Material supply for a tablet pressing machine, a tablet pressing machine and a cleaning method for a tablet pressing machine

Abstract

The present invention relates to a material supply for a tablet pressing machine with a rotor, which comprises a matrix disc. The matrix disc includes a plurality of arranged matrices. The material supply is provided to supply material which is to be tabletted to the matrices formed in the matrix disc. A further subject of the invention is a tablet pressing machine which comprises a material supply according to the invention, and also a method for cleaning such a tablet pressing machine.

1 . A material supply for a tablet pressing machine including a rotor, the rotor having a matrix disc including an arranged plurality of matrices, wherein the material supply supplies material to be tabletted to the matrices formed in the matrix disc, wherein the material supply comprises a carrier part and a supply part, and wherein:
 a. the position of the carrier part relative to the matrix disc of the rotor is able to be fixed mechanically; and   b. the supply part is mounted on the carrier part by means of at least one variable mounting part, wherein the variable mounting part is arranged to set a variable distance of the supply part to the matrix disc of the rotor.   
     
     
         2 . A tablet pressing machine with a rotor comprising a matrix disc having a plurality of arranged matrices and the material supply of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         3 . The tablet pressing machine of  claim 2 , wherein the variable mounting part is arranged to tilt the supply part with respect to the carrier part. 
     
     
         4 . The tablet pressing machine of  claim 2 , wherein the mounting part is arranged to set the distance of the supply part to the rotor automatically to a preset value. 
     
     
         5 . The tablet pressing machine of  claim 2 , further comprising a sealed housing in which at least the matrix disc, the supply part of the material supply and a spraying device for a cleaning fluid are arranged. 
     
     
         6 . The tablet pressing machine of  claim 2 , wherein at least three variable mounting parts are provided which span one plane. 
     
     
         7 . The tablet pressing machine of  claim 2 , wherein the variable mounting part comprises a pneumatically actuated lifting cylinder. 
     
     
         8 . The tablet pressing machine of  claim 2 , wherein the variable mounting part comprises a pressure spring. 
     
     
         9 . The tablet pressing machine of  claim 2 , wherein the pressure spring is a corrugated disc. 
     
     
         10 . The tablet pressing machine of  claim 7 , wherein the variable mounting part comprises a pressure spring and the pressure spring counteracts the pneumatically actuated movement of the lifting cylinder. 
     
     
         11 . The tablet pressing machine of  claim 2 , further comprising an adjustment device to allow the position of the carrier part to be set in at least the vertical direction. 
     
     
         12 . The tablet pressing machine of  claim 10 , wherein the adjustment device is constructed as a micrometre screw. 
     
     
         13 . The tablet pressing machine of  claim 2 , further comprising a fixing unit for mechanically fixing the supply part on the carrier part. 
     
     
         14 . The tablet pressing machine of  claim 2 , wherein the supply part includes a supply opening for the material to be tabletted, and further comprising a seal at least partially embracing the supply opening, the seal being arranged between the supply part and the matrix disc. 
     
     
         15 . The tablet pressing machine of  claim 13 , wherein the seal is constructed so as to be able to be acted upon with a defined pre-stressing force against the surface of the matrix disc. 
     
     
         16 . The tablet pressing machine of  claim 14 , wherein the seal comprises a metallic or a polymeric material. 
     
     
         17 . The tablet pressing machine of  claim 15 , wherein the pre-stressing force is produced by means of elastic deformation of the seal. 
     
     
         18 . The tablet pressing machine of  claim 15 , wherein the pre-stressing force is produced by means of a separately constructed spring element. 
     
     
         19 . A method for cleaning a tablet pressing machine including a rotor, the rotor having a matrix disc in which a plurality of matrices is arranged, wherein at least the matrix disc of the rotor, the supply part of the material supply and a spraying device for a cleaning fluid is arranged in a closed housing, the method comprising the steps of:
 a. providing a material supply to supply material which is to be tabletted to the matrices which are formed in the matrix disc, the material supply comprising a carrier part and a supply part, in which:
 i. the position of the carrier part relative to the matrix disc of the rotor is able to be fixed mechanically, and 
 ii. the supply part is mounted on the carrier part by means of at least one variable mounting part; 
   b. increasing the distance of the supply part to the matrix disc of the rotor by means of the variable mounting part; and   c. spraying a cleaning fluid in the closed housing by means of the spraying device.