HK1096926B - Method and device for the production of filled and sealed containers - Google Patents

Description

Method and device for producing closed containers for articles

Technical Field

The invention relates to a method for producing a closed container for articles and to a device for carrying out said method.

Background

A method of the type mentioned at the outset makes it possible to produce, fill and close containers economically and also under sterile conditions. It is used in a wide range of fields. However, in all cases where the filled product is sensitive to oxygen, it is not necessary to repackage the container, nor to use a glass container. Both of these options significantly increase manufacturing costs.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the invention is therefore to create a method of the type mentioned at the outset which can be used even if the filling material is sensitive to oxygen. The process of the invention, which has the following characteristics, achieves this object.

The method according to the invention for producing a closed container filled with articles comprises the following steps:

a) extruding a plastic hose through an extrusion head, wherein the plastic hose having at least three layers, at least one of said layers being oxygen impermeable and at least one of said layers being water vapor impermeable, is formed by at least first, second and third extruders, the extrusion head having opposing first and second sides;

b) positioning a first die and a second die alternately under the extrusion head and under the blow and fill apparatus on respective sides of the extrusion head, the plastic hose being extruded into one of said dies when said die is positioned under the extrusion head, while the plastic hose previously extruded into the other die is shaped into a container with a filling opening, wherein air is blown into that plastic hose on the respective side of the extrusion head;

c) the formed container is filled with a filling product through the filling opening and the container filled with the filling product is then welded to close the filling opening of the container.

That is, if the extruded tube consists of at least one layer which is impermeable to oxygen, it is not necessary to produce an oxygen barrier by means of additional repackaging or to use glass containers, even if the filling product is sensitive to oxygen. If this layer is able to meet the other requirements placed on the container wall, it is not necessary to provide a co-extrusion of at least two layers. In many cases, however, it is expedient to form the hose by coextrusion of two or more layers so that they can be composed of materials having different properties in order to meet the requirements set and/or for economic reasons.

Since the machines known for producing filled and closed containers can only extrude hoses consisting of a single layer, it is also an object of the invention to create a device which allows coextrusion in an economical manner. This object is achieved with the device according to the invention which is characterized in the following.

The device according to the invention for producing a closed container filled with articles comprises:

an extrusion head having opposing first and second sides;

first, second and third extruders connected to the extrusion head for co-extruding a plurality of layers to form a plastic hose, at least one of said layers being impermeable to oxygen and at least one other of said layers being impermeable to water vapor;

the first and second bases, the said extrusion head and extruder are installed on first base; and

first and second forming, filling and closing means mounted on the second frame for movement alternately to a position below the extrusion head for receiving the plastic hose and to a lateral position on the respective side of the extrusion head such that when one of said forming, filling and closing means is positioned below said extrusion head it receives the plastic hose while the other of said forming, filling and closing means forms, fills and closes the container at the respective lateral position.

The extrusion head and the associated extruder and the forming, filling and closing device are arranged on separate stands, which on the one hand makes it possible to install a greater number of components without problems. On the other hand, different extrusion units can thus be combined with different shaping, filling and closing devices, so that different requirements can be adapted without difficulty.

Secondly, it is advantageous in the sense of the highest possible flexibility that the switchgear cabinet required for energy supply and control is likewise designed as a separate unit, so that it can be installed in a particularly advantageous location with respect to the space available.

Drawings

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention, which is shown in the drawing. The attached drawings show that:

figure 1 is a side view of an embodiment of the device of the invention,

figure 2 is a front view of an embodiment of the device of the invention,

fig. 3 is a top view of an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention.

Detailed Description

The device for producing articles-containing closed containers, for example ampoules filled with pharmaceutical preparations, has a first machine base 1 which supports an extruder 2, as shown in fig. 3, which may be of different sizes. In this example a larger extruder is installed between two smaller extruders. The extruders 2 are located at the level of an extrusion head 3 which has an outlet for a hose on its bottom surface. Secondly, the extrusion head 3 is designed in such a way that three layers which together form a hose can be coextruded. The extrusion head 3 is fixedly connected to the machine tool 1 by means of the extruder 2.

On its side, the extruder 2 of the machine base 1 protrudes, a second machine base 4 is connected, which supports two forming, filling and closing devices, which are of identical design, side by side at a distance. Each of these two devices has a vertically split blow mould which can be fixed below the extrusion head 3.

After the hose extruded from the extrusion head 3 has reached such a length that its lower end extends all the way to the lower end of the blow mould, the blow mould is closed. Instead of blowing the ampoule or ampoules, filling and then closing at this position of the blow mould, as is usual in known devices, in the present embodiment the hose is cut off above the blow mould and the blow mould is arranged in its starting position below the associated blowing and filling device 5. As shown in fig. 2 and 3, two blow-moulding and filling devices 5 are located beside the extrusion head 3 on one side or the other. The other blow mould is now simultaneously moved into a position below the extrusion head 3 in order to be able to receive the extruded hose there and to press air for the blow moulding process into the hose located in the other blow mould. The filling material is then inserted through the still open head of the ampoule or ampoules. Only after the filling has ended does the part of the blow mould forming the head engage and finally form and close the head of the ampoule or ampoules. In a corresponding manner, after the other blow mold has been moved back into its starting position, one or more ampoules are blown out from the hose located inside it, and then filled and closed.

The contents of the ampoule are both moisture and oxygen resistant, as one of the layers making up the ampoule wall prevents the penetration of oxygen, while the other two layers constitute a water vapour barrier. The ampoule need not be provided with a repackage that constitutes a barrier after it has been ejected and the excess plastic removed. Two delivery devices for outputting finished ampoules are schematically shown in fig. 3 and indicated at 6.

The energy supply of all units takes place via a switch cabinet 7, which also includes the entire control device. The switch cabinet 7 is a separate component that can be installed in the most suitable place. In this embodiment, the switch cabinet 7 is placed beside the first housing 1 next to the back of the second housing 4.

All features mentioned in the above description and which can be seen only in the attached drawings are part of the invention as further variants, even if not specifically mentioned and in particular not mentioned in the claims.

Claims (6)

1. A method for manufacturing a closed container filled with articles, comprising the steps of:

a) extruding a plastic hose through an extrusion head, wherein the plastic hose having at least three layers, at least one of said layers being oxygen impermeable and at least one of said layers being water vapor impermeable, is formed by at least first, second and third extruders, the extrusion head having opposing first and second sides;

b) positioning a first die and a second die alternately under the extrusion head and under the blow and fill apparatus on respective sides of the extrusion head, the plastic hose being extruded into one of said dies when said die is positioned under the extrusion head, while the plastic hose previously extruded into the other die is shaped into a container with a filling opening, wherein air is blown into that plastic hose on the respective side of the extrusion head;

c) the formed container is filled with a filling product through the filling opening and the container filled with the filling product is then welded to close the filling opening of the container.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein: to form the layers of the plastic hose, the layers are coextruded.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein: to form the plastic hose, more than three layers are coextruded.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein: to form the plastic hose, six layers were coextruded.

5. Apparatus for manufacturing a closed container containing articles, comprising:

an extrusion head having opposing first and second sides;

first, second and third extruders connected to the extrusion head for co-extruding a plurality of layers to form a plastic hose, at least one of said layers being impermeable to oxygen and at least one other of said layers being impermeable to water vapor;

the first and second bases, the said extrusion head and extruder are installed on first base; and

first and second forming, filling and closing means mounted on the second frame for movement alternately to a position below the extrusion head for receiving the plastic hose and to a lateral position on the respective side of the extrusion head such that when one of said forming, filling and closing means is positioned below said extrusion head it receives the plastic hose while the other of said forming, filling and closing means forms, fills and closes the container at the respective lateral position.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein there is a switch cabinet comprising control means connected to said extruder and forming, filling and closing means.