US-12617571-B2 - Fixing apparatus for a container, and system for processing containers

US12617571B2US 12617571 B2US12617571 B2US 12617571B2US-12617571-B2

Abstract

A fixing apparatus for temporarily fixing a container to a weighing apparatus includes a holding device and a support device. The holding device has a container receptacle and a contact body. The container is insertable into and removeable from the container receptacle. At least one holding element holds the container in the container receptacle. The support device has a support body and a connection body connected to the support body, for connecting to the weighing apparatus. The holding device rests on the support body via the contact body. The contact body is movable relative to the support body based on a force acting on the holding device, in particular on the at least one holding element, when the container is inserted into the container receptacle and/or when the container is removed from the container receptacle. A system for processing containers, in particular pharmaceutical containers, can include the fixing apparatus.

Inventors

Andreas Boehmike
Steffen Heier
Klaus Kaiser
Daniel Spieler
Sebastian Faerber
Manuel Wallisch

Assignees

BAUSCH + STROEBEL SE + CO. KG

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20240723
Priority Date: 20220128

Claims (20)

1 . A system for processing pharmaceutical containers, the system comprising: a weighing apparatus; a fixing apparatus for temporarily fixing a pharmaceutical container to the weighing apparatus, the fixing apparatus comprising: a holding device and a support device; the holding device comprising: a contact body, a container receptacle into which the pharmaceutical container is insertable along an insertion direction, and out of which the pharmaceutical container is removeable, at least one holding element for holding the pharmaceutical container in the container receptacle; and the support device comprising: a support body, and a connection body connected to the support body for connecting to the weighing apparatus, wherein the holding device rests on top of the support body via the contact body, wherein the contact body is movable relative to the support body based on a force acting on the holding device when the pharmaceutical container is inserted into the container receptacle and/or when the pharmaceutical container is removed from the container receptacle, and wherein one of the support body and the contact body comprises an arcuate contour comprising two arcuate projections arranged at a distance from one another along the insertion direction and a trough therebetween, and the other of the support body and the contact body comprises two receptacles arranged at a distance from one another along the insertion direction and configured to receive the two arcuate projections.
2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the holding device and the support device or the contact body and the support body, rest on one another and/or do not have a fixed mechanical connection to one another.
3 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the holding device rests on the support device solely via the contact body and the support body.
4 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the holding device is configured to be: placed on the support device in a direction of gravity; and lifted from the support device against the direction of gravity and thereby detached from the support device.
5 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the pharmaceutical container is configured to be inserted into the container receptacle in the insertion direction and/or is configured to be removed from the container receptacle in a removal direction.
6 . The system according to claim 5 , wherein the insertion direction and/or the removal direction is aligned transversely or perpendicularly to a direction of extension of the pharmaceutical container.
7 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the holding device is tiltable relative to the support device when the pharmaceutical container is inserted into the container receptacle and/or when the pharmaceutical container is removed from the container receptacle.
8 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the holding device is displaceable relative to the support device.
9 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a stationary stop part with at least one first stop element, wherein the holding device comprises at least one corresponding second stop element for interacting with the at least one first stop element, wherein a range of movement of the holding device relative to the support device is limited in at least one direction via the at least one first stop element and the at least one corresponding second stop element.
10 . The system according to claim 9 , wherein: the at least one first stop element and the at least one corresponding second stop element are arranged on a side of the holding device facing away from the container receptacle; and/or two stop elements of the at least one first stop element and the at least one corresponding second stop element are arranged at a distance from one another; and/or a movement range of a tilting movement of the holding device relative to the support device in at least one tilting direction is limited via said two stop elements.
11 . The system according to claim 9 , wherein: the at least one first stop element comprises a peg-shaped projection and the at least one corresponding second stop element comprises an engagement opening in which the peg-shaped projection engages with play, or the at least one corresponding second stop element comprises a peg-shaped projection and the at least one first stop element comprises an engagement opening in which the peg-shaped projection engages with play.
12 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the support body and the contact body comprise corresponding alignment elements that interact to define a target position of the contact body and of the support body.
13 . The system according to claim 12 , wherein: the corresponding alignment elements comprise the two arcuate projections and the two receptacles.
14 . The system according to claim 13 , wherein: the two arcuate projections are each arcuate in cross section; and/or the two arcuate projections are each arcuate in cross section at least in portions with a circular arc shape or a sinusoidal shape; and/or the two receptacles are V-shaped, trapezoidal, or arcuate in cross section.
15 . The system according to claim 13 , wherein the two arcuate projections rest on edges of the two receptacles along two contact lines when the contact body and the support body are in the target position.
16 . The system according to claim 12 , wherein the corresponding alignment elements extend longitudinally along an extension direction and have a constant cross section.
17 . The system according to claim 12 , wherein: the support body or the contact body is wave-shaped along a distance direction, with two wave peaks running transversely or perpendicularly to the distance direction and a wave trough between the two wave peaks; and/or the contact body or the support body has two grooves arranged at a distance from one another along the distance direction and running transversely or perpendicularly to the distance direction.
18 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the fixing apparatus comprises coupling elements interacting on the holding device and on the support device, such that a coupling force acts between the coupling elements.
19 . The system according to claim 18 , wherein the coupling elements are configured as or formed by magnetic elements that create a magnetic force, the holding device being moveable relative to the support device and/or removeable from the support device against the magnetic force.
20 . The system according to claim 18 , wherein the coupling elements comprise at least one coupling element on the contact body and at least one coupling element on the support body.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/EP2023/051824, filed on Jan. 25, 2023, and claims priority to German Application No. 10 2022 102 004.5, filed on Jan. 28, 2022. The contents of International Application No. PCT/EP2023/051824 and German Application No. 10 2022 102 004.5 are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. FIELD The present disclosure relates to a fixing apparatus for temporarily fixing an in particular pharmaceutical container to a weighing apparatus of a system for processing containers, in particular pharmaceutical containers. The present disclosure also relates to a system for processing containers. BACKGROUND In such a system, the containers, for example syringes, carpules, ampules, and/or vials, typically run through different types of processing apparatuses, which can also be referred to as processing stations, from an inlet to an outlet. For example, the containers supplied via the inlet are first weighed, then filled with a product, weighed again, sealed, and coupled out via the outlet. It is conceivable here that the processing apparatuses be combined spatially and functionally. For example, only one weighing apparatus is used, on which the containers are first weighed empty (tare weighing), filled, and then weighed when full (gross weighing). The containers can in particular be pharmaceutical containers, such as syringes, carpules, ampules, and/or vials. In the present case, “containers” can also comprise other types of packaging means, such as cosmetic containers. The product can be a pharmaceutical substance. For transporting the containers, the system typically comprises a transport apparatus. In a synchronized transport apparatus, for example, the containers are processed in a plurality, in groups or individually. For this purpose, the containers must be temporarily placed or fixed on a processing apparatus, preferably in a defined position. In the case of a weighing apparatus of the system, it must be ensured in particular that the containers assume a defined target position and are preferably not moved in this position during the weighing process. With regard to a possible overloading and/or with regard to a short settling time of the weighing cell, it is advantageous if forces acting on the weighing cell can be kept as low as possible when the container is placed onto the fixing apparatus on the weighing apparatus and when the container is removed from the weighing apparatus. In the case of stable containers, in particular vials, for this reason this can be easily implemented, because the stable containers can be placed on a set-down element on the weighing cell. In this case, a fixing apparatus can be omitted. The situation is different with so-called non-stable containers which, due to their geometry, do not stand by themselves and therefore have to be fixed in some other way. Non-stable containers include, for example, syringes (including possible needle guard), carpules, ampules, or other types of packaging means which cannot stand independently due to their geometry. SUMMARY The object of the present disclosure is to provide a fixing apparatus for an in particular pharmaceutical container for use on a weighing apparatus of a system for processing containers, wherein a higher process reliability can be ensured with the fixing apparatus. In addition, the object of the present disclosure is to provide a system for processing containers with a weighing apparatus and a fixing apparatus. This object is achieved by a fixing apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure for temporarily fixing a container, in particular pharmaceutical container, to a weighing apparatus of a system for processing containers, comprising a holding device and a support device, wherein the holding device comprises a container receptacle into which the container is insertable and out of which the container is removeable, at least one holding element for holding the container in the container receptacle, and a contact body, wherein the support device comprises a support body and a connection body, which is connected to the support body for connecting to the weighing apparatus, wherein the holding device rests on the support body via the contact body, wherein the contact body is configured to be movable relative to the support body on the basis of a force acting on the holding device, in particular on the at least one holding element, when the container is inserted into the container receptacle and/or when the container is removed from the container receptacle. In the fixing apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure, the holding device rests on the support device, wherein the contact body rests on the support body. These two bodies are movable relative to one another. If a force acts on the holding device, the holding body is movable relative to the support body and thus the holding device is movable rela