Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Metering Disk and Capsule Filling Device with Metering Disk
The invention concerns a metering disk of a capsule filling device of the kind
described
in the preamble of claim 1 as well as a capsule filling device with such a
metering disk.
For filling capsules with powder products, that is, for example, powder,
granular material,
pellets, or the like in the form of medicaments, food supplements or the like,
capsule
filling devices are used as they are disclosed, for example, in the document
DE 296 20
828 Ul. Part of the capsule filling device described therein is a metering
disk that has a
disk base member as well as metering sleeves exchangeably inserted into the
disk base
member. In said metering sleeves so-called metering openings are formed. Above
the
metering disk there is a powder bed. Rams are lowered into the metering
openings of
the metering sleeves in order to provide within the metering opening a
volumetric
metering of the powder product and in order to subsequently push the metered
powder
product in downward direction through the metering openings into the provided
open
capsule.
In the aforementioned document, the possibility is mentioned that the metering
disk by
exchange of the metering sleeves can be made suitable for a plurality of
different
diameters and/or lengths of capsules to be filled, without the metering disk
itself having
to be exchanged.
In case the diameter of the metering openings is to be changed as result of
the task at
hand, all metering sleeves and also the rams, matched in diameter thereto,
must be
exchanged. Even more problematic is a length adaptation of the metering
openings. In
this context, it is not sufficient to exchange the metering sleeves because
then the
vertical adjustment, for example, relative to a tamping ring which is arranged
below the
metering disk would no longer be correct. Therefore, either a complex vertical
adjustment or a complete exchange of the metering disk must be carried out;
with
respect to the required parts and also with regard to the required retooling
expenditure,
including the entailed downtime, this is costly and impairs productivity.
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The invention has the object to further develop a metering disk of the
aforementioned
kind such that a simple adaptation of the metering volume is possible.
This object is solved by a metering disk with the features of claim 1.
The invention has furthermore the object to provide a capsule filling device
for filling
capsules which can be retooled for different filling volumes in a simplified
way.
This object is solved by a capsule filling device with the features of claim
9.
According to the invention, it is provided that the metering disk has a disk
base member
and at least one thickness adaptation sheet connectable to the disk base
member
wherein the metering opening extends through the disk base member and the at
least
one thickness adaptation sheet. Preferably, several thickness adaptation
sheets, in
particular with different thicknesses, are provided. In this way, it is made
possible to
combine the disk base member, as needed, with one or several thickness
adaptation
sheets in sich a way that the desired total thickness and thus the desired
total length of
the metering opening is adjusted. In this connection, the disk base member
must
neither be exchanged nor vertically adjusted. Instead, it is sufficient to
provide the
metering volume solely by selection or exchange of one or several thickness
adaptation
sheets.
It can be expedient to arranged the at least one thickness adaptation sheet on
the
bottom side of the disk base member. Preferably, however, it is arranged on
the
topside so that the interaction of the fixedly mounted disk base member with
further
elements arranged underneath thereof, such as tamping rings or the like, is
not
impaired.
One possibility resides in that the thickness adaptation sheets are embodied
in the form
of individual segments. Advantageously, the thickness adaptation sheet is in
the form
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of flat, circumferentially closed circular ring. The thus formed closed upper
surface
prevents an undesirable penetration of the powder product into gaps or the
like.
Moreover, a smooth flat surface is formed on which the powder bed is resting
during the
metering process and can be handled easily without disturbing edges.
The thickness adaptation sheet can be detachably connected with the disk base
member by a clamping action or in any other suitable way. Preferably, for this
purpose, a
screw connection is provided. In particular, the screw connection is embodied
by means
of countersunk head screws wherein their countersunk heads are flush with an
outer
surface of the at least one thickness adaptation sheet. With an appropriate
number and
distribution of the screws, a uniform contact pressure without bulging of the
thickness
adaptation sheet is ensured. The countersunk heads of the set-in countersunk
head
screws cause no significant interruption of the otherwise smooth outer
surface. An
exchange of one or several thickness adaptation sheets can be done without a
special
tool with minimal expenditure simply by releasing and tightening the
aforementioned
screw connection.
In an advantageous further embodiment, the disk base member is provided with a
recessed receptacle for receiving gap-free the at least one thickness
adaptation sheet.
The thickness adaptation sheet or a packet of several such thickness
adaptation sheets
is recessed without gap into the recessed receptacle so that a gap-free common
surface
is formed on the disk base member and on the uppermost thickness adaptation
sheet.
Independent of the selected thickness of the thickness adaptation sheet or of
a packet
thereof a disturbance-free handling of the powder is ensured.
One embodiment of the invention will be explained in the following with the
aid of the
drawing in more detail. It is shown in:
Fig. 1 in a perspective view a metering disk embodied in accordance
with the
invention with a disk base member and a packet of thickness adaptation
sheets recessed therein;
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Fig. 2 in a radial section a capsule filling device according to the
invention with a
metering disk according to Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 in an exploded view the metering disk according to Fig. 1 with
details of the
configuration of a packet of thickness adaptation sheets with correlated
fastening screws;
Fig. 4 a cross-sectional illustration of the arrangement according to
Fig. 3 with
further details of the configuration of the disk base member with a
recessed receptacle for the packet of the thickness adaptation sheets.
Fig-. 1 shows in a perspective view a metering disk 1 according to the
invention as a part
of a capsule filling device shown in Fig. 2 for filling capsules, not
illustrated, with a
powder product. The metering disk 1 comprises a circular ring-shaped disk base
member 3 and at least one thickness adaptation sheet 4 detachably connected to
the
disk base member 3. The at least one thickness adaptation sheet 4 is screw-
connected
to the disk base member 3 for which purpose a plurality of countersunk head
screws 5,
illustrated in Figs. 2 to 4, are provided. In the mounted state according to
Fig. 1, only
the corresponding number of countersunk heads 6 can be seen of the
aforementioned
countersunk head screws 5. The metering disk 1 is provided with several
metering
openings 2. In the illustrated embodiment, six groups of 12 metering openings
2 each
are provided. Each group of metering openings 2 is arranged in a straight row
along a
secant of the circular ring contour. The aforementioned six groups are
positioned at a
uniform angular spacing of 60 degrees about the circumference. However, it may
also
be expedient to provide a different number and arrangement of metering
openings 2. In
any case, the metering openings 2 penetrate the metering disk 1 completely,
i.e., extend
thus through the thickness adaptation sheet 4 and the disk base member 3
parallel to
the axis of rotation of the metering disk 1 from top to bottom.
Fig. 2 shows in radial section an embodiment of the capsule filling device
according to
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the invention which is provided for filling capsules, not illustrated, with
powder products.
The capsule filling device comprises the metering disk 1 according to Fig. 1
wherein only
the radial outer area is illustrated herein. The metering disk 1 is connected
fixedly with
respect to rotation and to vertical position to a drive shaft, not
illustrated, and is rotatably
drivable together with the latter about an axis of rotation, positioned
vertically and
perpendicular to the plane of the metering disk 1, by means of an indexing
unit, also not
illustrated, by individual rotary steps. In addition to the disk base member 3
and the
uppermost thickness adaptation sheet 4 illustrated in Fig. 1, the metering
disk 1
comprises optionally further thickness adaptation sheets 4', 4" that are
stacked on top of
each other to a packet and are screwed by means of the fastenings screws to
the disk
base member 3. The screw connection is embodied by means of countersunk head
screws 5 with countersunk heads 6 wherein the countersunk heads 6 are flush
with an
outer top surface 7 of the uppermost thickness adaptation sheet 4.
The metering openings 2 that extend from top to bottom through all of the
thickness
adaptation sheets 4, 4', 4" and the disk base member 3 have longitudinal axes
that
extend parallel to the axis of rotation of the metering disk 1 or
perpendicular to the plane
of the metering disk 1. Each one of the metering openings 1 of an individual
group of
metering openings 2 described in connection with Fig. 1 has correlated
therewith a
vertical ram 12 wherein only one metering opening 2 and one correlated ram 12
are
illustrated herein. The cross-sectional contour of the rams 12 corresponds
precisely to
the cross-sectional contour of the respective metering opening 2. In
operation, the
group of rams 12 is lowered cyclically from top to bottom into the correlated
group of
metering openings 2 in accordance with arrow 13 and is retracted in upward
direction.
The capsule filling device comprises moreover a closure element for the lower
ends of
the metering openings 2. Like the metering disk 1, the closure element is
secured
fixedly with regard to vertical position in the capsule filling device without
it however
carrying out a rotation in operation. In the illustrated embodiment, the
closure element
is in the form of a tamping ring 9 which extends partially about the axis of
rotation in the
form of a C-shaped ring segment on which the metering disk 1 is resting at
least
approximately gap-free with the major portion of its metering openings 2 with
the area of
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the correlated lower ends. In this way, the corresponding metering openings 2
in
vertical direction are closed off in downward direction.
In operation, above the metering disk 1 a powder bed 11 is provided which, as
a result
of its weight, is resting on the topside of the metering disk 1 and is secured
radially in
outward direction by a circumferential frame 10. The powder bed 11 is
comprised of
powder, granular material or the like to be filled in, for example, in the
form of a
medicament, food supplement in powder form or a comparable powder. For the
volumetric metering of the powder, it is pressed from the powder bed 11 by
means of the
rams 12 into the metering openings 2 wherein the tamping ring 9 prevents it
from being
pushed through. As a result of the volume of the metering openings 2, the
downward
pressure and downward travel of the rams 12 and also as a result of the
properties of
the powder, a powder product, precisely measured with respect to volume and
mass, is
provided in the metering openings 2 in this way. This powder product which is
metered
volumetrically in the afore described way is moved by rotation of the metering
disk 1
about its axis of rotation along the closed part of the stationary C-shaped
tamping ring 9
until the open area of the C-shaped tamping ring is reached. Here, a transfer
station,
not illustrated, is arranged which is secured, like the tamping ring 9, in its
spatial
position. At the aforementioned transfer station open capsules are provided
into which
the previously metered powder product is forced out of the metering openings 2
by
means of the rams 12.
As already mentioned above, the metering quantity of the powder product is
determined
inter alia by the volume of the metering openings 2, i.e., by their cross-
section and their
axial length. An adaptation of the metering quantity according to the
invention can be
realized by exchange and any combination of thickness adaptation sheets 4, 4',
4" so
that the selected total thickness of the disk base member 3 and the at least
one
thickness adaptation sheet 4, 4', 4" adjusts a certain axial length of the
metering
openings 2. The cross-section of the metering openings 2 does not change so
that the
cross-sectionally matched rams 2 must not be exchanged. The volume adaptation
is
realized solely by selection of a suitable axial length of the metering
openings 2 as the
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result of the selected combination of the disk base members 3 with at least
one
thickness adaptation sheet 4, 4', 4". The illustration according to Fig. 2
also shows that,
for example, several thickness adaptation sheets 4, 4', 4" of different
thickness are used
here which enables a fine-adjusted adaptation of the total thickness and thus
of the
metering volume. However, it may also be expedient to use only one kind of
thickness
adaptation sheets 4, 4', 4" with a certain thickness.
Fig. 3 shows in a perspective exploded illustration the metering disk 1
according to Fig.
1 with the disk base member 3, an exemplary selection of thickness adaptation
sheets 4,
4', 4" as well as countersunk head screws 5 for detachable connection of the
aforementioned parts. It can be seen that all thickness adaptation sheets 4,
4', 4" are
provided with a number of bores 15, 15', 15" corresponding with an appropriate
number
of bores 16 in the disk base member 3. All bores 15, 15', 15", 16 are aligned
with each
other and have the same calibrated cross-section or diameter so that in the
mounted
state of the metering disk (Fig. 1) they form the aligned continuous metering
openings
2 (Fig. 2).
Moreover, the thickness adaptation sheets 4, 4', 4" have also bores for
passing through
the countersunk head screws 5 and, corresponding therewith, an appropriate
number of
threaded bores (Fig. 2) for screwing in the countersunk head screws 5 are
provided in
the disk base member 3. In the area of the latter bores the uppermost
thickness
adaptation sheet 4 in the stacked sequence is provided with counterbores 14.
They
receive, in accordance with the illustration of Fig. 2, the countersunk heads
6 of the
countersunk head screws 5 in a way that the upper end faces of the countersunk
heads
6 are flush with the outer surface 7 of the uppermost thickness adaptation
sheet 4.
Finally, Fig. 3 also shows that all of the thickness adaptation sheets 4, 4',
4" each are in
the form of a flat circumferentially closed circular ring.
Fig. 4 shows in a cross-sectional illustration the arrangement according to
Fig. 3 wherein
same parts are identified with same reference characters. It is apparent from
the
shown cross-sectional illustration that the disk base member 3 is provided
with a
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recessed receptacle 8 for the thickness adaptation sheets 4, 4', 4". When
looking at
Figs. 2, 3, and 4, it is apparent that the recessed receptacle 8 in its
contour is precisely
matched to the contour of the thickness adaptation sheets 4, 4', 4", i.e., has
also the
shape of a circumferentially closed circular ring. For this purpose, the
recessed
receptacle 8 is delimited in downward direction by the disk base member 3
itself, in
radial outward direction by an outer ring wall 17 and in radial inward
direction by an inner
ring wall 18. In upward direction the recessed receptacle 8 is open so that
the packet of
thickness adaptation sheets 4, 4', 4" can be lowered in any suitable
combination and
number from above into the recessed receptacle 8 and can be fastened therein
by
means of the fastening screws 5. The outer ring wall 17 and the inner ring
wall 18 are
positioned in the mounted state without a gap at the outer and inner edges of
the
thickness adaptation sheets 4, 4', 4", as illustrated in Fig. 2. As a whole,
in the
mounted state illustrated in Fig. 2, the result is that by means of the disk
base member 3
and the thickness adaptation sheets 4, 4', 4" arranged at its topside a common
smooth,
flat, circular ring-shaped, gap-free circumferentially extending surface 7 is
formed on
which the powder bed 11 is resting.
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