Apparatus for handling capsules and capsule processing equipment including such an apparatus

1. An apparatus for handling capsules in a capsule processing equipment, comprising

a hopper for containing a bulk of capsules, said hopper having, in a normal use position, an upper portion with an upper inlet for feeding the capsules into the hopper and a side wall; and

a conveying belt for transferring the capsules from the hopper within the processing equipment, said conveying belt travelling in an inclined travel direction for receiving capsules from said hopper, the belt being provided with successive cavities each adapted to accommodate a single capsule,

wherein the apparatus is adapted to singulate capsules in the cavities of the conveying belt from the bulk, into a pre-defined and repeatable position,

wherein the cavities of the belt are open at both ends, whereby both ends of each capsule are accessible to respective processing devices from both sides of the belt while said capsule is conveyed on the belt, and

wherein the cavities of the belt are arranged in a transverse direction with respect to the travel direction, whereby the capsules are conveyed in the respective cavities with their axis transverse to said travel direction.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cavities of the belt are arranged in a single row.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each cavity of the belt is defined by a concave or flat bottom surface and, respectively extending on the front side and on the rear side of the bottom surface with respect to the travel direction, a convex surface and a substantially upright surface, both connecting to the outer surface of the belt.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the angle of the inclined direction with respect to the vertical direction is in the range of 15° to 45°.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the angle of the inclined direction with respect to the vertical direction is in the range of 25° to 35°.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the belt is dismountable whereby the belt can be replaced to fit with different capsule dimensions.

7. Capsule processing equipment suitable to be supplied with capsules and singulate all the supplied capsules for sequential processing, wherein said capsule processing equipment comprises an apparatus for handling capsules according to claim 1 .

8. The capsule processing equipment according to claim 7 , wherein said capsule processing equipment consists of a capsule inspection equipment.

9. The capsule processing equipment according to claim 8 ,

wherein the cavities of the belt are arranged in a single row, and wherein the capsule processing equipment comprises, arranged on both sides of the belt path downstream the hopper, two end inspection devices, each comprising illumination means and image capturing means adapted to capture an optical signal of the respective end of each capsule while conveyed on the belt.

10. The capsule processing equipment according to claim 7 , wherein said capsule processing equipment further comprises means for rotating the capsules about their axis to a certain angle, while conveyed on the belt, whereby different portions of each capsule are exposed, respectively downstream and upstream said means for rotating the capsules.

11. The capsule processing equipment according to claim 10 , wherein the angle is equal to 180°.

12. The capsule processing equipment claim according to 8 , wherein said capsule processing equipment further comprises a system for inspecting the surface of the capsules, including one or more image capturing means.

13. The capsule processing equipment according to claim 12 , wherein said system for inspecting the surface of the capsules comprises:

a rotary carrousel arranged downstream the conveying belt, said carrousel having a rotary wheel and a plurality of circumferentially arranged spindles axially projecting from the wheel, the spindles being adapted to take the capsules from the successive cavities of the belt, by suction of one end of the capsule, and to rotate each capsule about its axis with respect to the wheel; and

a surface inspection device having illumination means and image capturing means adapted to capture an image of the surface of each capsule while each capsule is transported on the carrousel and rotated about its axis by the respective spindle.

14. The capsule processing equipment according to claim 7 , wherein said capsule processing equipment consists of a capsule printing equipment.