num="0073">As mentioned, the conveying apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure comprises at least one rotating body, it being possible for a plurality of rotating bodies to be provided.

In a preferred embodiment, the conveying apparatus comprises two or more rotating bodies, transfer openings, dispensing openings and guide elements (preferably optionally disk elements and/or locking elements), wherein each rotating body is assigned a transfer opening, a dispensing opening and a guide element. This allows an increased number of containers to be processed by means of the conveying apparatus. For example, the containers can be fed via parallel feed tracks and processed side by side, one above the other, or one below the other. Preferably, the rotating bodies can have the same working cycle and/or be operated synchronously.

It has proven to be advantageous if the rotating bodies can be driven jointly by means of one drive unit. This eliminates the need for separate drive units. For example, a drive unit can drive a gearing mechanism that is operatively connected to two or more rotating bodies.

The conveying apparatus can comprise a stator device from which the transfer openings, dispensing openings and guide elements are formed and which is used together with the two or more rotating bodies. This eliminates the need for separate stator devices, for example.

It is advantageous if the conveying apparatus comprises a plurality of format sets which differ from one another with regard to their container-specific properties, wherein a respective format set comprises at least one of the set of stator device, rotating body, stop element or locking element. The format sets provide a structurally simple option for adapting the conveying apparatus to different containers to be processed. For example, a relatively simple conversion of the conveying apparatus can be carried out by using different format parts for the stator device, the rotating body and the stop element. As a result, the conveying apparatus has high versatility.

For a preferably structurally simple design, it can be favorable if the stator device comprises two stator parts directly or indirectly connected to one another and in particular detachably connected to one another in a position of use and together form the transfer opening, a receiving opening for the at least one rotating body, and the dispensing opening.

The stator parts can, for example, be at least partially plate-shaped and, in the position of use, preferably lie flat against one another via respective contact surfaces. For example, a normal of the contact surfaces is aligned along the feed direction.

It can be favorable if the conveying apparatus comprises a holding device and at least one holding part connected to or formed thereby, wherein the at least one holding part is connected to a first stator part that is positioned at a distance from the holding device, and a second stator part is arranged between the holding device and the first stator part and comprises at least one through-opening through which the at least one holding part extends. This, for example, offers the possibility of fixing the second stator part via the first stator part to at least one holding part and thereby to the holding device.

The holding device can, for example, be connected to a substructure or frame for the conveying apparatus.

The first stator part can be secured, preferably detachably, on at least one holding part. Favorably, corresponding magnetic elements are provided on the first stator part and on the at least one holding part in order, from the perspective of cleaning, to enable pharmaceutically clean and user-friendly handling of the conveying apparatus.

The second stator part is preferably free of a connection to the holding device and is fixed thereto via the first stator part.

At least one holding part can extend through the at least one through-opening in the second stator part, for example with play, and thereby enable a movement of the second stator part relative to the first stator part and/or the holding device in the position of use of the stator parts relative to one another. This can enable, at least in part, a kind of floating mounting for the second stator part. In practice, it has been shown that this promotes operation of the conveying apparatus without jamming. If, for example, the stator parts together form the transfer opening, the dispensing opening and/or the receiving opening for the rotating body, the second stator part can be moved slightly within the existing play in the event of existing or impending jamming, and jamming can be avoided or eliminated.

Two or more holding parts may be provided.

In the preferred implementation of the present disclosure, the holding part can, for example, be pin-shaped and can extend through the through-opening. On the end face, at least one magnetic element can be provided for interaction with a corresponding magnetic element of the first stator part.

The first stator part and the second stator part can, for example, engage with one another, wherein a projection on the first stator part engages in a receptacle of the second stator part, or vice versa. The engagement may have some play. In a corresponding manner, the holding part can extend through the through-opening with play. The holding part can be in one part or several parts.

It is favorable if the stator device and/or the at least one rotating body can be sterilized non-destructibly and/or washed non-destructibly by means of a cleaning liquid, in particular water. As a result, the conveying apparatus has advantageous cleaning characteristics.

With reference to the drawings, an advantageous embodiment of the conveying apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure, denoted as a whole by reference numeral 100, is discussed below. In the present case, the conveying apparatus 100 is used to convey containers 102. In the present exemplary embodiment, the containers 102 are pharmaceutical containers 102, in particular vials 104 which are manufactured, for example, from a plastic material. The vials 104 have a body portion 106 and a neck portion 108.

FIG. 1 shows the conveying apparatus 100 as part of a machine 110 for processing the containers, wherein the machine 110 comprises at least one processing station 112.

In the processing direction, the conveying apparatus 110 is arranged downstream of another conveying apparatus 114 which comprises a so-called conveying pot 116.

On the outlet side, the conveying pot is adjoined by at least one feed track 118. Containers 102 are usually introduced into the conveying pot 116 via bags and transferred from there to the feed track 118. The containers 102 can have two opposite orientations. On the one hand as shown in the drawing, a bottom 120 of the container 102 can be leading. On the other hand, the neck portion 108 of the container 102 can be arranged in a leading manner, which in the present case is shown schematically only in FIG. 11.

As explained in detail below, the conveying apparatus 100 comprises a stator device 122, a rotor device 124 and a holding device 126. The holding device 126 serves, for example, to secure the conveying apparatus 100 on a substructure or frame of the machine 110 and, in particular, to hold the stator device 122 and the rotor device 124.

The rotor device 124 comprises at least one rotating body 128, a drive unit 130 for the rotating body 128 and a stop element 132.

In the present case, the conveying apparatus 100 is advantageously configured with two positions. In this case, the possibility exists to simultaneously process containers 102 which are fed from the conveying pot 116 via two feed tracks 118.

For processing, the conveying apparatus 100 therefore comprises more than one rotating body 128, in particular two rotating bodies 128 for two-position operation.

However, the functioning of the rotating bodies 128 and of the corresponding components of the stator device 122 does not differ from one another so that only the functioning of one rotating body 128 together with the stator device 122 is discussed below. The explanations in this respect apply correspondingly to the other rotating body 128.

The stator device 122 here is designed such that it receives both rotating bodies 128, and separate stator devices 122 do not have to be provided.

In the conveying apparatus 100, it is advantageous that the drive unit 130 is assigned to both rotating bodies 128. Separate drive units 130 for the rotating bodies 128 can thus be avoided.

The drive unit 130 is, for example, electric and comprises a servomotor or stepper motor 134. The motor 134 can be operatively connected to the particular rotating body 128 via a gearing mechanism 136 shown schematically in FIG. 1 in order to drive the particular rotating body 128 to rotate about an axis of rotation 138.

For example, a belt drive 136 is used for this, which can be held directly or indirectly on the holding device 126. Drive elements, which are operatively connected to the rotating bodies 128, can be driven jointly via a belt to drive the rotating bodies 128. It is conceivable that the rotating bodies 128 rotate in the same direction or in opposite directions. Instead of the belt drive 126, a different type of gearing mechanism can also be used.

For example, the drive motor is arranged in a substructure of the machine 110. The gearing mechanism 136 can, for example, be positioned below the feed tracks 118.

As can be seen in particular in FIGS. 2 and 3, the stator device 122 forms an enclosure 140 for the rotating body/bodies 128. It forms a receiving opening 142, the axis of which aligns with the axis of rotation 138. The rotating body 128 is inserted into the receiving opening 142. Here, the rotating body 128 projects beyond the stator device 122 on the rear side facing the gearing mechanism 136. In the opposite direction, the rotating body 128 also projects forward beyond the stator device 122.

At least within the portion arranged in the receiving opening 142, the rotating body 128 is preferably configured as a cylinder 144 whose axis aligns with the axis of rotation 138. The cylinder 144 comprises a lateral surface 146 on the outer circumference and an end face 148 at the front.

Here, the rotating body 128 is dimensioned such that the cylinder 144 is received in a positive-locking manner in the receiving opening 142 but is rotatable about the axis of rotation 138 under the action of the drive unit 130. In this case, the cylinder 144 moves along an inner circumferential surface 150. An arrow 152 indicates the direction of rotation of the rotating body 128. It can be provided that the direction of rotation 152 runs in the opposite direction or is also reversible.

The rotating body 128 has at least one receptacle 154 on the cylinder 144 for a container 102. Here, two receptacles 154 are provided which are diametrically opposite one another with respect to the axis of rotation 138.

The receptacles 154 are formed as groove-shaped recesses 156 open at the front in the direction of the end face 148. An axis 158 of the receptacle 154 is aligned in parallel with the axis of rotation 138. The receptacle 154 is also open on the rear side of the cylinder 144 facing away from the end face 148.

In the direction of the gearing mechanism 136, the cylinder 144 is adjoined by a fastening portion 160 which is coupled to the gearing mechanism 136.

The rotor device 124 furthermore comprises the stop element 132 assigned to a particular rotating body 128. Here, the stop element 132 is a disk element 162, which is secured, preferably detachably, on the end face 148.

In the radial direction in relation to the axis of rotation 138, the disk element 162 projects beyond the cylinder 144. Facing the stator device 122, the disk element 162 has a stop portion 164 radially on the outer side.

As can be seen in particular in FIGS. 4 and 6 to 9, 11 and 12, the stop portion 164 is not flat. Instead, the stop portion 164 has a height profile 166 changing in the axial direction. Due to the height profile 166, the stop portion 164 can retreat relative to the transfer opening 176 when the rotating body 128 rotates.

In the present example, the height profile 166 comprises at least one rising flank 168 and at least one falling flank 170 in the direction of rotation 152. Here, in accordance with the number of receptacles 154, there are two rising flanks 168 and two falling flanks 170, opposite one another in each case.

While the flank 168 rises relatively steeply here, the flank 170 in contrast falls relatively flatly.

Between the flanks 168 and 170 is a transition region 172 of the stop portion 164. At the transition region 172, the disk element 162, for example, aligns with a central portion 174 of the disk element 162 facing the end face 148.

For example, the disk element 162 is arranged on the rotating body 128 such that the receptacle 154 is adjacent in the axial direction to the transition region 172 or the flank 170, in particular near the transition region 172.

The disk element 162 is connected to the rotating body 128 in a rotationally fixed manner. When the rotating body 128 rotates, the stop portion 164 retreats relative to the stator device 122 at the falling flank 170 and at the transition region 172. During further rotation, the stop portion 164 advances through the rising flank 168 in the direction of the stator device 122. It is understood that retreating and advancing results from the height profile 166, whereas the stop element 132 itself maintains its distance relative to the stator device 122.

The stator device 122 comprises a transfer opening 176 assigned to a particular rotating body and furthermore a particular dispensing opening 178. The transfer opening 176 and the dispensing opening 178 are diametrically opposite one another with respect to the axis of rotation 138. Here, the transfer opening 176 is arranged in a height direction above the dispensing opening 178, in particular directly above it in the direction of gravity 180.

Position and orientation details here refer to the intended use of the conveying apparatus 100.

The transfer opening 178 extends as a through-opening through the stator device 122 and, in particular, is open at the front facing the stop portion 164. The feed track 118 is arranged on the opposite side at the rear. The containers 102 can be fed via the feed track 118 in a feed direction 182 parallel to the axis of rotation 138 (FIG. 6).

An axis of the transfer opening 176 is aligned in parallel with the axis of the receptacle 154 and with the axis of rotation 138.

In intended use, it can, in particular, be favorable if the containers 102 are fed “by accumulation,” wherein a leading container 102 is pushed by following containers 102. Accordingly, there is dynamic pressure in the chain of successive containers 102.

In the present case, the transfer opening 176 is favorably dimensioned such that there is room for a first container 102 in the transfer opening 176 and also for a second container 102, up to a portion with the largest diameter (FIG. 6), in order to be able to be fixed with a locking element 184.

At the transfer opening 176, the conveying apparatus 100 comprises the locking element 184. The locking element 184 here is a clamping element 186 which can be brought into contact with the container 102 in order to fix it to an edge of the transfer opening 176 in a clamping manner. For this purpose, a cutout 190 is arranged in the side of the stator device 122, in which cutout the locking element 184 engages (FIG. 2, wherein the locking element 184 is arranged at a distance from the stator device 122 in the exploded view).

The locking element 184 is assigned to a drive unit 192 which is shown schematically in FIG. 1. In the present case, the drive unit 192 comprises a pneumatic drive 193 which acts on a coupling element 194. The coupling element 194 is, for example, a movable plunger or lever on which the locking element 184 is secured.

By means of the drive unit 192, the locking element 184 can be transferred to a release position. In the release position, the container 102 is released and can be pushed further into the transfer opening 176 when said transfer opening lying in front of it is free. From the release position, the locking element 184 can be transferred to a fixing position in which the container 102 is fixed in a clamping manner.

Favorably, the drive units 130 for the rotating body 128 and 192 for the locking element 184 are synchronized with one another. For this purpose, the conveying apparatus 100 may comprise a control device 196.

It can be provided that the two locking elements 184 can be actuated by means of a common drive unit 192 or that separate drive units 192 are provided.

The dispensing opening 178 is arranged on the underside of the stator device 122. A cross-section of the dispensing opening 178 transverse to the transfer direction to the receptacle 154 is smaller than that of the transfer opening 176. If the transfer opening 176 is elongated, the dispensing opening 178 has an approximately rectangular cross-section.

Two support elements 198 are opposite one another with respect to the dispensing opening 178, here in parallel with the feed direction 182 and thus along the axis 158 of the receptacle 154 (see, for example, FIGS. 3 and 11).

At the bottom, the dispensing opening 178 is adjoined by a drop shaft 200 which is initially formed in the stator device 122 itself. The underside of the stator device 122 is adjoined by a support element 202, here in the form of a tube 204, which continues the drop shaft 200. The containers 102 can pass through the dispensing opening 178 into the drop shaft 200 and are fed via said drop shaft to further processing.

As can be seen in particular in FIGS. 3, 8 and 9, the stator device 122 has a guide element 206 for the transported containers 102. The guide element 206 here is configured as a guide track 208 which is arranged along the inner circumferential surface 150 of the receiving opening 142.

The guide track 208 forms a slot 210 and has a depression 212 with a respective edge 214. The edges 214 are opposite one another and limit the depression 212 in the axial direction.

In the region of the depression 212, the radius of the receiving opening 142 is larger than at the edge 214.

The guide track 208 comprises a taper 216 in the direction of the dispensing opening 178. The edge 214 protruding relative to the depression 212 forms the support element 198 in the region of the dispensing opening 178 in each case.

The guide track 208 extends substantially over the entire length from the transfer opening 176 to the dispensing opening 178, in the present example with the exception of a portion 218, adjacent to the transfer opening 176, on the inner circumferential surface 150.

The portion 218 has approximately the extent of the receptacle 154 in the radial direction. For example, the radius of the receiving opening 142 may be larger at the portion 218 than at the depression 212 in order to facilitate the transfer of the container 102 into the receptacle 154 through play.

The taper 216 is, in particular, continuous after the portion 218 up to the dispensing opening 178.

The taper 216 in the direction of the transfer opening 176 can be configured differently and makes the guidance of the container 102 possible. In the present example, the taper 216 occurs along the axis of rotation 138 on both sides, substantially in a V-shape.

Alternatively, it may be provided that only a one-sided taper 216 is provided along the axis of rotation 138, which taper is arranged at the front (facing the stop element 132) or at the rear (facing away from the stop element 132).

The functioning of the conveying apparatus 100 is explained below.

The containers 102 fed by accumulation pass from the conveying pot 116 via the feed track to the transfer opening 176. A leading container 102 (on the right in FIG. 6) can thus pass to the stop portion 164 by being pushed by the following containers 102. In this case, the stop portion 164 covers the transfer opening 176. For example, the container 102 strikes at a transition region between the rising flank 168 and the falling flank 170 or at the falling flank 170, for example near the last-mentioned transition region.

The rotational position of the rotating body 128 is set such that the lateral surface 146 supports the container 102 from below until said container can subsequently pass into the receptacle 154.

As a result of the rotation of the rotating body 128, the stop portion 164 retreats with respect to the transfer opening 176, as explained above, so that the container 102 can be provided with play. In this case, the height profile 166 at the transition region 172 or, near the transition region 172, at the falling flank 170 is arranged at the transfer opening 176. When the receptacle 154 aligns with the transfer opening 176, the container 102 can fall into the receptacle 154 under the influence of gravity and due to the existing play within the transfer opening 176 (FIGS. 7 and 8).

The locking element 184 was preferably previously transferred to the fixing position in order to fix the following container 102 in a clamping manner when the first container 102 strikes the stop portion 164. As a result, the second container 102 no longer acts on the first container 102, and said first container can be provided with play by the rotation of the stop element 132.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show the same point in time, with the rotating body 128 omitted, so that the view of the guide track 208 with the taper 216 is free due to the course of the edges 214.

By subsequent rotation of the rotating body 128, the container 102 is moved in the receptacle 154 along the inner circumferential surface 150. In the process, the container 102 engages in the depression 212 of the guide track 208 and comes into contact with the edge 214.

Via the guide track 208, the container 102 is centered and guided in the direction of the dispensing opening 178. This is shown by way of example in FIG. 9, wherein the container 102 contacts the edge 214 with the bottom 120 and is thereby axially displaced while it is guided in the receptacle 154.

FIG. 9 shows a point in time at which the receptacle 154 is rotated by substantially 90° with respect to the transfer opening 176.

At this point in time, another container 102 has already been fed via the feed track 118. The second container 102 has meanwhile been released via the locking element 184 and can be pushed into the transfer opening 176 under the dynamic pressure of the following containers 102.

With further rotation of the rotating body 128, the container 102 is guided further in the direction of the dispensing opening 178. At the point in time shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the rotating body 128 has completed a 180° rotation since receiving the first container 102. The first container 102 passes to the dispensing opening 178. The neck portion 108 can contact one of the support elements 198. As a result, a tilting moment acts on the container 102, which can tilt downward with the body portion 106. The tilted container 102 falls with the body portion 106 leading under the influence of gravity into the drop shaft 200 (FIG. 12).

FIG. 11 also shows how the second container 102 has passed from the transfer opening 176 into the receptacle 154 under the influence of gravity in a manner corresponding to FIG. 7. Previously, the third container 102 was fixed in a clamping manner to the edge of the transfer opening 176 by means of the locking element 184.

In deviation from the representation in accordance with FIGS. 7 and 8, the second container 102 is axially displaced in the receptacle 154 in comparison to the first container 102 in FIGS. 7 and 8. Here, this is due to the fact that the particular container 102 is arranged with play in the transfer opening 176 so that, depending on the load, a different axial position can result during the fall into the receptacle 154.

It has proven to be advantageous that the guide track 208 can be used to center the containers 102 relative to the dispensing opening 178. This centering is independent of which orientation of the containers 102 assume. The case in which the container 102 is transported with the bottom 120 leading and the neck portion 108 contacts the support element 198 on the side facing away from the stop element 132 (FIG. 11, on the left) has been considered so far.

Even given a different orientation of the container 102, the neck portion 108 can contact a support element 198, which in this case is the support element 198 facing the stop element 132 (FIG. 11, on the right, with a thinner contour 220 of the container 102).

Thus, regardless of the orientation of the containers 102, it is possible via the conveying apparatus 100 to decouple them in the correct target position via the drop shaft 200, namely in an upright orientation.

In particular, the design of the stator device 122 is discussed below.

As can be seen in particular in FIGS. 2, 3 and 13, the stator device 122 comprises a first stator part 222 and a second stator part 224. The stator parts 222, 224 are each substantially plate-shaped and can rest flat against one another via mutually facing contact surfaces 226 in order to form the enclosure 140.

Half of the receiving opening 142 and the openings 176, 178 are in each case formed by the stator parts 222, 224. The same applies to the drop shafts 200 (FIGS. 2 and 3).

In the present case, the stator part 222 is held on the holding device 126. As can be seen, for example with reference to FIGS. 2 and 13, the conveying apparatus 100 here comprises two holding parts 228 connected to the holding device 126.

In the present example, the particular holding part