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US5094184A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Capsule sealing apparatus

Assignee: Nippon Elanco KK
•
Filing: 1990-06-12
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Granted: 1992-03-10
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Expires: 2010-06-12
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Abstract

Abstract A capsule sealing apparatus which includes a capsule conveyor device with horizontally maintained slats on which capsules are mounted horizontally throughout the travel, during which the seams between the caps and bodies of the capsules are sealed by rotary coating discs that pick up the sealer from a tank disposed below the capsule conveyor device.

Inventors

  • 👤 Taizo Yamamoto
  • 👤 Tomokazu Ishimoto
  • 👤 Yoshihisa Kawaguchi
  • 👤 Takashi Tanigaki

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 15:21
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61J; A61J3/00; A61J3/07; A61J3/071; A61J3/072; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S53/00; Y10S53/90

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim 117 words
A capsule sealing apparatus, comprising: a capsule conveyor device comprising slats each having at least one surface which is maintained substantially horizontal at all times, the slats including capsule resting slits, each slit including an opening at its bottom; a tank for storing a sealer disposed below a circulating route of the capsule conveyor device; and a rotary coating means for picking up the sealer from the tank and coating same along the seam between a cap and a body of each capsule, said rotary coating means being insertable through the openings of the capsule resting slits and coming into contact with the seams of the capsules so as to impart frictional rotating drive to the capsules.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 117 words
A capsule sealing apparatus, comprising: a capsule conveyor device comprising slats each having at least one surface which is maintained substantially horizontal at all times, the slats including capsule resting slits, each slit including an opening at its bottom; a tank for storing a sealer disposed below a circulating route of the capsule conveyor device; and a rotary coating means for picking up the sealer from the tank and coating same along the seam between a cap and a body of each capsule, said rotary coating means being insertable through the openings of the capsule resting slits and coming into contact with the seams of the capsules so as to impart frictional rotating drive to the capsules.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 44 words
A capsule sealing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the capsule resting slits slant to the extent that the capsules are accommodated therein at a slant of about 5° with respect to the horizontal plane in the direction in which the slats are circulated.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 36 words
A capsule sealing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the capsule resting slits have side walls slanting so that the capsules accommodated therein are at a slant in the direction in which the slats are circulated.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 29 words
A capsule sealing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the capsule resting slits have V-shaped side walls so that the capsules accommodated therein are kept in linear contact therewith.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 26 words
A capsule sealing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the capsule resting slits slant so that the capsules accommodated therein slant with their one end downward.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 34 words
A capsule sealing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the capsule conveyor device comprises means for shifting the capsules accommodated in the respective capsule resting slits in a desired direction by direct engagement therewith.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 38 words
A capsule sealing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the capsule conveyor device comprises means for positioning the capsules in place in the capsule resting slits by direct engagement therewith after they are shifted by the shifting means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 86 words
A capsule sealing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotary coating means is disposed downstream of a capsule aligning device in a direction in which the slats are moveable and comprises a second coating means for coating the sealer picked up from the tank on the seams coated by the first coating means, the second coating means being insertable through the openings of the capsule resting slits and comes into contact with the seams of the capsules so as to cause the capsules to rotate.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 56 words
A capsule sealing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotary coating means comprises a V-shaped peripheral edge along its entire circumference and the second coating means comprises a stepped peripheral edge along its entire circumference so that the peripheral edges come into full contact with the seams between the caps and the bodies of capsules.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 31 words
A capsule sealing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the capsule conveyor device is covered by a drying duct, except for a portion thereof at which the sealing means is located.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US2962851A Cited
US3538677A Cited
FR2139409A5 Cited
GB1389342A Cited
GB2053927A Cited
US4866906A Cited
EP0154966A2 Cited
JPS60190964A Cited
JPS6168050A Cited
EP0271627A1 Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1995-03-10 1995-09-09 1996-03-10 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1999-03-10 1999-09-09 2000-03-10 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2003-03-10 2003-09-09 2004-03-10 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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