have to be replaced with suitable ones. 
     Of course, replacement procedures are costly and time-consuming. 
     DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention overcomes the above disadvantages and provides for an adjustable guiding and transferring device for transferring and buffering/accumulating pharmaceutical devices, in particular syringes. 
     The guiding and transferring device according to the invention comprises a plurality of conveyor devices, in particular belt units with parallel belts, each belt having edges for supporting syringes, the belt units being connected to an adjusting device adapted to adjust a gap between the belts of two adjacent belt units. 
     In one preferred embodiment, the guiding and transferring device comprises an adjusting device with a single lead screw arrangement adapted to simultaneously adjust the gap between all of the belts. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, given by way of non limiting examples only, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a top view of a guiding and transferring system with a guiding and transferring device according to the invention 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the guiding and transferring device of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the guiding and transferring device of  FIG. 1 , with some components omitted for the sake of clarity; 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded view of a belt unit of the guiding and transferring device of  FIG. 1 , with some components omitted for the sake of clarity; and 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an adjusting device of the guiding and transferring device of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference to  FIG. 1 , a guiding and transferring system  1  for a packaging system for packaging pre-filled syringes into suitable containers, for example blister packages, comprises an entry adjustable link up conveyor  2  that connects a first station  3 , for example a filling station, and a guiding and transferring device  4 . The guiding and transferring system  1  further comprises an exit adjustable link up conveyor  5  connecting the guiding and transferring device  4  and a second station  6 , for example a packaging station of the same packaging system. 
     The entry adjustable link up conveyor  2 , the exit adjustable link up conveyor  5  and the stations  3 ,  6  of the packaging system are of a known type and thus will not be described in details for the sake of simplicity. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 2-5 , the guiding and transferring device  4  comprises a frame  7 , on which there are mounted a guide device  8  and an adjustment device  9 . In the specific embodiment of the figures, the guide device  8  comprises four guide rails  11  which define a transversal direction, with a plurality of blocks  25  movable along the guide rails  11  and connected to a plurality of belt units  10 . The adjustment device  9  comprises a lead screw  12  (visible in  FIG. 5 ) with variable pitch arranged along the transversal direction and coupled to a plurality of pairs of upper  13  and lower  14  nuts. Each upper nut  13  is connected to one belt unit  10 . 
     The belt units  10  define a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the transversal direction and comprise endless belts  15  (visible in  FIG. 3 ), each of which are driven by respective pairs of pulleys, for example flat belt pulleys  16 ,  17 , which are in turn driven by a motor unit of a known type, and thus not illustrated. 
     The belt units  10  are arranged in sequence from a first position to a last position along the transversal direction and are mutually parallel. A track for guiding and transferring pharmaceutical/medical devices, for example syringes, advantageously pre-filled syringes, not illustrated comprises rectilinear parts along the longitudinal direction defined by the cooperation of adjacent belt units  10  and bent parts defined by the cooperation of the belt units  10  and end plates  22  (visible in  FIG. 3 ). In practice, the track has a serpentine-shape and allows the syringes to be moved from the first station  3  to the second station  6 . The end plates  22  have a curved profile with determined bend radius. The belt units  10  comprise a support element, for example a base plate  18 , arranged along the longitudinal direction, on which there are connected the flat belt pulleys  16 ,  17 , belt spacers  19  for keeping the belt  15  spaced apart and belt support plates  20  for supporting the belt  15 . 
     Moreover, the belt units  10 , depending on their position along the transversal direction, further comprise one or two end plate support elements  21 , connected to end portions of the base plate  20 , for supporting the end plates  22 , inlet end plates  23 , or outlet end plates  24  (all visible in  FIG. 3 ). It is clear from  FIG. 3  that the belt units  10  arranged in first and second position comprise end plate support elements  21  with associated inlet end plates  23  arranged on a same side, while belt units  10  arranged in last and second-last position comprise end plate support elements  21  with associated outlet end plates  24  arranged on a same side. The end plate support elements  21  of the first and second belt units  10  can be arranged on opposite sides (as illustrated) or on the same side of the last and second-last belt units  10 . The inlet end plates  23  and the outlet end plates  24  cooperate with the entry adjustable link up conveyor  2  and the exit adjustable link up conveyor  5 , respectively, for entering the syringes into the guiding and transferring device  4  and exiting the syringes therefrom, respectively. 
     Moreover, both the belt units  10  in second and second-last position further comprise second end plate support elements  21  for supporting end plates  22 . Belt units  10  arranged in positions between the second and the second-last position comprise one end plate support element  21  each for supporting end plates  22 , alternatively disposed on opposite sides. 
     In practice, the arrangement of the end plate support elements  21  and the end plates  22  associated with all of the belt units  10  enables to obtain a serpentine-shaped track for the syringes. 
     In detail, the base plate  18  of each belt unit  10  is connected to one of the upper nut  13  of the lead screw  12  and to two movable blocks  25  of the guide rails  11 . In operation, two adjacent endless belts  15  are set at a distance or gap depending on syringe dimensions, avoiding the syringes to fall or to get stuck within the endless belts  15 . In practice, when syringes are fed to the guiding and transferring device  4  through the entry adjustable link up conveyor  2 , a flange of the syringes leans on edges of two adjacent endless belt  15  and the syringe is supported and guided towards the exit adjustable link up conveyor  6 . 
     By operating the lead screw  12 , for example manually by means of a crank  26 , it is possible to move the belt units  10  along the transversal direction and adjusting the gap between two adjacent belt units  10  in order to accommodate syringes of different dimensions. In general, when syringes of different dimensions are processed, end plates  22  with different bend radius are needed. Accordingly, appropriate end plates  22  are coupled to the end plate support elements  21 . 
     In order to maintain the same gap between each pair of two adjacent belt unit  10 , the lead screw  12  with variable pitch is adapted to move each belt unit  10  by a different quantity depending on the position of the specific belt unit  10 . The present invention has been illustrated with reference to a specific embodiment, but modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention. 
     In an alternative embodiment, for example, two or more lead screws  12  may be used to drive the belt units  10 . Moreover, a different number of guide rails  11  can be used.