Vacuum Apparatus and Methods for Handling Pills
A pill handling apparatus having a plurality of rotary slats delivers pills from a reservoir to a number of containers. The rotary slats have receptacles in fluid communication with a vacuum assembly and the pills are drawn into the receptacles by vacuum. The pill may be released into containers by expelled air from a blower assembly. Pills entering containers may be individually counted to assure accurate filling of the containers. A conveyor may position the containers at filling stations to receive pills. The rotary slats may be independently rotatable for delivering accurate pill counts to the containers. Optical devices may inspect the pills as they travel toward the containers.
The present invention relates to pill handling apparatus and methods and, more particularly, relates to an apparatus and associated methods for handling pills with a vacuum assembly.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONPharmaceutical medicines and associated packaging apparatuses are subject to high expectations from consumers and guidelines and dictates from regulatory entities. For example, pills, capsules, and the like are produced and packaged to meet various regulations including sterility requirements. In addition, pills should be accurately counted and packaged so that each package includes exactly a predetermined number of units as labeled. Cost effective automated counting and packaging systems address these challenges.
A typical conventional pill counting and packaging machine includes a hopper having a reservoir of pills in contact with a pill-capturing assembly such as an array of rotary slats. The rotary slats capture pills and drop or guide the pills into bottles. The bottles are distributed along a conveyor belt having movements timed to advance and stop the bottles according to the filling operation.
Some pill-capturing assemblies include a series of rotary slats that are each configured to receive, hold, and move a plurality of capsules or pills along a respective closed path. Each such rotary slat is typically a disc-like device that is fixed on a rotatable shaft and typically has a circumferential outer periphery that defines openings for capturing individual pills from a reservoir of pills as the slat is rotated and the reservoir is agitated. Accordingly, the closed path is arcuate and generally disposed between the pill hopper and a discharge area above a conveyor belt. By the rotary action of the slats, the pills move in a direction normal to the conveyor belt. The pill capturing device then generally discharges the pills by rotating the slats, the movements of which correspond to the closed paths, such that the pills fall out of the openings at filling stations. The pills are often funneled through a chute that empties into a corresponding bottle.
The “count,” or number of pills in the bottle, can be determined by positioning the bottles in the pill dropping zone for a predetermined time. The duration of the filling operation for each bottle corresponds to the number of openings in each slat that the machine is capable of delivering to the bottles per unit of time. The duration of the filling operation, speed of the rotary slats, and configuration of the pill capturing device are used to calculate the count.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,185,901 to Aylward, titled “Positive Count Rotary Slat Packaging Apparatus and Related Methods,” provides an improved machine with independently driven rotary slats. The pills are allowed to fall from a reservoir into an exterior receptacles of the rotary slats, and a separate counting device is associated with each rotary slat for counting each pill as it falls from the slat into the container. A positive count is provided for each container, and improperly filled slats will not affect the total count for that container. That is, if a particular container has a low count, the respective slat can be further rotated to fill the container. Because the slats are independently driven, the other slats can remain stationary to prevent overfilling. Thus, the machine permits an accurate filling of each bottle.
Although the slats can be independently driven to achieve a desired count in each container, it is typically desirable to dispense pills from most or all of the receptacles to minimize the rotation necessary for filling the container and thereby minimize the time required for filling the container. In this regard,
Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved pill handling device that facilitates the capture of pills into receptacles and the dispensing of the pills into containers. The handling device should facilitate the detection and/or inspection of the pills.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides a pill handling apparatus having a plurality of rotary slats, each of which is disposed in fluid communication with a vacuum assembly. The rotary slats each have an outer surface that defines receptacles for receiving pills. The outer surface of each rotary slat may further define an outer contour sloped toward the receptacles thereof to facilitate the entry of pills into the receptacles. Air is drawn into the pill receptacles by the vacuum assembly to urge pills within a reservoir to be received by the receptacles. The rotary slats rotate to transport the pills from the reservoir to containers, which may be disposed at filling stations to receive pills from respective rotary slats. The rotary slats may be independently rotatable so that each container can be accurately filled by a respective rotary slat. The pill handling apparatus may also include a blower assembly configured to expel air from the receptacles to urge pills to be dispensed from the receptacles to the containers. Camera devices may be positioned adjacent respective rotary slats for detecting and/or inspecting pills received by the slats, e.g., before the pills are released to containers. A conveyor may move the containers and position each container adjacent a respective rotary slat for receiving pills therefrom.
A method of handling pills according to the invention includes disposing pills into contact with rotary slats, each of which has an outer surface that defines receptacles for receiving pills, and drawing air into the receptacles such that pills are urged to be received by the receptacles. The method may include rotating the rotary slats independently so that pills are transported to containers and each container can be accurately filled. The method may further include detecting and/or inspecting pills received by rotary slats using a plurality of optical devices respectively disposed adjacent the rotary slats, and expelling air from a receptacle of each rotary slat to urge pills to be dispensed from the receptacles.
Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, wherein:
The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.
The present invention is generally directed to a pill handling apparatus 10, such as an automated packaging machine. For example, the handling apparatus of the present invention can be used for dispensing pills into containers, as is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,185,901 to Aylward, and in U.S. Pat. No. 6,401,429 to Aylward, the entire contents of each of which is incorporated herein by reference. In other embodiments of the present invention, the pill handling apparatus can be used for other handling operations besides pill packaging, such as transporting pills during manufacture or inspection or the like.
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While the receptacles 22 are illustrated to be pocket-like apertures that extend inward from the exterior of the slat 18, the apertures can have other configurations in other embodiments of the present invention. For example, the apertures can be holes, grooves, flat portions on the exterior of the slat 18, or the like. Thus, the receptacles can define positions on the outer surface of the slat 18 where the pills are received, i.e., positioned, and held during transport of the pills to the containers 16, and the receptacles need not define a contour that corresponds to the shape of the pills. Further, the receptacles can be provided with or without the illustrated grooves. That is, the receptacles can be defined on or by the outer surface of the slat, or on or by the surface of an inwardly-extending groove as shown in
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A controller 46 can be provided for controlling the operation of the drive motor(s) 42. The controller 46 can control the drive motors independently of each other such that the rotary slats 18 can be independently rotated at various dissimilar speeds. For example, each slat 18 can be rotated at a fast speed during the initial portion of the pill filling operation until a predetermined number of the pills 12 is delivered to the respective container 16 and subsequently rotated at a slower speed to finish the filling operation and to prevent under-filling or over-filling of the container 16. By rotating the various rotary slats at dissimilar speeds, e.g., rotating one slat at relatively fast speed while another slat is rotated at a relatively slow speed (or stopped), the pills can be dispensed from the different slats at different rates. Additionally, the controller 46 can alternately accelerate and decelerate the rotary slats, individually or in unison, to cause a jerking or vibratory motion in the rotary slats 18 and agitate the pills 12. Such agitation of the pills 12 can be useful in encouraging the pills 12 to become seated in the pill receptacles 22.
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In some embodiments of the present invention, the pills can be released from the receptacles at the release position 23 such that the pills fall therefrom without being positively discharged from the slats 18. Alternatively, as illustrated in
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Each rotary slat is disposed above a respective filling station 60 where a respective container 16 receives pills. As shown in
The number of pills 12 delivered to each container 16 can be determined and used to direct the independent operation of the rotary slats 18. In this regard, a counting device 64 can be associated with each filling station 60 as shown in
The chutes 62 are not necessary in all embodiments of the present invention. For example, in some embodiments, the containers 16 are sufficiently close to the rotary slats 18 such that guiding by a chute is not needed. If each rotary slat has more than one circumferential row or path of receptacles, the chute can direct the pills from all of the rows of a particular slat into a single container. In some embodiments, each chute 62 directs pills 12 from multiple rotary slats 18 into a single container 16 to provide rapid filling.
One exemplary counting device 64 includes an infrared light source and a light receiver positioned substantially opposite the light source across a central passage of the counting device. The light source generates a light beam that is detected by the opposing light receiver. When the light beam is interrupted by a falling pill 12, the light receiver transmits a signal which increases the count in the controller 46. Thus, the number of interruptions corresponds to the number of pills 12 which have been delivered into the container 16.
In some embodiments of the invention, the controller 46 controls the quantity of pills 12 provided in the reservoir 14. For example, a level sensor can detect the quantity of pills 12 in the reservoir 14. The quantity may be determined optically, by weight, or otherwise. The level sensor communicates a corresponding value or signal to the controller 46. When the controller 46 detects that the level of pills 12 in the reservoir 14 is below the desired level, the controller 46 can open a reservoir gate that controls the passage of pills 12 from a bin to the reservoir 14, thereby maintaining a desired number of pills 12 in the reservoir 14. The desired level of pills 12 in the reservoir 14 can be adjusted to optimize the seating of pills 12 in the receptacles 22 of the slats 18 and to prevent wearing or breaking of the pills 12 caused by overfilling of the reservoir 14.
After the containers 16 at the filling stations 60 have been filled, the containers 16 are transported away from the filling stations 60 for further processing or packaging and different, unfilled containers 16 are transported to the filling stations 60. For example, the containers 16 can be supported by a conveyor belt 70 (
In a typical operation of the pill handling apparatus 10, the containers 16 are advanced to respective filling stations 60 and stopped. Once properly positioned at the filling stations, the rotary slats 18 can be rotated in concert to conduct the filling operation as the counts in the containers approach the desired full count. Because the rotary slats 18 are all rotated concurrently, the slats 18 fill the containers 16 at approximately the same rate. At the end of the filling operation, the controller 46 directs the filled containers 16 out of the filling stations 60 and directs other empty containers 16 to the filling stations 60. However, if any one container 16 is determined to be under-filled, that is, if less than the desired number of the pills 12 reaches the container according to the respective counting device 64, then the controller 46 directs the respective rotary slat 18 to deliver more pills to that container. Once all containers are appropriately filled, the controller 46 prompts the conveyor to advance the containers out of the filling stations. Optionally, an alarm 47 in electrical communication with the controller may alert an operator to problems. For example the alarm may sound if an accurate count cannot be automatically achieved in one or more containers, or if an optical inspection device 52 detects faulty pills.
Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which this invention pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.
Claims
1. A pill handling apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of rotary slats that are each rotatable about a first axis, each of said rotary slats having an outer surface defining a plurality of receptacles for receiving pills; and
- a vacuum assembly disposed in fluid communication with each of said rotary slats and configured to draw air into at least a portion of said receptacles to urge pills to be received by said portion of said receptacles.
2. A pill handling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of rotary slats is independently rotatable.
3. A pill handling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said outer surface of each of said plurality of rotary slats defines an outer contour sloped toward said receptacles to facilitate the entry of pills into said receptacles.
4. A pill handling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said outer surface of each of said plurality of rotary slats defines a continuous circumferential groove, with said receptacles defined in said groove.
5. A pill handling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a conveyor configured to move a plurality of open containers along a predetermined path of travel and position each of said containers adjacent a respective rotary slat for receiving pills therefrom.
6. A pill handling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of optical devices, each optical device positioned adjacent a respective rotary slat for detecting pills received by the receptacles of the rotary slat.
7. A pill handling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said vacuum assembly is configured to selectively draw air into said receptacles according to the rotational position of each rotary slat, such that the pills are urged into said receptacles at a first circumferential position and released from said receptacles at a second circumferential position.
8. A pill handling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a blower assembly disposed in fluid communication with each of said rotary slats and configured to expel air from a receptacle of each rotary slat to urge pills to be dispensed from said receptacle.
9. A pill handling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a reservoir configured to hold pills in contact with said outer surfaces of said rotary slats for receipt of the pills by said receptacles.
10. A pill handling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to control the rotation of said rotary slats at dissimilar speeds.
11. A method of handling pills comprising:
- disposing a plurality of pills into contact with a plurality of rotary slats, each rotary slat having an outer surface defining a plurality of receptacles for receiving pills;
- drawing air into at least a portion of the receptacles such that pills are urged to be received by the portion of the receptacles.
12. A method of handling pills according to claim 11, further comprising rotating the rotary slats independently.
13. A method of handling pills according to claim 11, further comprising rotating the rotary slats at dissimilar speeds such that pills are dispensed from two of the slats at different rates.
14. A method of handling pills according to claim 11, further comprising providing each rotary slat with an outer surface defining a plurality of receptacles for receiving pills and defining an outer contour sloped toward the receptacles to facilitate the entry of pills into the receptacles.
15. A method of handling pills according to claim 11, further comprising providing each rotary slat with a continuous circumferential groove, the receptacles being defined in the groove.
16. A method of handling pills according to claim 11, further comprising moving a plurality of open containers on a conveyor along a predetermined path of travel and positioning each of the containers adjacent a respective rotary slat for receiving pills therefrom.
17. A method of handling pills according to claim 11, further comprising inspecting pills received by the rotary slats using a plurality of optical devices respectively disposed adjacent the rotary slats.
18. A method of handling pills according to claim 11, wherein said step of drawing air comprises selectively drawing air into the receptacles according to the rotational position of each rotary slat, such that the pills are urged into the receptacles at a first circumferential position and released from the receptacles at a second circumferential position.
19. A method of handling pills according to claim 11, further comprising expelling air from a receptacle of each rotary slat to urge a pill to be dispensed from the receptacle.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 1, 2006
Publication Date: Dec 20, 2007
Inventor: John Thomas Aylward (New Bern, NC)
Application Number: 11/421,624
International Classification: B65B 3/04 (20060101);