Device and method for determining a closing force during the closure of a capsule

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10641669-B2
Application number	US-201716099884-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2017
Priority date	May 9, 2016
Publication date	May 5, 2020
Grant date	May 5, 2020

Abstract

A device and a method for determining a closing force, the device including at least a lower part segment ( 45 ) for receiving at least one capsule lower part ( 15 ), at least one upper part segment ( 44 ) for receiving at least one capsule upper part ( 13 ), at least one closing means ( 47 ) that acts upon the capsule lower part ( 15 ) and/or the capsule upper part ( 13 ) for closure, wherein at least one force sensor ( 42, 46 ) is provided for absorbing a force (F) that acts upon the capsule ( 12 ) during closure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for determining a closing force (F) during closure of a capsule in order to detect a defective or damaged capsule ( 16 ), the device comprising at least one bottom part segment ( 45 ) for receiving at least one capsule bottom part ( 15 ), at least one top part segment ( 44 ) for receiving at least one capsule top part ( 13 ), at least one closing means ( 47 ), which, for the closure, exerts the closing force (F) on at least one of the capsule bottom part ( 15 ) and the capsule top part ( 13 ) to close the capsule ( 12 ), and at least one force sensor ( 42 , 46 ) configured to register the closing force (F).

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising at least one evaluating unit ( 50 ), which detects a progression of the closing force (F).

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising at least one evaluating unit ( 50 ), which compares the closing force (F) with at least one limit value (Fg 1 , Fg 2 , Fgo).

4. The device as claimed in claim 3 , characterized in that the at least one limit value (Fg 1 , Fg 2 , Fgo) is a function of a path length (s) which is covered by the closing means ( 47 ).

5. The device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the force sensor ( 42 , 46 ) is arranged in at least one of a brace ( 41 ) and in the closing means ( 47 ).

6. The device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the force sensor ( 42 ) is arranged such that the force sensor comes into contact with the capsule top part ( 13 ) indirectly or directly.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the device infers a properly formed capsule ( 12 ) if the closing force (F), in a lower path length range (su), does not exceed at least one of a first limit value (Fg 1 ), and the closing force (F), in an upper path length range (so), exceeds a further limit value (Fg 2 ).

8. The device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that an upper limit value (Fgo) is chosen such that, if the closing force (F) exceeds the upper limit value, a defective or damaged capsule( 16 ) is inferred.

9. The device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that, as a function of the closing force (F), at least one ejection station is actuated for the ejection of at least one defective or damaged capsule ( 16 ).

10. The device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising at least one overload protection ( 71 ), which protects the force sensor ( 42 ).

11. The device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising at least one evaluating unit ( 50 ), which detects a progression of the closing force (F) as a function of a path length (s) which is covered by the closing means ( 47 ).

12. The device as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising at least one displacement transducer ( 48 ) configured to detect the path length (s).

13. The device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising at least one evaluating unit ( 50 ), which compares the closing force (F) with at least one limit value (Fg 1 , Fg 2 , Fgo) for the recognition of a defective or damaged capsule ( 16 ).

14. The device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the force sensor ( 42 ) is arranged such that the force sensor comes into contact with a tip of the capsule top part ( 13 ), indirectly, via a pressure pin ( 58 ), or directly.

15. The device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the device infers a properly formed capsule ( 12 ) if the closing force (F), in a lower path length range (su) at the beginning of the closing operation, does not exceed at least one of a first limit value (Fg 1 ), and the closing force (F), in an upper path length range (so) at the end of the closing operation, exceeds a further limit value (Fg 2 ).

16. The device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising at least one overload protection ( 71 ), which protects the force sensor ( 42 ) in conjunction with a spring element ( 56 ).

17. A method for determining a closing force (F) of a capsule ( 12 ) in order to detect a defective or damaged capsule ( 16 ), wherein at least one bottom part segment ( 45 ) is registered, wherein at least one top part segment ( 44 ) is registered, wherein, for the closure, the closing force (F) is exerted on at least one of a capsule bottom part ( 15 ) and a capsule top part ( 13 ) to close the capsule ( 12 ), and wherein the closing force (F) is determined.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17 , characterized in that the determined closing force (F) is compared with at least one limit value (Fg 1 , Fg 2 , Fgo).

19. The method as claimed in claim 18 , characterized in that at least one limit value (Fg 1 , Fg 2 , Fgo) is a function of a path length (s) by which a closing means ( 47 ) is transported during the closure of the capsules ( 12 ).

20. The method as claimed in claim 17 , characterized in that at least one overload protection ( 71 ) enables a movement of the force sensor ( 42 ) in the event of an overload.

21. The method as claimed in claim 17 , characterized in that the determined force (F) is compared with at least one limit value (Fg 1 , Fg 2 , Fgo) for the recognition of a defective or damaged capsule ( 16 ).

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Schlipf Jens
• Braito Andreas
• Boehringer Walter
• Runft Werner

Classifications

• A61J3/074

  Filling capsules; Related operations · CPC title

• G01L5/0076

  Force sensors associated with manufacturing machines (G01L5/0066, G01L5/0071 and B23Q17/09 take precedence; for the specific machine or operation involved see relevant class, e.g. B21 - B42) · CPC title

• G01L1/00

  Measuring force or stress, in general (measuring force due to impact G01L5/00) · CPC title

• B65B57/04

  and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages · CPC title

• G01M99/00 Primary

  Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass · CPC title