Device for Conveying Tablets

Abstract

A device for conveying tablets has a lower part, an upper part with at least one guide channel for holding and conveying the tablets, and several elastic elements, arranged a certain distance apart, on each of which at least one piezoelectric vibratory element is mounted, wherein the elastic elements are arranged between the upper part and the lower part and connect the two parts together. In addition, the device has at least one control unit for exciting the piezoelectric vibratory elements and thus the elastic elements and a sorting device installed in the area of the guide channel to separate the good tablets from the bad.

1 . A conveying system for tablets comprising:
 two devices for conveying tablets, each having a lower part, an upper part with at least one guide channel for holding and conveying the tablets, and several elastic elements, arranged a certain distance apart from each other, to each of which at least one piezoelectric vibratory element is attached, wherein the elastic elements are arranged between the upper part and the lower part and connect them together, wherein the two devices are arranged in a cascade, so that the guide channel of the device coming first in the direction in which the tablets are conveyed is higher than the guide channel of the second device;   at least one control unit for exciting the piezoelectric vibratory elements and thus the elastic elements;   an inspection device located above each guide channel of the second device to check the quality of the tablets being conveyed in the guide channel; and   a sorting device, located in the area of each guide channel, to separate the good tablets from the bad,   
     wherein the second device conveys the tablets at a higher speed than the first device, and the speed at which the tablets are conveyed can be controlled to single out the tablets from each other for the quality control operation performed by the inspection device. 
   
   
       2 . The conveying system for tablets according to  claim 1  wherein the second device has a greater angle to the horizontal than the first device. 
   
   
       3 . The conveying system for tablets according to  claim 1  wherein the elastic elements of the second device are excited at a higher frequency than the elastic elements of the first device. 
   
   
       4 . The conveying system for tablets according to  claim 1  wherein each upper part comprises a plurality of guide channels arranged parallel to each other. 
   
   
       5 . The conveying system for tablets according to  claim 1  wherein each guide channel of the second device has a pass-through opening for tablets, which is arranged near one of the longitudinal walls of the guide channel. 
   
   
       6 . The conveying system for tablets according to  claim 1  wherein each guide channel of the second device has an angled section or recess extending in the longitudinal direction leading to the pass-through opening. 
   
   
       7 . The conveying system for tablets according to  claim 1  wherein the inspection device for checking the quality of the tablets being conveyed in the guide channel is designed as a NIR measuring device, as a capacitive probe, as a laser, or as a camera. 
   
   
       8 . The conveying system for tablets according to  claim 1  wherein the elastic elements are held in place by clamping blocks, each of which is attached to the upper part or to the lower part. 
   
   
       9 . The conveying system for tablets according to  claim 1  wherein each elastic element is designed as a support plate, which is mounted transversely to the direction in which the tablets are conveyed and is connected by screws to the clamping blocks, wherein two piezoceramic plates serving as piezoelectric vibratory elements are mounted on each support plate a certain distance apart. 
   
   
       10 . The conveying system for tablets according to  claim 1  wherein each guide channel has sections arranged in the form of a cascade extending in the direction in which the tablets are conveyed. 
   
   
       11 . The conveying system for tablets according to  claim 1  wherein the angle of each guide channel to the horizontal is in the range of 0-10° , and preferably in the range of 5-7°, and the angle of the elastic elements to the bottom part is in the range of 83-89°, and preferably in the range of 86-87°. 
   
   
       12 . The conveying system for tablets according to  claim 1  wherein the sorting device comprises an electromagnetically actuated finger, which can be moved transversely to the direction in which the tablets are conveyed. 
   
   
       13 . The conveying system for tablets according to  claim 1  wherein the sorting device comprises a device for delivering a blast of air.