DESC:FIELD
The present disclosure relates to the field of medicine packaging particularly a tablet supply system.
BACKGROUND
The background information herein below relates to the present disclosure but is not necessarily prior art.
Typically, tablets are being manufactured in a tablet manufacturing/forming machine. The tablets manufactured by the machine are supplied to a tablet feeding system. Conventionally, the tablet feeding systems are used to align the tablets in queues before supplying them to a stacking or packaging station. Subsequently, the stacked tablets are further processed or packed as required. However, the conventional tablet feeding systems suffer from issues like blockages of the tablets in the system.
Generally, the size and shape of the tablets vary according to a manufacturing setup configured to manufacture a specific type of tablet. The tablets may be circular shaped, rectangular shaped, square shaped, oval shaped, spherical shaped, apple shaped, heart shaped and the like. Due to such complicated and variety of tablet shapes, the tablets tend to block near the entry of transportation channels of the tablet feeding system which is not desired as it results in the loss of productivity and increase in the down time of the packaging stations.
Therefore, there is felt a need for a tablet feeding system that alleviates the aforementioned drawback.
OBJECTS
Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfies, are as follows:
The object of the present disclosure is to provide a radial insert for an article supply system that prevents blocking of the articles.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a radial insert for an article supply system that aligns the tablets or capsules in queues.
Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide a radial insert for an article supply system that increases the tablet feeding speed.
Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide a radial insert that eliminates the need for human intervention.
Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description, which is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
SUMMARY
A radial insert for an article feeding system is described in the present disclosure. The radial insert is configured to be fitted in line between a plurality of segregation tracks and a plurality of channels for feeding the articles from the segregation tracks to into channels. The radial insert defines a plurality of arcuate paths for facilitating the flow of the articles through the channels. The radial insert prevents the blockage of the articles near the entry of the plurality of channels.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the article feeding system comprises a segregation unit for queuing the articles such as tablets, and a distribution unit for facilitating the flow of the articles to a desired location. The segregation unit comprises a rotating bowl dish and segregation insert. The segregation insert has a plurality of segregation tracks configured for arranging the articles in queues. The distribution unit comprises a plurality of channels that extend from the operative bottom end of the radial insert to a doser feeder that is placed operatively below the bowl dish.
According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the radial insert has a plurality of tension elements, wherein the tension elements are connected between a supporting structure provided below the segregation tracks and the doser feeder. The tension elements are configured for isolating the doser feeder from vibrations.
The tension elements are selected from a group consisting of metal tension springs, elastic cables, and elastic belts.
The channels are manufactured from an elastic material and are configured to adapt to the packaging requirements of the system.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, each of the channels is defined by a tension spring that is configured to carry the articles/tablets through the channel.
According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, system is provided with a plurality of sensors and a controller (not shown in figures). Each of the sensors and controller is configured for monitoring the operations of the system.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWING
A radial insert for an article supply system of the present disclosure will now be described with the help of the accompanying drawing, in which:
Figure 1 illustrates an isometric view of a tablet feeding system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; and
Figure 2 illustrates a schematic view of the tablet feeding system of the present disclosure.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
10 – Tablet Feeding System
20 – Bowl dish
30 – Insert
40 – Radial feeder
50 – Channels
60 – Doser Feeder
65 – Feeder tracks
70 – Segregation Tracks
80 – Article/tablet/capsule
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Embodiments, of the present disclosure, will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
Embodiments are provided so as to thoroughly and fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to the person skilled in the art. Numerous details are set forth, relating to specific components, and methods, to provide a complete understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to the person skilled in the art that the details provided in the embodiments should not be construed to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, well-known processes, well-known apparatus structures, and well-known techniques are not described in detail.
The terminology used, in the present disclosure, is only for the purpose of explaining a particular embodiment and such terminology shall not be considered to limit the scope of the present disclosure. As used in the present disclosure, the forms "a,” "an," and "the" may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly suggests otherwise. The terms "comprises," "comprising," “including,” and “having,” are open ended transitional phrases and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, modules, units and/or components, but do not forbid the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The particular order of steps disclosed in the method and process of the present disclosure is not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance as described or illustrated. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.
When an element is referred to as being "mounted on," “engaged to,” "connected to," or "coupled to" another element, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed elements.
The terms first, second, third, etc., should not be construed to limit the scope of the present disclosure as the aforementioned terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another component, region, layer or section. Terms such as first, second, third etc., when used herein do not imply a specific sequence or order unless clearly suggested by the present disclosure.
Terms such as “inner,” “outer,” "beneath," "below," "lower," "above," "upper," and the like, may be used in the present disclosure to describe relationships between different elements as depicted from the figures.
A supply system 10 for tablets 80 of the present disclosure is now described with reference to Figure 1 and Figure 2. The system 10 comprises of a segregation unit 10a and a distribution unit 10b.
Figure 1 illustrates a tablet supply system 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The segregation unit 10a includes a bowl dish 20 and an insert 30. The insert 30 has a plurality of segregation tracks 70 configured thereon. The distribution unit 10b comprises a plurality of channels 50 and a doser feeder 60. The segregation unit 10a is coupled to the distribution unit 10b via a radial feeder 40. The radial feeder 40 is a curved shaped member with a smooth curved internal surface. The internal surface is of a material that meets the safety and regulatory requirements of the pharmaceutical industry. A plurality of feeder tracks 65 are provided in the doser feeder 60 for directing the articles/tablets 80 to a packaging station (not shown in figures). The feeder tracks 65 help to reduce the vertical component of speed of falling of the articles 80 so as to protect them from damage and breaking.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the insert 30 has a plurality of segregation tracks 70 having different width. These tracks 70 help in the segregation of tablets 80 with different sizes or shapes. The tracks 70 arrange the tablets 80 in queue before forwarding the tablets 80 to a feeding/distribution unit 10b.
According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, tablets 80 are supplied to the bowl dish 20 via a linear vibrator (not shown in figures). The bowl dish 20 is configured to rotate continuously at a predetermined speed so as to facilitate the tablets 80 to move radially towards the inserts 30 and along the circumference. The segregation tracks 70 of the insert 30 are configured to facilitate alignment, segregation, sorting, and queuing of the tablets 80. Subsequent to the alignment and queuing of the tablets 80 in the insert 30, the tablets 80 are fed to the plurality of channels 50 via the radial feeder 40.
The radial feeder 40 is configured to receive the tablets 80 from the insert 30. The radial feeder directs the tablets 80 into channels 50. The radial feeder 40 provides a smooth and curved path for the tablets 80 while being transferred from the insert 30 to any other component of the system.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the shape and size of the radial feeder 40 can be optimized in accordance with the shape of the tablets 80 being fed to the system 10.
In an embodiment, each of the plurality of channels 50 is associated with each of the segregation tracks 70 of the insert 30. In another embodiment, the flexible channels 50 can be configured to extend from the radial feeder 40 to the doser feeder 60. In still another embodiment, the flexible channels 50 can have a spring like configuration.
The channels 50 are flexible in nature and are made from an elastic material. In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, each of the plurality of channels 50 can be made from an elastic wire typically having a diameter of 1 mm, such that the wire is wound in the form of closely spaced helical coils.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the cross section of the channels 50 is rectangular, square, circular, or elliptical in shape.
In an embodiment, the dimension and shape of each of the components of the supply system 10, i.e., the insert 30, the radial feeder 40, the flexible channels 50, and the doser feeder 60 can be varied as per the dimension and shape of the tablets 80.
The arcuate shape and internal passage of the radial feeder 40 is optimized in accordance with the size and shape of the tablets 80 being fed to the system 10.
The tablets 80 after passing through the flexible channel 50 enter the doser feeder 60, from where the tablets 80 can be further fed to a packaging station (not shown in figures). In an embodiment, the number of segregation tracks 70 in the insert 30 can be equal to the number of tablets 80 required in a package.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the packaging station is configured to suitably pack the tablets 80 in order to prevent them from damaging during transportation. In an embodiment, the packaging station is configured to fill the tablets in aluminium foils or blister packs/strips (not shown in figures). The blister packs are further directed via a conveyor or a web to a sealing station (not shown in figures) where a foil or a sealing film is applied on the blister pack to provide an air tight packaging.
Figure 2 illustrates the supply system 10 depicting the travel of the articles/tablets/capsules 80 through various components of the system 10. The tablets 80 which are initially queued in the segregation tracks 70 passes to the flexible channels 50 via the radial feeder 40. The tablets 80 are then forwarded to the doser feeder 60, from where they are diverted to various stations for further processing.
According to another embodiment of the present disclosure the stations is selected from a group of stations consisting of a coloring station, a coating station, a drying station, an oven, an inspection station, a feeding station, and a sealing station.
The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Individual components of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, are interchangeable. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the present disclosure, and all such modifications are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.
TECHNICAL ADVANCEMENTS
The present disclosure described herein above has several technical advantages including, but not limited to, the realization of a tablet feeding system that:
• prevents blocking of tablets;
• aligns tablets in queue; and
• increases the tablet packaging speed.
The foregoing disclosure has been described with reference to the accompanying embodiments which do not limit the scope and ambit of the disclosure. The description provided is purely by way of example and illustration.
The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained with reference to the non-limiting embodiments in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.
Throughout this specification the word “comprise”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.
The use of the expression “at least” or “at least one” suggests the use of one or more elements or ingredients or quantities, as the use may be in the embodiment of the disclosure to achieve one or more of the desired objects or results.
Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like that has been included in this specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the disclosure. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form a part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the disclosure as it existed anywhere before the priority date of this application.
The numerical values mentioned for the various physical parameters, dimensions or quantities are only approximations and it is envisaged that the values higher/lower than the numerical values assigned to the parameters, dimensions or quantities fall within the scope of the disclosure, unless there is a statement in the specification specific to the contrary.
While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the components and component parts of the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiment as well as other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation.
,CLAIMS:WE CLAIM:
1. A radial insert (40) for an article feeding system (10), said radial insert (40) configured to be fitted in line between a plurality of segregation tracks (70) and a plurality of channels (50) for feeding articles (80) from said segregation tracks (70) to said channels (50), said radial insert (40) defining a plurality of arcuate paths (not seen in figures) for facilitating the traverse of said articles (80) by gravity, said radial insert (40) being configured to avoid the blockage of said articles (80) near the entry of said channels (50).
2. The radial insert (40) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said article feeding system (10) comprises a segregation unit (10a) and a distribution unit (10b), said segregation unit (10a) comprising a rotating bowl dish (20) and said segregation insert (30) having a plurality of said segregation tracks (70) configured for arranging said articles (80) in a plurality of queues, said distribution unit (10b) comprising a plurality of said channels (50) extending from the operative bottom end of said radial insert (30) to a doser feeder (60) placed operatively below said bowl dish (20).
3. The radial insert (40) as claimed in claim 1 comprising a plurality of tension elements (not shown in figures), said tension elements connected between a supporting structure provided below said segregation tracks (70) and said doser feeder (60), said tension element being configured for isolating said doser feeder (60) from vibrations.
4. The radial insert (40) as claimed in claim 3, wherein said tension elements are selected from a group consisting of metal tension springs, elastic cables, and elastic belts.
5. The radial insert (40) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said channels (50) are of an elastic material and configured to adapt to the packaging requirements of said system (10).
6. The radial insert (40) as claimed in claim 5, wherein said channels (50) are defined by tension springs that is configured to carry said articles (80) therethrough.
7. The radial insert (40) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said article feeding system (10) being provided with a plurality of sensors (not shown in figures) and a controller (not shown in figures), said sensors and controller being configured for monitoring the operations of said system (10).