Patent Grant
11498707
This application is a national phase application of PCT Application No. PCT/EP2018/056226, filed on Mar. 13, 2018, which claims priority to German Application No. DE 102017204092.0, filed on Mar. 13, 2017, and to German Application No. DE 102017207307.1, filed on May 2, 2017, the entire disclosures of which applications are incorporated herein by this reference.
The present invention relates to a system for filling containers, in particular syringes, in particular in the medical and/or pharmacological field, and to an associated method.
In the field of medicine and pharmaceuticals, quantities of liquid of a few millilitres or even less are often administered as single doses. In order to prevent contamination and to ensure sufficient sterility, and at the same time to eliminate any errors in dose or measuring out, appropriate agents and drugs are preferably provided in individual containers, each of which accordingly contains the quantity for a single dose.
At the same time, it is essential for the quantity in the container to correspond as precisely as possible to the intended quantity indicated on the container, both in terms of quantity of liquid and also quantity of active ingredient.
Accordingly, a large number of containers need to be filled and sealed in a sterile manner, with deviations from the target filling quantity remaining within a very narrow tolerance range and at the same time with the number of rejects having contents outside the tolerance range being low. This is necessary in particular because, for reasons of sterility, the corresponding container needs to be sealed in a sterile manner as soon as possible after it is filled, and it is then no longer possible to top up said container.
Since accordingly filling said containers by hand is much too time-consuming and labour-intensive, filling systems have been developed in which a plurality of filling needles are arranged in a row, said needles can accordingly fill a plurality of containers arranged in a row, and then a sealing station seals the row of containers in a sterile manner by means of sealing actuators that are arranged in a corresponding row.
Usually, each container in the row of containers is weighed individually before and after the filling process in order to monitor the filling quantity. This may be carried out as a whole row on a corresponding row of scales, or the containers can be individually removed from the row and placed onto an individual set of scales.
Since the containers are stored as filled and sealed containers in nests in which said containers are arranged in rows and columns, both for delivery for filling and during onward transport, the following has become established as a standard method for filling the containers:
Since each weighing operation is complex, to accelerate the process often only some of the rows of containers are weighed, for example every 10th row or just one row per nest.
In this process, it has been assumed until now that, because of the substantially consistent output from the filling needles, this is sufficient for ensuring a consistent filling quantity. However, this is in fact not an optimal approach, since even small deviations in individual containers are problematic in certain medical products.
In previous methods, however, weighing every individual row and thus individual containers both before and after filling in order to more precisely determine the filling quantity for each individual container leads to insufficient speed and reduced output from the plants. This results in increased costs.
An embodiment of the invention is described in the following with reference to the drawings, in which:
The problem addressed by the present invention is therefore to solve the problems arising in the prior art, in particular to provide a system for filling containers, in particular syringes, in which each container is weighed in the process, i.e. before, during and/or after filling, in particular in that each container is tare-weighed and gross-weighed in order to guarantee that all the containers have been correctly filled. At the same time, a corresponding system needs to operate at a sufficient speed and not at an excessively high cost.
A system according to the invention for filling containers, in particular syringes, comprises:
Here, “container” is understood to mean all types of container, but in particular those as used in the medical and/or pharmacological field, for example for liquids. In addition to syringes, containers may in particular also be vials, small bottles, test tubes and/or similar containers, for example, in particular of the type used in the medical and/or pharmacological field.
Here, “multi-track” means that a plurality of containers are always arranged beside one another when viewed in the transport direction. Said containers are generally also substantially in a line with respective containers in a preceding or subsequent row in the transport direction.
“Multi-track” does not however necessarily mean that there are accordingly a plurality of physical tracks, rails or the like extending in the transport direction. This cannot be ruled out, however.
The transport is carried out in the form of rows of containers, such that when the system is started up, a first row of containers is initially arranged, said row is accordingly moved in the transport direction, and then a second row of containers is arranged in the same position as before, and is then likewise moved in the transport direction by the transport device.
The at least one filling station being multi-track means that a plurality of containers arranged beside one another transversely to the transport direction can be filled at the same time. Here, the filling station is designed such that it can simultaneously fill exactly as many containers arranged in rows as are present in the rows of the transport device.
Placing the containers on a weighing device in this case means that the containers are positioned relative to the weighing device such that the weighing device can measure their current weight.
The system according to the invention achieves a sufficiently high output while at the same time gross-weighing and tare-weighing each individual container, namely by providing at least two weighing devices and configuring the control such that the rows of containers stop at just one weighing device each and at the same time move past the other weighing device. Therefore, at each filling stop, during which time-consuming weighing of the containers is generally required, two container rows are weighed at the same time or in quick succession in each case by the respectively provided weighing device as part of the filling process. This speeds up the process as a whole, since the weighing is the most time-consuming part, and so providing two weighing devices and using them in quick succession or in an overlapping manner results in the process being sped up considerably, while at the same time each container can be precisely weighed in order to achieve a high level of product reliability.
The sealing station and the systems for conveying containers to and from the transport device can, however, easily be designed such that they load two rows with containers or remove containers from two rows or seal containers in two rows while the transport device is stopped for the filling process. Either a plurality of filling stations, e.g. one per weighing device, may be provided, or one or more filling stations that can move in the transport direction may be provided. In this way, at least double the throughput can be achieved compared with systems that handle and weigh, fill, weigh and seal a single row at a time in succession. This is because the significant expenditure of time results from the weighing as part of the filling process, which in the present invention is always carried out for at least two rows simultaneously or in quick succession/in an overlapping manner, except for possibly at the start and the end of the operation of the system, when the first row of containers or potentially a final row of containers without a subsequent row is accordingly filled and weighed.
Preferably, the at least one filling station can be moved in the transport direction from a first filling position for a process of filling a row of containers positioned at one of the at least two weighing devices to another filling position for a process of filling a row of containers positioned at another of the at least two weighing devices.
Alternatively or additionally, at least two multi-track filling stations, or more, which are arranged in succession in the transport direction but are not movable in the transport direction are provided. Two or more corresponding, movable filling stations may also be provided which each serve two or more filling positions or rows of containers arranged above a weighing device.
Furthermore, one or more movable filling stations and one or more immovable filling stations may also be provided. Furthermore, when providing a plurality of movable filling stations, some or all of the movable filling stations may also be movable relative to one another. Furthermore, when providing a plurality of movable filling stations, some or all of the movable filling stations may also be designed such that they move synchronously and/or at a fixed distance from one another.
In principle, it applies to all embodiments described herein comprising a plurality of filling stations that are immovable in the transport direction that, in alternative embodiments, fewer filling stations or just one filling station that is/are movable in the transport direction is/are provided or can be used in the otherwise equivalent system/method. In reverse, it applies to all embodiments described herein comprising one or more filling stations that are movable in the transport direction that, in alternative embodiments, more filling stations, in particular one filling station per approaching weighing device, which station is however immovable in the transport direction, is/are provided or can be used in the otherwise equivalent system/method.
Here, movable/immovable relates to movements of the filling station in the transport direction. Irrespective of this, the filling station may comprise parts that are movable with respect to the filling process, e.g. filling needles, or may be movable as a whole.
Furthermore, other elements of the system according to the invention, in particular the at least one sealing station, may also be movable, in particular in the transport direction. In this case, all the features and/or properties mentioned in relation to the movability of the filling stations may also be provided in these other movable elements.
Preferably, the transport device is designed as at least one strip per row of containers. Said strips accordingly extend transversely to the transport direction and are transported by means of a shared drive, for example. Holes into which the containers are inserted for transport are provided in the strips, whereby the number of holes accordingly determines the number of tracks in the system.
Preferably, a strip of this type is designed to have two arms, with one arm on each side of the holes, and is more preferably designed to be hinged. Therefore, when the strip is closed up, the containers are retained by the strip. When the strip is opened out, the containers can be released and therefore their weight can be measured by the corresponding weighing device, because otherwise their weight is actually resting on the strip.
Preferably, the holes are naturally designed such that they retain the corresponding containers solely on account of their shape. For the syringes, this may for example be implemented by conically tapering the hole from the upper face of the strip towards the lower face of the strip. However, the shape may also be step-like, and for other containers, for example test tubes having a rim that projects over the rest of the wall at the upper end, the hole may also be designed to have a completely constant diameter.
In some embodiments, the strip may be designed as a hollow strip, wherein the transport device further comprises strip inserts that can be slid into the hollow strips and in a longitudinal direction of said hollow strips, wherein the strip inserts each have one hole per hole in the hollow strip. The strip inserts may for example be guided/positioned in the interior of the hollow strips by means of rails or grooves.
Depending on the position of the strip insert relative to the hollow strip, the diameter and shape of the passage from the upper face to the lower face of the strip can vary, meaning that containers are either retained or released depending on position. The shape of the strip inserts and/or of the interior of the hollow strip is preferably such that direct or indirect engagement with the container is possible in a retaining position of the strip insert.
Preferably, the shape of the holes in the strip inserts does not match the shape of the holes in the hollow strip, preferably such that there are positions of the strip inserts which cover a region of the passage for the holes in the hollow strip and positions of the strip inserts which leave the passage for the holes in the hollow strip open.
Preferably, the shape of the holes in the strip inserts and/or the hollow strip has a circular or elliptical portion and a portion that differs from the circular or elliptical shape. Preferably, this shape is in particular a semi-circle to a three-quarters circle, and a triangle in the remaining portion that is no longer circular.
In this case, the shape of a hole means in particular the edge contour of the hole when viewed from bottom to top or from top to bottom, based on the strip/strip insert.
Preferably, in all embodiments, the system comprises a centring insert, which can be guided through the holes in the strips due to its shape, wherein the centring insert comprises one end suitable for coupling to the weighing devices and comprises a clamping device at the other end for clamping and/or centring a container.
In variants comprising a strip insert, the shape of the holes therein is accordingly likewise designed based on the centring insert, or vice versa.
As a result, different containers can be retained using standardised hole sizes by the clamping device being designed to be sufficiently flexible.
Preferably, the centring insert comprises a recess and/or a projection, in particular a resilient or resiliently mounted projection for engaging with retaining means inside the strips. Retaining means of this type may be both structures of the strip and also structures of the hollow strip or the strip insert.
Particularly preferable are projections/recesses with which the strip insert engages in a corresponding position and no longer engages in a correspondingly different position such that the centring insert is released in order to rest on a weight sensor of a weighing device.
Since the weight of the centring insert is both known and generally is not involved in gross-weighing and tare-weighing anyway, the filling quantity/fill weight can thus also be reliably determined.
In one variant, the strips are rigidly coupled to a drive device, such that all the strips are accordingly always moved at the same time.
In other variants, it may also be provided that the strips are driven individually or are movable relative to one another in another manner, such that the distance between strips that are in succession in the transport direction can be decreased and increased during transport.
This may be advantageous since for example the sealing station, which for example has to seal two rows of containers during a filling process, does not have to be formed solely by elements that are movable in the transport direction. This is because the two strips at the sealing station and the strips that are following in the transport direction are accordingly advanced in a simple manner so that, during the filling process, two rows of containers reach a position suitable for the sealing process.
Preferably, the system further comprises at least one gripper device per filling station, which is designed to raise and/or lower at least one container or a device retaining the container. As a result, in particular in combination with the ability to open out the strips, or said other mechanisms for retaining the containers directly or indirectly on the strips, the containers can be easily and rapidly placed on the relevant weighing device.
Particularly preferably, in combination with the transport device being designed as strips, the gripper device is designed such that the at least one container or a device retaining said container can be raised out of a hole in the strip and/or can be lowered onto a weight sensor of the weighing device.
This may in particular be provided such that the gripper device is designed to grip all the containers/devices simultaneously while the strip is being opened out or shortly before the strip is opened out.
A plurality of separate gripper devices for gripping all the containers/devices in a row or in a strip may be provided, however.
Alternatively or in addition to a gripper device, the strips may also be designed to be individually movable in a direction that is vertical based on the transport direction. Therefore, the strip can directly carry out the function of accordingly lowering or raising containers or devices.
Alternatively or additionally, the corresponding devices below or above the strips may also be designed to accordingly stop at the containers/devices, e.g. by the weighing devices or corresponding parts thereof being vertically movable.
The features and details relating to the distance of two successive strips may also be applied to individually movable strips, both vertically and in the transport direction, with this being based precisely on a standard distance of successive strips, for example the distance which results when all the strips are arranged in the transport direction with the same distance, or the technically standard distance in the input or output region of the transport device. Therefore, in the preceding and in the following, for variants having strips that are movable relative to one another, “distance” should be understood and interpreted to means a standard distance of this kind, since, when said strips are individually movable, the distance between two specific adjacent strips may also vary, e.g. when using a single, immovable sealing station and individually movable strips in the region of the sealing station.
The distance between two weighing devices that are in succession in the transport direction is preferably such that, when positioning each row of containers at and/or above each of the successive weighing devices, there is either no space for a row of containers therebetween or there is space for a number of rows of containers that is equal to the total number of the filling stations or corresponds to a multiple thereof.
This is because, owing to the forward movement by a certain number of strips and the subsequent stop for filling, it is possible for each row of containers to only be stopped once for a filling process at a weighing device when passing through the transport device. Therefore, the control can be configured particularly simply.
In particular, under these conditions the control can be configured such that it only actuates the transport device in two alternating steps, namely one involving advancing by a number of rows of containers equal to the number of weighing devices and one involving subsequent stoppage for the duration of the filling process and possibly the weighing processes. Control of this type may be mechanical or electromechanical, such that programming errors relating to the control can be eliminated.
Accordingly, the spatial arrangement of the at least two weighing devices in the transport direction is preferably implemented either in said manner or in another manner such that it produces a number such that, in a transport pattern corresponding to a forward movement by this number of rows of containers followed by a filling stop followed by another forward movement by this number of rows of containers, each row of containers is only at a weighing device once at one filling stop and is not at a weighing device at all the other filling stops.
When arranging filling stations that are not movable in the transport direction, i.e. in particular when arranging one filling station per weighing device, the filling stations are preferably likewise designed according to the features mentioned above in relation to the weighing devices, and/or the system is designed to that effect, for example such that the distance between two filling stations is corresponding or such that the control is configured such that one row of containers is only at one filling station during a filling process.
Preferably, each filling station comprises a number of filling needles that is equal to the number of tracks. Likewise, each weighing device preferably comprises a number of weight sensors that is equal to the number of tracks. Likewise, the sealing station preferably comprises a number of sealing actuators for sealing one container at a time that is equal to the number of tracks.
Depending on the number of filling stations, the duration of a filling process, the movability of the sealing stations and sealing actuators and the duration of a sealing process, it may be advantageous to provide more than one sealing station in succession in the transport direction. In this case, it is particularly preferable for one sealing station to be provided for every two filling stations and/or every two weighing devices.
If there is too high a number of filling stations and/or weighing devices and too low a number of sealing stations therefor, the total output of the system may ultimately be limited by the operating speed of the sealing stations. This can be remedied by increasing the number of said stations.
Preferably, the system comprises a nest emptying device at the start of the transport device in order to remove containers from a nest and introduce them into the transport device. Preferably, the system likewise comprises a nest loading device at one end of the transport device in order to remove containers from the transport device and insert them into a nest. These two devices may be designed similarly to the above-described gripper devices.
This is advantageous since corresponding containers in the medical and/or pharmacological field are generally stored in nests and are prepared for various production processes and shipping processes.
The invention also relates to a method for filling containers, in particular using a system according to the invention corresponding to the above-mentioned features, comprising the steps of:
b) arranging empty containers in successive rows, wherein at least two containers are arranged per row;
c) moving the rows in a transport direction; and
d) applying one of the following sub-steps to each of the rows:
d1) filling the containers in the row at a first filling point and moving these containers past at least one other filling point without filling;
d2) moving the containers in the row past the first filling point and filling these containers at precisely one of the at least one other filling point.
The steps b), c) and d) are preferably applied to different containers and rows simultaneously, except for the filling according to sub-steps d1) and d2), which are preferably applied alternately or simultaneously to different container rows.
The containers arranged in rows are therefore moved in the transport direction, a plurality of filling points being provided in the transport direction and each row of containers only being filled at one filling point in each case, and passing by the other filling points without being filled. In this case, some of the rows of containers are filled at the first filling point and some are filled at the other filling point(s).
Since other method steps may be applied to two or more rows in the time required for filling and weighing a row, in the method according to the invention, the duration of the filling process and in particular of a weighing process required thereby is no longer the critical time component that limits the total output.
As a result, the output can be doubled or even more than doubled compared with conventional methods, while at the same time a filling process that satisfies standard quality requirements is ensured for each individual container.
Preferably, the method according to the invention further comprises the steps of:
a) removing the empty containers from a nest; and/or
e) inserting the filled containers into a nest.
Since containers such as syringes and vials are usually transported and handled in nests in the medical and/or pharmacological field, the connection to standard nest transport systems is ensured thereby.
Preferably, in the step of moving the rows, the method according to the invention comprises the steps of:
c1) moving the rows by a length corresponding to an integer multiple of the distance of two successive rows, wherein the integer multiple is at least two; and
c2) stopping the rows for a processing time that corresponds at least to the time required for a filling process.
This directly ensures that, with the distance between the filling points being simultaneously suitably selected, according to step d) each row of containers only stops at precisely the desired filling point for a filling process and is moved past the other filling points.
The same result may also be achieved in an alternative manner, however, by successive rows not always being at the same distance, but instead the distance between successive rows changing in a regular manner according to the distance between the filling points. The forward movement alternating with stopping can then be carried out similarly to steps c1) and c2), but the forward movement then usually corresponds to the length after which the different distances between the rows repeat again.
Preferably, the method according to the invention provides that the fill level and/or the absolute filling quantity are measured, in particular during filling. Alternatively, the containers may also be weighed immediately before filling and immediately after filling is completed.
Owing to a plurality of filling points and to weighing at the relevant filling point, the time for the weighing is likewise no longer critical and a higher throughput can accordingly be achieved, while at the same time ensuring a high level of production reliability by means of tare-weighing and gross-weighing each individual container.
Preferably, the order in which the above-described steps are carried out corresponds to the alphabetical order in which the steps are listed above.
An embodiment of the invention is described in the following with reference to the drawings, in which:
An embodiment of the system 10 according to the invention for filling containers 100, which are designed as syringes here by way of example, comprises, as shown in
As shown in
Since the embodiment is designed for syringes that comprise a somewhat thicker region and a somewhat thinner region towards the tip of the syringe, the holes 42 are tapered from top to bottom, as can be seen from the cross section of a hole in
As can be seen in
A system could of course also be produced to have a higher or lower number of tracks.
As can also be seen in
In the present embodiment, the control 15 is configured such that the transport device and the strips 40 are each moved forward by two strip distances, and are then stopped for a filling process.
This figure shows the moment at which the syringes 100 located at the filling stations 20 have already been half-filled by the filling needles 22. Here, the syringes 100 are retained by gripper devices 24.
When the filling process shown is completed, the syringes 100 located at the filling stations 20 have been filled to the extent shown by the shaded area on the syringes located further to the right.
At the end of the filling process, the strips 40 retaining the already filled syringes 100 are opened, at which point the syringes 100 additionally retained by the gripper devices 24 are lowered onto the weight sensors 32 of the weighing devices 30, in order to determine the gross weight of each individual syringe. Since the tare weight has already been determined previously in a similar way, the precise fill level or filling quantity is therefore known for each syringe.
In alternative embodiments, the syringes 100 may also remain on the weight sensors 32 during the filling process, such that the weight is continuously measured and the difference between the starting weight and the current or final weight accordingly serves as a control of the filling quantity.
During the filling and/or the weighing, the sealing actuators 16 of the sealing station 14 will have also provided the syringes 100 that are currently located immediately below the sealing actuator 16 in
Even if, in the present embodiments shown, a movable sealing station 14 or sealing actuators 16 are taken as a starting point instead, one or more immovable sealing stations 40 may alternatively also be used, for example by two sealing stations 14 being provided in succession in the transport direction and/or by the strips 40 being rendered movable relative to one another. In the latter case, exactly when two rows of syringes 100 were being filled, the strips 40 in the vicinity of the sealing station 14 would be moved such that two rows of syringes 100 are positioned in succession for sealing at the sealing station 14. For this purpose, the distance between the strips 40 and/or between the rear filling position would have to be suitably selected as required such that there is sufficient clearance for the individual movement of the strips 40.
The gripper devices 24 then raise the syringes again such that the associated strips 40 can be sealed, and the gripper devices 24 are then released from the syringes 100 such that the gripper devices 24 do not impede the subsequent forward movement of the strips 40 to the right.
Here, the control 15 is configured such that strips 40 are moved forward by the distance of two adjacent strips, and the strips are then stopped for the time required for weighing and filling and are subsequently moved forward again by two strip distances.
As shown in
Therefore, the syringes 100 on the far left are brought to a stop directly under the filling needles 22 of the first filling station 20. The second syringes 100 from the left are brought to a stop in the first position downstream of the first filling station 20. The syringes 100 that have just been filled by the first filling station 20 are brought to a stop, as completely filled syringes, in a position upstream of the second filling station 20, and the syringes 100 that were previously still empty and were located in the first position downstream of the first filling station 20 are brought to a stop under the second filling station 20. The filled syringes 100 that were previously in a position upstream of the second filling station 20 are now brought to a stop in a position downstream of the filling station 20.
The syringes that are being filled by the second filling station 20 and the filled syringes that were previously in a position downstream of the second filling station 20 are brought into the region which is accessible to the movably operating sealing station as part of the sealing processes. The filled and then also sealed syringes 100 on the far right in
The grippers 24 then grip the empty syringes 100 that are currently positioned under the filling stations 20, these syringes are then accordingly transported to tare weighing, i.e. weighing without any contents, and are then transported into a corresponding position suitable for filling, at which point the situation shown in
The system thus carries out multi-track and alternating dual-row filling, with complete fill weight determination, for example by tare weighing and gross weighing the objects to be filled, for example syringes, vials or cartridges, being achieved at full machine capacity.
As shown in
If more than two filling stations are intended to be used, these may either fill respectively adjacent rows and may be positioned accordingly (again presenting the problem whereby many filling systems are too bulky for this purpose), or the filling stations 20 need to be arranged at a different distance to that in
In order for it to be possible to produce the pattern from forward movement by a certain number of strip distances, subsequent stoppage and then forward movement again, it is advantageous for the number of strips between two strips under adjacent filling stations 20 and weighing devices 30 to be equal to the total number of filling stations 20 and weighing devices 30. Then, when a forward movement takes place by the number of strips amounting to the total number of filling stations 20 and weighing devices 30, each strip is only below a filling station 20 and above a weighing device 30 once during the stoppage, and otherwise it is always within the distances between two adjacent filling stations 20 or weighing devices 30 during the stoppage.
In other words, the forward movement must=F strip distances, where F=number of filling stations, while the distance between two adjacent filling stations or weighing devices 30 must be equal to F+1 strip distances. Then, by simply changing the forward movement by the corresponding length and stoppage, it is possible for a particular strip to only come to be below a filling station 20 and above a weighing device 30 once during the stoppage as it passes along the entire length of the transport device. Therefore, the capacity of the filling stations 20 and weighing devices 30 is fully utilised.
This is however merely the preferred method, because in principle other distances of the filling stations can also be implemented using more complex actuating systems, in particular with individually movable strips. This merely addresses the control-related problem of how to actuate the strips such that each strip is only below a filling station once during a stoppage for filling processes, and during all other stoppages is not below a filling station, such that each filling station always has empty containers to fill in each stoppage.
Since the process of weighing is in principle the particularly time-critical component, i.e. the process that takes the most time, filling stations 20 that are movable in the transport direction may also be provided instead of one filling station 20 per weighing device 30.
An embodiment of this type comprising one movable filling station 20 and two weighing devices 30 is shown in
This merely differs from that shown in
The gross weighing of the containers 100 that have just been filled takes place in the same manner, while the filling station 20 moves in the direction of the arrow to the row of containers 100 that have just been tare-weighed, in order to fill these containers once they have been suitably raised by the gripper 24. Otherwise, the system 10 in
Since the weighing lasts considerably longer than the moving and filling, the system according to
The holes 42c, 42d in the hollow strip 40c have a circular portion 42c and a triangular portion 42d in this case. The holes 48 in the strip inserts 46 are elliptical, however.
Furthermore, the system 10 or the transport device comprises centring inserts 50 as shown in
Furthermore, on an upper end, the centring insert 50 comprises a clamping device 54, 56, comprising a clamp bracket 54 and a clamping block 56 that is resiliently movably mounted in a guide recess 58 towards said bracket, between which clamping bracket and clamping block container ends of containers 100 can be clamped or centred.
The shape of the centring inserts 50 between the two ends substantially corresponds in this case to a circle, a triangular projection 60 being provided at a suitable height such that the shape as a whole is suitable for passing through the holes 42c, 42d in the hollow strip 40c.
Depending on the position of the strip insert 46, the centring insert 50 can thus either be released or retained in the downward direction.
If, for example, based on
If, for example, based on
Once the weighing is complete, the strip insert 46 can be moved again by slightly raising the centring inserts 50 as required by means of the grippers 24, for example, so that the centring insert 50 is retained by the hollow strip 40c again.
In this way, on one hand the weighing process can be carried out in a technically simple manner, and on the other hand containers 100 having different diameters of the centring insert 50 can be clamped and therefore retained by the hollow strips 40c.
Of course, other shapes of the holes 42c, 42d, the holes 48 and the centring inserts 50 may produce a corresponding connection, since it is sufficient here for part of the cross section of the holes 42c, 42d to be blocked in one position of the strip insert 46 and for no region to be blocked in another position.
Alternatively or additionally, the centring insert 50 may also comprise, in addition to the projection 60, movable components that project above the strip 40 or hollow strip 40c, for example, and are moved accordingly for the purpose of releasing.
In principle, the two embodiments shown may also be designed without a gripper or gripper device 24. Since said gripper or gripper device essentially serves the function of lowering/raising the containers 100 onto/from the weight sensors 32, alternatively and/or additionally the strips 40 and/or the weight sensors 32 may be vertically movable individually or jointly.
In this case, before a strip 40 is opened or before release by moving a strip insert 46, the strip 40 is suitably lowered and/or the corresponding weight sensors 32 are suitably raised such that the containers 100 rest their weight directly on the weight sensors 32.
The strip 40 is then closed again or the strip insert 46 is suitably moved for blocking. For this purpose, the strip 40 and/or the weight sensors 32 can still be moved slightly in order to provide optimal relative positioning between containers 100 or centring inserts 50 or strips 40 and/or strip inserts 46 for the purpose of engagement.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2017 204 092.0 | Mar 2017 | DE | national |
| 10 2017 207 307.1 | May 2017 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2018/056226 | 3/13/2018 | WO |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2018/167054 | 9/20/2018 | WO | A |
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| Entry |
|---|
| German Application No. DE102017207307.1, Search Report dated Dec. 13, 2017, 8 pages. |
| International Application No. PCT/EP2018/056226, International Search Report and Written Opinion dated Apr. 6, 2018, 12 pages (3 pages of English translation and 9 pages of Original document). |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20210221541 A1 | Jul 2021 | US |
