Patent Description:
As is known, filling apparatuses operate by loading the powdered substances into capsules which are typically defined as two half-shells coupled together for the containment of the powder, with said half-shells which, for filling the capsules, are separated and then re-coupled together once the powdered product has been inserted into one of said half-shells.

The capsule filling apparatuses typically comprise a set of different functional elements for feeding the empty capsules, correctly orienting said capsules for filling, separating the two half-shells defining a single capsule, filling one of the half-shells with the powdered product, closing said filled half-shell with the other half-shell forming the capsule, ejecting the filled capsule, checking the quality of the product, etc. With reference to the filling methods of the capsules, two filling techniques are known, defined by a tamping method and a dosing method.

In the case of a tamping filling technique, the powdered product is pressed several times before being fed into one of the half-shells of the capsule; such a filling technique comprises a progressive compression of small quantities of product in a dosing disk by means of compression pistons with subsequent ejection of the compressed product and with its insertion into a half-shell of the capsule.

In the case, instead, of the filling technique of the dosing type, a dosing medium is immersed in a tank containing the powder for filling the capsules so as to pick up a quantity of powder which is compacted inside the dosing medium by means of a plunger with which said means is provided, with the powder which is thus picked up and compacted is fed into one of the half-shells of the open capsule as described above.

The two types of filling techniques substantially ensure the same production performance; however, the tamping filling technique is more used in the case of fully automatic machines as it ensures a high level of accuracy, while the dosing filling technique is particularly suitable in the case of microdosing (for example, capsules which contain a quantity of powder less than or equal to <NUM> milligrams).

As can be seen from the foregoing, the known capsule filling apparatuses have some significant drawbacks related to the fact that such apparatuses must be chosen based on the features of the powdered product with which to fill the capsule and, therefore, depending on the type of powdered product, an apparatus with tamping filling technique or an apparatus with dosing filling technique must be used.

The above entails a cost disadvantage, given the fact that it is necessary to have at least two different filling devices in order to manage the production of capsules of different types of powdered products.

The above drawback entails a consequent drawback also related to the investment costs related not only to the need to have two different filling devices, but also to the tooling of the workspaces of said two devices.

<CIT> and <CIT> refer to a filling apparatus which comprises a plurality of movable filling stations on wheels which are coupled with the filling apparatus as a function of the type of filling required.

Even such known solutions do not solve the problems mentioned above, since to vary the type of filling they need modules defined by movable devices which are coupled to the main device and, therefore, have the same disadvantages of tooling the spaces, warehouse costs and the like.

A further filling apparatus is known from <CIT>.

The object of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks described above.

More in particular, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved filling apparatus for capsules and, more specifically, a "universal/reconfigurable" type apparatus adapted to allow the same apparatus to be used regardless of the filling technique used.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a filling apparatus for capsules for which the operating filling type reconfiguration is both simple and rapid.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a filling apparatus adapted to allow to limit production costs as well as the physical spaces necessary for the positioning of the same apparatus.

A further object of the present invention is to provide users with an improved filling apparatus for capsules adapted to ensure high resistance and reliability over time and furthermore, such as to be easily and economically made.

These and other objects are achieved by the invention having the features according to claim <NUM>.

According to the invention, an improved filling apparatus is provided for filling capsules with powdered substances for pharmaceutical or parapharmaceutical use or the like, comprising a body-machine inside which the mechanical and components are housed which are adapted to operate an operating unit comprising a body supporting a rotating table adapted to receive capsules to be filled with a powdered product from a capsule feeding station, move them in the direction of a filling station functional for filling said capsules with the powdered product and eject them once filled at an ejection station, the filling station being reconfigurable by means of an interchangeability between a tamping filling unit or a dosing filling unit for a variation of the filling configuration of the capsules with the powdered product.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention appear from the dependent claims.

The constructive and functional features of the improved filling apparatus for capsules of the present invention can be better understood from the following detailed description, in which reference is made to the attached drawing tables which represent a preferred and non-limiting embodiment and wherein:.

With reference to the aforementioned figures, the improved filling apparatus of the invention is indicated as a whole with <NUM> and comprises a body-machine <NUM> inside which are housed the mechanical and electrical and/or electronic components adapted for the operation of the apparatus and, more in particular, for the operation of an operating unit <NUM> which, as better described below, comprises the devices functional to the feeding, movement and filling of the capsules.

The machine body <NUM> is, in the preferred embodiment shown in the figures, provided with wheels <NUM> functional to the movement and positioning of the apparatus inside the production space and doors <NUM> which can be opened for maintenance, inspection, repair and the like of the mechanical and electrical and/or electronic components arranged therein (it is to be understood that, in accordance with alternative embodiments, said wheels may be absent).

Outside the body-machine <NUM> the operating unit <NUM> is arranged, which comprises a body <NUM> which supports a rotating table <NUM> adapted to receive the capsules to be filled (not shown in the figures) coming from a capsule feeding station <NUM>, to move them in the direction of a filling station <NUM> functional to the filling of said capsules with a powdered product, to close them at the station <NUM> and to eject them once filled with the powdered product at an ejection station <NUM>.

The capsules coming from the feeding station <NUM>, when they are fed on the rotating table <NUM>, are opened and, more specifically, the two half-shells forming the single capsule are separated from each other to define a first half-shell adapted to be filled with the powdered product at the filling station <NUM> and a second half-shell which follows the path of the first half-shell and which is coupled to the latter in a capsule closing station <NUM> in which the single capsule filled with powdered product is closed and moved, again by means of the rotating table <NUM>, in the direction of the ejection station <NUM>.

The apparatus comprises a control unit <NUM> provided with a display <NUM> and adjusting means <NUM> and <NUM> for adjusting and setting the working parameters of the filling apparatus of the invention. The capsule feeding station <NUM>, not described in detail as known, substantially comprises a tank or hopper <NUM>' for the capsules to be filled and means <NUM>'' for feeding the capsules contained in the tank or hopper <NUM>' on the rotating table <NUM>.

The filling station <NUM> can be of the tamping type, as shown in <FIG>, or of the dosing type as shown in <FIG> and this depending on the filling technique of the capsules chosen according to the production needs and/or features of the capsules to be filled and/or the features of the powdered product to be filled in the capsules; depending, therefore, on the filling technique adopted, the filling unit <NUM> will be provided with a tamping filling unit <NUM> or with a dosing filling unit <NUM>.

The tamping filling unit <NUM> is schematically shown in <FIG> and comprises (without a detailed description as it is known), a first hopper <NUM> containing the powdered product with which to fill the capsules, a second hopper <NUM> (below the first hopper) which receives the powdered product from the first hopper and feeds it to a dosing disk <NUM> below said second hopper, said dosing disk receiving the powdered product from said second hopper and with which the compression pins <NUM> of said powdered product are engaged.

The tamping filling unit <NUM> also comprises a first plate <NUM> to which the compression pins <NUM> are stabilized and whose function will appear clearer below.

The dosing unit <NUM> is schematically shown in <FIG> (not described in all details as known) comprising a first hopper <NUM> containing the powdered product with which to fill the capsules, a second hopper <NUM> arranged below the first hopper in which the powdered product is fed coming from said first hopper for a withdrawal by dosing syringes <NUM> arranged with respect to a rotating arm <NUM> moved in alternating rotation with respect to a vertical axis by means of a motor in order to move the syringes alternatively to the withdrawal of the powdered product from the second hopper <NUM> and to the filling of the capsule arranged on the rotating table <NUM> (in fact, when one syringe is in the step of withdrawing the powdered product from the second hopper the other syringe is in the step of filling the capsule); the dosing filling unit also comprises a first pneumatic cylinder <NUM> for compacting the powdered product withdrawn from a dosing syringe <NUM> from the second hopper <NUM> and a second pneumatic cylinder <NUM> for transferring the compacted powder into the capsules, a further electric motor <NUM> having the function of controlling the opening of falling compartments of the powdered product from the first hopper <NUM> to the second hopper <NUM> and a support bracket <NUM> for the second hopper <NUM> and whose function will be better described in detail below.

The dosing unit <NUM> also comprises a second plate <NUM> to which the components functional to the rotation and movement of the dosing syringes <NUM> are stabilized.

The machine-body <NUM> comprises coupling and support means of the filling stations <NUM> functional to the filling of said capsules. Such means comprise a pair of parallel and opposite columns <NUM> vertically stabilized to the body <NUM> at the rotating plate <NUM>, a first support <NUM> and a second support <NUM> likewise stabilized to the body <NUM>.

The pair of opposite and parallel columns <NUM> has the function of defining a coupling and support means for the first plate <NUM> of the tamping filling unit <NUM> and for the second plate 60of the dosing filling unit <NUM>.

The columns <NUM> are of defined height and the adjustment/calibration of the position of the first plate <NUM> or of the second plate <NUM> of the filling units (in particular, the adjustment/calibration of the height position of the second plate <NUM> of the dosing unit <NUM>) is carried out by means of plate retaining means with respect to the pair of opposite and parallel columns defined by fixing and adjusting screws-bodies <NUM>.

The first support <NUM> has the function of defining a coupling and support means for the dosing disk body <NUM> arranged below the second hopper <NUM> of the tamping filling unit <NUM>.

The second support <NUM> has the function of defining a coupling and support means for the second hopper <NUM> and, more particularly, for the support bracket <NUM> of said second hopper of the dosing unit <NUM>.

The first support <NUM> is arranged in an intermediate and central position with respect to the pair of opposite and parallel columns <NUM> at the rotating plate <NUM>.

The second support <NUM> is arranged aligned with the first support <NUM> (and, more specifically, with respect to the radius of the rotating table passing through the support <NUM>) and substantially adjacent thereto, the first support <NUM> being in an intermediate position between the rotating plate <NUM> and the second support <NUM>.

The first plate <NUM> and the second plate <NUM> have an extension in length substantially corresponding to the distance between axes of the pair of opposite and parallel columns <NUM>.

The stabilization of the supports (or support brackets) <NUM> and <NUM> with respect to the pair of columns <NUM> is carried out by retaining means described above and represented by bodies <NUM> which allow a fastening of the plate and an adjustment/calibration in height of the same with respect to the pair of opposite and parallel columns <NUM> (with an adjustment of the distance of said plate with respect to the base from which said columns extend) and, in the same manner, the stabilization with respect to the first support <NUM> and the first support <NUM> is carried out as a function of the type of filling unit.

In the case of use of a dosing unit <NUM>, a body or control unit <NUM> is present as an external element to the body-machine <NUM> and functional to define an optional control unit to be coupled to an existing type of filling apparatus (of the tamping type) and whose control unit <NUM> is not configured for the dosing function; in accordance with an alternative embodiment the additional body or control unit <NUM> can be integrated into the control unit <NUM> of the body-machine <NUM>.

The above-described means of coupling and supporting the filling stations <NUM> allow a stabilization of a tamping filling unit <NUM> or a dosing filling unit <NUM> (as a function of the production needs) without structural changes or modifications of the body-machine <NUM> and/or the filling units described.

In fact, if the filling apparatus is provided with a tamping filling unit and the production requires a change of the filling mode of the capsules, for the variation of the operating configuration, it will be sufficient to decouple the first plate <NUM> of the tamping filling unit <NUM> with respect to the pair of parallel and opposite columns <NUM> and decouple the dosing disk body <NUM> with respect to the first support <NUM> and, subsequently, to couple the second plate <NUM> of the dosing filling unit <NUM> with the same pair of parallel and opposite columns <NUM> and to couple the support bracket <NUM> for the second hopper <NUM> of said filling unit with the second support <NUM>.

The stabilization of the plates <NUM> and <NUM>, according to the type of filling unit, is carried out by means of the retaining means described above and represented by screws-bodies <NUM>.

As can be seen from the above, the advantages obtained by the apparatus of the invention are clear.

The improved filling apparatus for capsules of the present invention advantageously constitutes a "universal/reconfigurable" type apparatus which allows to vary the filling technique of the capsules (tamping type or dosing type filling) without the need to use different types of apparatuses as a function of the type of filling and this by virtue of the coupling and support means of the filling stations <NUM> described and without the need to modify, vary or replace constituent elements of the machine body of the apparatus.

A further advantage is that the change in the configuration of the filling apparatus is simple as well as quick and this configures a related containment of production costs.

Further advantageous is the fact that the apparatus of the invention, requiring only the presence of different types of filling units, entails a containment of warehouse costs as well as physical spaces (since it is not necessary to have at least two different filling apparatuses).

Claim 1:
An improved filling apparatus (<NUM>) for filling capsules with powdered substances for pharmaceutical or parapharmaceutical, nutraceutical use or the like, comprising a body-machine (<NUM>) inside which the mechanical and electrical and/or electronic components are housed which are adapted to operate an operating unit (<NUM>) comprising a body (<NUM>) supporting a rotating table (<NUM>) adapted to receive capsules to be filled with a powdered product from a capsule feeding station (<NUM>), move the capsules in the direction of a filling station (<NUM>) functional for filling said capsules with the powdered product and eject the capsules once filled at an ejection station (<NUM>), the apparatus characterized in that the filling station (<NUM>) comprises a pair of parallel and opposite columns (<NUM>) vertically stabilized to the body (<NUM>) at the rotating table (<NUM>), a first support (<NUM>) and a second support (<NUM>) equally stabilized to the body (<NUM>) of the operating unit (<NUM>) of the body-machine (<NUM>) for an interchangeable type stabilization of a tamping filling unit (<NUM>) or a dosing filling unit (<NUM>) with respect to said body-machine for a variation of the filling configuration of the capsule with the powdered product, said pair of parallel and opposite columns (<NUM>) whose distance between the fixed columns is corresponding to a coupling element of the tamping filling unit (<NUM>) and the dosing filling unit (<NUM>).