The present disclosure is directed to capsules, for example, softgel capsules for oral administration that have on their surface laser etching that penetrates at least partially into the surface of the capsule, reduces the structural integrity of the capsule while preventing exposure of the interior contents to the outside environment, and increases the rate of release of active ingredients contained within.
Methods and apparatuses for identifying and averting exposed pellet-shaped article defects, deviations, and inclusions are disclosed. A vision system may be capable of identifying flaws/inclusions/defects/deviations affecting the exterior and/or interior of pellet-shaped articles via Ultra-Violet Light to instigate long-wave visible and Infra-red fluorescence. The UV Light and section of the visible spectrum not encompassing the instigated fluorescence may be removed with an optical filter so a camera can capture an image of discrete flaws/inclusions/defects/deviations. The vision system may send decision- signals to a mechanism to manipulate individual pellet- shaped articles. For example, a seam between halves of softgels may be rotated by an actuator having contact point(s) to hold a portion of the softgel stationary while a conveyer moves beneath causing rotation of the seam. This process may be performed prior to laser etching, printing, and/or drilling of pellet- shaped articles to reduce the number of pellet- shaped articles marked/printed/drilled on undesired surfaces.
An apparatus that conveys pellet-shaped articles may include a hopper that receives a quantity of the pellet-shaped articles. The hopper may include one or more openings to direct a flow of air into the hopper to dislodge jamming or bridging of pellet-shaped articles within the hopper.
A carrier link to convey at least one pellet-shaped article along a predetermined conveyer path in a direction of travel includes at least one pocket adapted to receive a pellet- shaped article and a lead-in surface provided to an upper exterior surface of the carrier link and extending into leading edges of the pocket. Each pocket includes a longitudinal axis that is transverse to a direction of travel of the carrier link. The lead-in surface provides a ramped or declined surface into the pocket to facilitate entry of the pellet-shaped article into the pocket. The lead-in surface is ramped or declined towards a side of the carrier link to facilitate rotating, guiding, and/or orienting of the pellet-shaped article into the pocket.
B41F 17/36 - Printing apparatus or machines of special types or for particular purposes, not otherwise provided for for printing on tablets, pills, or like small articles
B65B 35/56 - Orientating, i.e. changing the attitude of, articles, e.g. of non-uniform cross-section
B65B 35/58 - Turning articles by positively-acting means, e.g. to present labelled portions in uppermost position
An inspection system is configured for use with a conveyer apparatus including carrier bars. Each carrier bar conveys pellet-shaped articles along a predetermined path. The inspection system includes at least one camera unit for sensing a predetermined characteristic of the pellet-shaped articles, a removal unit, and a controller. The removal unit, downstream from the at least one camera unit, removes selected pellet-shaped article(s) from the carrier bar(s) depending on whether the characteristic is sensed by the at least one camera unit. The controller is in communication with the at least one camera unit and the removal unit. The controller provides a signal to the removal unit in accordance with the sensed characteristic. The removal unit includes a rotatable ejection drum having extended vacuum nozzles along its length, equal to the number of articles conveyed in each earner bar. Each vacuum nozzle selectively removes article(s) from the earner bar(s) by suction.
A conveyer apparatus for transporting and processing pellet-shaped articles includes a conveyer and a discharge device. The conveyer includes a plurality of carrier bars to convey a plurality of articles along a predetermined conveyer path. Each carrier bar has a pocket half that cooperates with a pocket half of an adjacent carrier bar to form an article receiving pocket to receive and transport an article along the predetermined conveyer path. The discharge device is positioned with respect to the carrier bars to dislodge articles from the carrier bars.
B65G 47/00 - Article or material-handling devices associated with conveyorsMethods employing such devices
B41F 17/36 - Printing apparatus or machines of special types or for particular purposes, not otherwise provided for for printing on tablets, pills, or like small articles
A conveyer apparatus for transporting and processing tablets includes a conveyer and an ejection system. Each of the tablets includes a first side, a second side opposite the first side, and a belly band that interconnects the first and second sides. The conveyer includes a plurality of carrier links to convey a plurality of tablets along a predetermined conveyer path. Each carrier link has a pocket to receive and transport a tablet in a vertical orientation along the predetermined conveyer path. The ejection system is structured to selectively accept or eject a tablet from the carrier link in response to a signal provided by a sensor positioned upstream of the ejection system. The ejection system includes at least one ejection finger movable between a non-ejection position in which the ejection finger is positioned out of the conveyer path of the carrier link and an ejection position in which the ejection finger is positioned with respect to the carrier link to contact and eject the tablet from the carrier link. At least a portion of the ejection finger defines a width that is smaller than a tablet width of the tablet and larger than a link width of the carrier link.
A method and- apparatus for processing and inspecting pellet-shaped articles, comprises structure for of the step of conveying the plurality of pellet-shaped articles along a transport path. Each of the pellet-shaped articles includes a first side and a second side. The conveyer (15) has a plurality of article receiving recesses (125) configured to convey the pellet shaped articles such that either the first side or the second side of the pellet-shaped articles is randomly exposed in the recesses. A first process (laser etching, printing and/or drilling) is performed only on the pellet-shaped articles having the first side exposed. The pellet-shaped articles are manipulated such that the exposed side of all of the pellet-shaped articles is reversed. A second process is performed only on the pellet-shaped articles with the, second side exposed.
B65G 17/30 - Conveyors having an endless traction element, e.g. a chain, transmitting movement to a continuous or substantially-continuous load-carrying surface or to a series of individual load-carriersEndless-chain conveyors in which the chains form the load-carrying surface DetailsAuxiliary devices
B65G 47/14 - Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles from disorderly-arranged article piles or from loose assemblages of articles arranging or orientating the articles by mechanical or pneumatic means during feeding
9.
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING AND/OR INSPECTING PELLET-SHAPED ARTICLES
An apparatus and method for processing pellet-shaped articles, each having a first side and a second side, each of the first and the second side having different near-infrared signatures. The apparatus comprises: a hopper; a conveyer; a first inspection unit configured to detect the near-infrared signature of the first side and the second side of each of the pellet-shaped articles while articles are conveyed past the first inspection unit; a first laser unit downstream of the first inspection unit configured to drill a hole into each of the pellet-shaped articles while the pellet-shaped articles are conveyed past the first laser unit; and a controller configured to: determine an orientation of the first side and the second side of each pellet-shaped article on the conveyer based on the near-infrared signature(s) detected by the first inspection unit; and instiuct the first laser unit to drill the hole into the first side of the pellet-shaped articles if the controller determines that the first side is oriented towards the first laser unit.
B41F 17/36 - Printing apparatus or machines of special types or for particular purposes, not otherwise provided for for printing on tablets, pills, or like small articles
B41J 2/455 - Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by selective application of radiation to a printing material or impression-transfer material using arrays of radiation sources using laser arrays
B65G 17/30 - Conveyors having an endless traction element, e.g. a chain, transmitting movement to a continuous or substantially-continuous load-carrying surface or to a series of individual load-carriersEndless-chain conveyors in which the chains form the load-carrying surface DetailsAuxiliary devices
B65G 47/14 - Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles from disorderly-arranged article piles or from loose assemblages of articles arranging or orientating the articles by mechanical or pneumatic means during feeding
10.
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING AND/OR INSPECTING PELLET-SHAPED ARTICLES
An apparatus and method for processing pellet-shaped articles, each having a first side and a second side, each of the first and the second side having different near-infrared signatures. The apparatus comprises: a hopper; a conveyer; a first inspection unit configured to detect the near-infrared signature of the first side and the second side of each of the pellet-shaped articles while articles are conveyed past the first inspection unit; a first laser unit downstream of the first inspection unit configured to drill a hole into each of the pellet-shaped articles while the pellet-shaped articles are conveyed past the first laser unit; and a controller configured to: determine an orientation of the first side and the second side of each pellet-shaped article on the conveyer based on the near-infrared signature(s) detected by the first inspection unit; and instruct the first laser unit to drill the hole into the first side of the pellet-shaped articles if the controller determines that the first side is oriented towards the first laser unit.
B41F 17/36 - Printing apparatus or machines of special types or for particular purposes, not otherwise provided for for printing on tablets, pills, or like small articles
B41J 2/44 - Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by selective application of radiation to a printing material or impression-transfer material using single radiation source, e.g. lighting beams or shutter arrangements
11.
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING AND/OR INSPECTING PELLET-SHAPED ARTICLES
A method and- apparatus for processing and inspecting pellet-shaped articles, comprises structure for of the step of conveying the plurality of pellet-shaped articles along a transport path. Each of the pellet-shaped articles includes a first side and a second side. The conveyer (15) has a plurality of article receiving recesses (125) configured to convey the pellet shaped articles such that either the first side or the second side of the pellet-shaped articles is randomly exposed in the recesses. A first process (laser etching, printing and/or drilling) is performed only on the pellet-shaped articles having the first side exposed. The pellet-shaped articles are manipulated such that the exposed side of all of the pellet-shaped articles is reversed. A second process is performed only on the pellet-shaped articles with the, second side exposed.
B41F 17/36 - Printing apparatus or machines of special types or for particular purposes, not otherwise provided for for printing on tablets, pills, or like small articles
12.
LASER UNIT, INSPECTION UNIT, METHOD FOR INSPECTING PELLET-SHAPED ARTICLES AND PHARMACEUTICAL ARTICLE
A pellet-shaped article inspection unit (10) is structured for use with a conveyer mechanism (12) having a plurality of carrier bars (24), each carrier bar (24) being structured to convey a plurality of pellet-shaped articles along a predetermined path. The article inspection unit (10) includes a first camera unit (48) positioned adjacent a first side of the conveyer mechanism (12). The first camera unit (48) is configured to sense a first predetermined characteristic, e.g., laser holes, of the plurality of pellet-shaped articles. A removal mechanism (46), downstream from the first camera unit (48), is structured to remove or maintain at least a selected one of the plurality of pellet-shaped articles from at least a selected one of the plurality of carrier bars (24) depending on whether the first predetermined characteristic is sensed by the first camera unit (48). A laser unit may be provided to create unique holes in the pellet-shaped articles, e.g., those by a larger exposed surface to improve time-release characteristics of the pellet-shaped articles.
patents
