Feed system in a lyophilization machine for the pharmaceutical sector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9796273-B2
Application number	US-201414899526-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2014
Priority date	Jun 19, 2013
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 2017

Abstract

Feed system provided with feed means located inside a lyophilization chamber and able at least to supply electric energy to a slider, autonomously mobile at least inside the lyophilization chamber, and to the possible other internal components which need the energy present in or associated to the slider. The feed means are positioned along the travel of the slider and cooperate with energy receiver means associated to the slider, being static at least during the loading and unloading steps of at least a loading plane.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Feed system for a lyophilization machine comprising:
energy feed means placed inside a lyophilization chamber,
a slider autonomously mobile energy receiver means mounted on the slider, wherein said energy feed means are stationary along the pathway of the slider and wirelessly supply electric energy to the energy receiver means in order to move the slider, the energy feed means being selectively activated at least during the loading and unloading of a loading plane and wherein the feed system further comprises a communication system configured for a two-way transmission and reception of data or information with the energy receiver means, the energy feed means arranged to supply energy to the communication system.

2. Feed system as in claim 1 , wherein the energy feed means comprise the pathway.

3. Feed system as in claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the energy feed means is associated with the pathway.

4. Feed system as in claim 3 , wherein at least the portion of the energy feed means is insulated from the pathway.

5. Feed system as in claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the energy feed means is disposed parallel to the pathway.

6. Feed system as in claim 1 , wherein the energy feed means comprise primary coils able to be electrically fed and associated to at least one pathway present inside the lyophilization chamber, and wherein the energy receiver means comprise secondary coils mounted on the slider and configured to generate energy from the magnetic induction of said primary coils.

7. Feed system as in claim 1 , wherein the energy receiver means are configured to transmit electric energy from the energy feed means to components located on the slider.

8. Feed system as in claim 7 , wherein the energy receiver means are chosen from a group comprising wheels, toothed wheels, tracks, mechanical sliding blocks or electrical sliding blocks.

9. Feed system as in claim 1 , wherein the lyophilization chamber includes a door, and wherein the energy feed means are configured to be without energy at least the door is closing.

10. Feed system as in claim 9 , wherein the energy feed means are configured to interrupt an electric energy feed through a release of mobile pathways.

11. Feed system as in claim 9 , wherein electric switches or separators are configured to interrupt the electric energy feed of said energy feed means.

12. Feed system as in claim 1 , wherein the energy feed means have a limited horizontal flat surface.

13. Feed system as in claim 1 , wherein the energy feed means are configured to convey instructions using the communication system, to a management and control system present in the slider and operating in association at least with the lyophilization chamber.

14. Feed system as in claim 13 , wherein the management and control system located on board said slider is configured to act in feedback at least with an external command and control unit through at least a portion of the energy feed means.

15. Lyophilization machine comprising a lyophilization chamber with a slider autonomously mobile along a pathway within the lyophilization chamber in order to load and unload a loading plane, and a feed system provided with energy feed means placed inside the lyophilization chamber, and energy receiver means mounted on the slider, wherein the energy feed means are stationary relative to the pathway of the slider and wirelessly supply electric energy to the energy receiver means in order to move the slider, the energy feed means being selectively activated at least during loading and unloading of the loading plane, and wherein the energy feed system further comprises a communication system configured for a two-way transmission and reception of data or information with the energy receiver means, the energy feed means supplying energy to the communication system.

16. Slider comprising internal movement components, the internal movement components of the slider configured to be mobile inside a lyophilization chamber and to be fed by a feed system provided with energy feed means, wherein the energy feed means are positioned so as to be static relative to a travel pathway of the slider, the slider further comprising energy receiver means cooperating with the energy feed means and being associated with a wireless communication system configured for two-way transmission and reception of data or information with the slider and at least partially fed by the energy feed means.

17. Slider as in claim 16 , wherein the slider is configured to be driven and/or coordinated with instructions of an external command and control unit by means of signals transported by the energy feed means.

18. Feed system as in claim 1 , wherein the communication system is a wireless communication system.

Assignees

• Ima Spa

Inventors

• Ragazzini Ivan

Classifications

• F26B25/003

  for articles · CPC title

• F26B5/06 Primary

  the process involving freezing · CPC title

• B65G25/08

  having impellers, e.g. pushers · CPC title

• B60L5/005 Primary

  without mechanical contact between the collector and the power supply line · CPC title

• B60M7/00

  Power lines or rails specially adapted for electrically-propelled vehicles of special types, e.g. suspension tramway, ropeway, underground railway · CPC title