Granted Patent B2

US 12,654,897 · App. 17/606,315 · Granted Jun 16, 2026

Inventor: Gabriele Gabusi (Ozzano dell'Emilia, IT)

Assignee: I.M.A. INDUSTRIA MACCHINE AUTOMATICHE S.P.A.

B65B59/04B25J9/1687B25J21/005B65B3/003B65B35/16B65B57/00B25J15/0028

Abstract

Claims (47)

1 . An apparatus for the automated management of the assembly of a machine for processing and/or packaging pharmaceutical products inside a chamber, comprising:

said chamber delimited by walls, at least one of said walls being provided with at least one access aperture which can be selectively closed by means of a primary closing unit;

a processing system for processing the pharmaceutical products comprising at least one modular assemblable element, which can be removably coupled to other modular assemblable elements to obtain said processing system, said processing system being housed in said chamber;

a transport container configured to be associated with said at least one access aperture from the outside of said chamber and provided with a secondary closing unit able to cooperate with the primary closing unit of said chamber so that they can be opened in order to put the inside of said transport container in communication with the inside of said chamber, said transport container being configured to contain said at least one modular assemblable element that has to be coupled inside said chamber to said other modular assemblable elements to obtain said processing system; and

an automated handling device housed in said chamber and comprising a work tool configured to:

grip said at least one modular assemblable element for removing said at least one modular assemblable element from said transport container and for releasing said at least one modular assemblable element for assembly in a predeterminate position to couple the removed at least one modular assemblable element to said other modular assemblable elements so as to obtain said processing system and/or

grip said at least one modular assemblable element to de-couple said at least one modular assemblable element from the predeterminate position in which it was assembled to said other modular assemblable elements with which it forms said processing system and return said at least one modular assemblable element into said transport container.

2 . The apparatus as in claim 1 , further comprising a recognition device configured to recognize said at least one modular assemblable element and send a corresponding recognition signal to said automated handling device.

3 . The apparatus as in claim 2 , wherein said recognition signal contains information relating to at least one of either the assembly position and/or the direction of assembly of said at least one modular assemblable element on said processing system, or a gripping position of said at least one modular assemblable element by said automated handling device.

4 . The apparatus as in claim 2 , wherein said recognition device comprises at least one sensor configured to acquire images for recognizing said at least one modular assemblable element.

5 . The apparatus as in claim 2 , wherein said at least one modular assemblable element comprises an identification code for its recognition by said recognition device.

6 . The apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein said work tool comprises a gripper formed by a first gripping element and a second gripping element; wherein said first gripping element and second gripping element are configured to cooperate with each other to respectively grip and release said at least one modular assemblable element.

7 . The apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein said automated handling device comprises a robotic automatic handler configured as an anthropomorphic robot with at least six work axes, which is controlled by a control and command unit.

8 . The apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein said processing system is configured as a transport system to transport the pharmaceutical products inside said chamber.

9 . The apparatus as in claim 8 , wherein said at least one modular assemblable element is formed by a transport element on which the pharmaceutical products advance to obtain said transport system.

10 . The apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein said at least one modular assemblable element comprise a hopper and/or a collection container which can be associated with said processing system.

11 . A method for the automated assembly of a machine for processing and/or packaging pharmaceutical products inside a chamber, delimited by walls, at least one of said walls being provided with at least one access aperture which can be selectively closed by a primary closing unit, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a processing system housed in said chamber for processing the pharmaceutical products, wherein the processing system comprises at least one modular assemblable element, which can be removably coupled to other modular assemblable elements to obtain said processing system;

associating a transport container outside of said chamber, in correspondence with said at least one access aperture, said transport container being provided with a secondary closing unit able to cooperate with said primary closing unit so that they can be opened in order to put the inside of said transport container in communication with the inside of said chamber, wherein said transport container is configured to contain one or more of said modular assemblable elements, which have to be coupled to said other modular assemblable elements to obtain the processing system;

opening said primary and secondary closing unit, to put the inside of said chamber in communication with the inside of said transport container; and

removing at least one of said modular assemblable elements contained in said transport container and assembling said removed at least one modular assemblable element in a predeterminate position on said processing system for processing pharmaceutical products, or removing said at least one modular assemblable element from the predeterminate position to return said at least one modular assemblable element into said transport container; wherein said steps of opening and removing are carried out by means of an automatic handling device housed in said chamber, wherein said automated handling device grips said at least one modular assemblable element with a work tool in order to remove said at least one modular assemblable element from said transport container and assemble the processing system for processing pharmaceutical products in the predeterminate position of the processing system or to remove said at least one modular assemblable element from the predetermined position in which it was assembled to said other modular assemblable elements with which it forms said processing system and return said at least one modular assemblable element into said transport container.

12 . The method as in claim 11 , further comprising a step of recognizing said at least one modular assemblable element by a recognition device in which a corresponding recognition signal is sent to said automated handling device.

13 . The method as in claim 12 , wherein said recognition signal contains information relating to the position and/or direction of assembly of said at least one modular assemblable element on said processing system, and/or to a gripping position of said at least one modular assemblable element by said handling device.

14 . The method as in claim 11 , wherein the step of removing said at least one modular assemblable element is carried out by means of a step of extracting a support slider from said transport container, said at least one modular assemblable element being housed in said support slider, and subsequently by means of a step of extracting said at least one modular assemblable element from said support slider.

15 . The method as in claim 14 , wherein after said step of removing and assembling said at least one modular assemblable element is provided to reintroduce said support slider into said transport container by means of said automated handling device, and close said primary closing unit by means of said automated handling device.

16 . An apparatus for the automated management of the assembly of a machine for processing and/or packaging pharmaceutical products inside a chamber, comprising:

said chamber delimited by walls, at least one of said walls being provided with at least one access aperture which can be selectively closed by means of a primary closing unit;

a processing system for processing the pharmaceutical products comprising at least one modular assemblable element, which can be removably coupled to other modular assemblable elements to obtain said processing system, said processing system being housed in said chamber;

a transport container configured to be associated with said at least one access aperture from the outside of said chamber and provided with a secondary closing unit able to cooperate with the primary closing unit of said chamber so that they can be opened in order to put the inside of said transport container in communication with the inside of said chamber, said transport container being configured to contain said at least one modular assemblable element that has to be coupled inside said chamber to said other modular assemblable elements to obtain said processing system,

a handling device housed in said chamber and comprising a work tool configured to:

grip said modular assemblable element for removing the at least one modular assemblable element from said transport container and for releasing said at least one modular assemblable element in order to assemble said at least one modular assemblable element in a predeterminate position in order to couple said removed at least one modular assemblable element to said other modular assemblable elements so as to obtain said processing system and/or

grip said at least one modular assemblable element to de-couple said at least one modular assemblable element from the predeterminate position in which it was assembled to said other modular assemblable elements with which it forms said processing system and return said at least one modular assemblable element into said transport container; and

a recognition device configured to recognize said at least one modular assemblable element and send a corresponding recognition signal to said handling device.

17 . An apparatus for the automated management of the assembly of a machine for processing and/or packaging pharmaceutical products inside a chamber, comprising:

said chamber delimited by walls, at least one of said walls being provided with at least one access aperture which can be selectively closed by means of a primary closing unit;

a processing system for processing the pharmaceutical products comprising at least one modular assemblable element, which can be removably coupled to other modular assemblable elements to obtain said processing system, said processing system being housed in said chamber;

a transport container configured to be associated with said at least one access aperture from the outside of said chamber and provided with a secondary closing unit able to cooperate with the primary closing unit of said chamber so that they can be opened in order to put the inside of said transport container in communication with the inside of said chamber, said transport container being configured to contain said at least one modular assemblable element that has to be coupled inside said chamber to said other modular assemblable elements to obtain said processing system,

a handling device housed in said chamber and comprising a work tool configured to:

grip said modular assemblable element for removing the at least one modular assemblable element from said transport container and for releasing said at least one modular assemblable element in order to assemble said at least one modular assemblable element in a predeterminate position in order to couple said removed at least one modular assemblable element to said other modular assemblable elements so as to obtain said processing system and/or

grip said at least one modular assemblable element to de-couple said at least one modular assemblable element from the predeterminate position in which it was assembled to said other modular assemblable elements with which it forms said processing system and return said at least one modular assemblable element into said transport container; and

wherein said handling device comprises a robotic automatic handler configured as an anthropomorphic robot with at least six work axes, which is controlled by a control and command unit.

18 . A method for the automated assembly of a machine for processing and/or packaging pharmaceutical products inside a chamber, delimited by walls, at least one of said walls being provided with at least one access aperture which can be selectively closed by a primary closing unit, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a processing system housed in said chamber for processing the pharmaceutical products, wherein the processing system comprises at least one modular assemblable element, which can be removably coupled to other modular assemblable elements to obtain said processing system;

associating a transport container outside of said chamber, in correspondence with said at least one access aperture, said transport container being provided with a secondary closing unit able to cooperate with said primary closing unit so that they can be opened in order to put the inside of said transport container in communication with the inside of said chamber, wherein said transport container is configured to contain one or more of said at least one modular assemblable elements, which have to be coupled to said other modular assemblable elements to obtain the processing system;

opening said primary and secondary closing unit, to put the inside of said chamber in communication with the inside of said transport container; and

removing said at least one modular assemblable element contained in said transport container and assembling the removed at least one modular assemblable element in a predeterminate position on said processing system for processing pharmaceutical products, or removing said at least one modular assemblable element from the predeterminate position to return said at least one modular assemblable element into said transport container;

wherein said steps of opening and removing are carried out by means of a handling device housed in said chamber, wherein said handling device grips said at least one modular assemblable element with a work tool in order to remove said at least one modular assemblable element from said transport container and to assemble the processing system for processing pharmaceutical products in the predeterminate position of the processing system or to remove said at least one modular assemblable element from the predetermined position in which was assembled to the other modular assemblable elements with which it forms said processing system and return said at least one modular assemblable element into said transport container; wherein the method also comprises a step of recognizing said at least one modular assemblable element by a recognition device in which a corresponding recognition signal is sent to said handling device.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (10)