Device and method for ejecting at least one capsule from a capsule holder

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10596070-B2
Application number	US-201815991805-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 29, 2018
Priority date	Nov 26, 2015
Publication date	Mar 24, 2020
Grant date	Mar 24, 2020

Abstract

A device is for ejecting at least one capsule from a capsule holder. The capsule holder has at least two capsule receptacles for, in each case, one capsule. The device comprises: at least two ejectors, each of the ejectors being configured to eject a respective one of the capsules from the corresponding one of the receptacles; a drive unit configured to actuate the at least two ejectors independently of each other in an ejection direction and in an opposite return direction; the drive unit having a pneumatic actuating cylinder for each ejector; the pneumatic actuating cylinders being individually actuatable as a drive for respective ones of the at least two ejectors; a limiter element which is provided jointly for a plurality of the at least two ejectors and which has a cyclical lifting drive; and, each ejector being assigned a stop acting in the return direction for the limiter element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for ejecting at least one capsule from a capsule holder via a device; wherein the capsule holder has at least two capsule receptacles for, in each case, one capsule; wherein the device includes at least two ejectors, each of the at least two ejectors being configured to eject a respective one of the capsules from the corresponding one of the receptacles, a drive unit configured to actuate said at least two ejectors independently of each other in an ejection direction and in an opposite return direction, the drive unit having a pneumatic actuating cylinder for each ejector; the pneumatic actuating cylinders being individually actuatable as a drive for respective ones of the at least two ejectors; a limiter element which is provided jointly for a plurality of said at least two ejectors and which has a cyclical lifting drive; and,
each of the ejectors being assigned a stop acting in the return direction for said limiter element, the method comprising the steps of:
constantly moving the limiter element to and fro relative to the pneumatic actuating cylinders via the cyclical lifting drive between a deployed position and a retracted position in the ejection direction and the return direction, respectively;
in dependence upon whether an individual capsule has been identified as acceptable or unacceptable, deploying the piston rod of the respectively associated actuating cylinder in the ejection direction in such a manner that the associated one of the stops comes to bear on the limiter element and thereby limits the movement of the ejector in the ejection direction; and,
ejecting the associated capsule from the corresponding capsule receptacle with the ejector as a result of the ejector's movement being limited in the ejection direction by the limiter element.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the return of the deployed ejector and of the associated actuating cylinder is effected via the limiter element.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein:
in regular operation, the return of the deployed ejector is effected pneumatically via the associated actuating cylinder; and,
in the event of a malfunction, the return of the deployed ejector and of the associated actuating cylinder is effected via the limiter element.

Assignees

• Hoefliger Harro Verpackung

Inventors

• Wurst Reiner
• Kuehnert Timo

Classifications

• B65B57/20

  Applications of counting devices for controlling the feed of articles (other applications B65B65/08) · CPC title

• A61J3/074 Primary

  Filling capsules; Related operations · CPC title

• B65B5/103

  for packaging pills or tablets · CPC title

• B65B7/2807

  Feeding closures · CPC title