US4725446A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Tablet coating apparatus and method
Assignee: Manesty Machines Ltd
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Filing: 1986-10-28
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Granted: 1988-02-16
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Expires: 2006-10-28
Abstract
Abstract A rotatable drum has means for spraying a coating material onto a localized area of the cascading tablet surface of a tumbling bed of tablets being rotated in the drum. Means (not shown) is also provided for supplying drying air into the drum to dry the coated tablets. Open-ended tubular members mounted inside the drum, pass through the tumbling bed of tablets and completely beneath the localized area as the drum is rotated. The members thus extract tablets from the stagnant core of the tablet bed and distribute the extracted tablets onto the cascading tablet surface so as to hasten the coating process.
Inventors
- 👤 Eric Forster
- 👤 Kenneth L. Morrow
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 04:45
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61J; A61J3/00; A61J3/005; A23; A23G; A23G3/00; A23G3/02; A23G3/20; A23G3/26; B; B01; B01J; B01J2/00; B01J2/006
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
186 words
Tablet coating apparatus comprising: a rotatable drum for containing a plurality of tablets which form a tumbling bed of tablets during rotation of the drum, means for spraying a coating material onto the surface of the tumbling bed of tablets being rotated in the drum, means for supplying drying air to the bed of tablets, the spraying means being arranged to spray the coating material onto a localized area of a cascading tablet surface of the tumbling bed of tablets, at least one open-ended, tubular member mounted inside the drum and being adapted to rotate with the drum and being positioned to pass through the tumbling bed of tablets and completely beneath said localized area of the cascading tablet surface with one open end of the tubular member foremost and another open end thereof rearmost as the drum is rotated, so that tablets beneath said cascading tablet surface fill said tubular member and fall out of said rearmost open end thereof to thereby extract tablets from a core portion of the tumbling tablet bed and distribute them onto the cascading tablet surface above said localized area.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
186 words
Tablet coating apparatus comprising: a rotatable drum for containing a plurality of tablets which form a tumbling bed of tablets during rotation of the drum, means for spraying a coating material onto the surface of the tumbling bed of tablets being rotated in the drum, means for supplying drying air to the bed of tablets, the spraying means being arranged to spray the coating material onto a localized area of a cascading tablet surface of the tumbling bed of tablets, at least one open-ended, tubular member mounted inside the drum and being adapted to rotate with the drum and being positioned to pass through the tumbling bed of tablets and completely beneath said localized area of the cascading tablet surface with one open end of the tubular member foremost and another open end thereof rearmost as the drum is rotated, so that tablets beneath said cascading tablet surface fill said tubular member and fall out of said rearmost open end thereof to thereby extract tablets from a core portion of the tumbling tablet bed and distribute them onto the cascading tablet surface above said localized area.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said at least one tubular member is angled to deflect tablets in the direction of the rotational axis of the drum.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 comprising a plurality of said tubular members, successive ones of which are angled to deflect tablets in opposite directions.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
54 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said foremost and rearmost open ends of said tubular member are a mouth and discharge end, respectively, and wherein said at least one tubular member has walls which are tapered outwards from the mouth of the tubular member to the discharge end of the tubular member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said at least one tubular member is of flattened shape in the direction of the axis of rotation of the drum.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
123 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 in which said foremost and rearmost open ends of said tubular member are a mouth and discharge end, respectively, and wherein said at least one tubular member is mounted with its mouth in spaced relation to an adjacent side wall of the drum, the mouth extending across the drum towards the other side wall of the drum to a position beyond the centre of the drum, the discharge end of the tubular member being of similar flattened shape and extending from the same side of the centre of the drum into close proximity with said opposite wall of the drum, the tubular member being mounted at an angle with respect to the side walls of the drum.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
15 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 in which said drum side walls are outwardly inclined.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
39 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said at least one tubular member is mounted angularly adjustable inside said drum to permit raising or lowering its rearmost end with respect to an intermediate wall portion of the drum.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 in which said at least one tubular member is pivotally mounted to the drum adjacent its said foremost open end.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 in which said at least one tubular member is mounted so as to be angularly adjustable from outside the drum.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
147 words
A method for coating tablets comprising: slowly rotating a batch of tablets in a drum to produce a tumbling bed of the tablets in a lower quadrant of the drum, spraying a localized area of a cascading tablet surface of the tumbling bed of tablets with a coating material, supplying air into the drum to dry the tablets, and continuously passing an open-ended, tubular member through the tumbling bed of tablets and completely beneath said localized area of the cascading tablet surface so that tablets beneath said cascading tablet surface pass into a foremost open end of said tubular member and through said tubular member and fall out of a rearmost open end of said tubular member to thereby extract tablets from a core portion of the tumbling tablet bed and distribute them onto the cascading tablet surface above said localized area of the cascading tablet surface.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
147 words
A method for coating tablets comprising: slowly rotating a batch of tablets in a drum to produce a tumbling bed of the tablets in a lower quadrant of the drum, spraying a localized area of a cascading tablet surface of the tumbling bed of tablets with a coating material, supplying air into the drum to dry the tablets, and continuously passing an open-ended, tubular member through the tumbling bed of tablets and completely beneath said localized area of the cascading tablet surface so that tablets beneath said cascading tablet surface pass into a foremost open end of said tubular member and through said tubular member and fall out of a rearmost open end of said tubular member to thereby extract tablets from a core portion of the tumbling tablet bed and distribute them onto the cascading tablet surface above said localized area of the cascading tablet surface.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as claimed in claim 11 including laterally deflecting tablets extracted from the core of the tablet bed using said open-ended tubular member.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method as claimed in claim 11 including spraying said localized area of the cascading tablet surface with a coating material comprising an aqueous or organic solvent carrier having a high solid content.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 in which said at least one tubular member is mounted so as to be angularly adjustable from outside the drum.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1991-02-15 | 1991-08-17 | 1992-02-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1995-02-15 | 1995-08-17 | 1996-02-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1999-02-15 | 1999-08-17 | 2000-02-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |