Manufacturing containers
AssigneeGerresheimer Regensburg GmbH
InventorsFlorian Reger, Guenther Scheck
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A holder, a transport device, and a method of manufacturing a container are described. The container comprises a body that extends along an axis and a flange that extends radially to the axis, and the holder comprises one or more fastening elements that are configured to engage one or more of a top surface, a bottom surface, or a peripheral surface of the flange.
Claims12
A method of manufacturing a container comprising a body that extends along an axis between a first end and a second end, wherein the second end comprises a flange that extends radially to the axis, the method comprising the steps of:
- gripping the container by its first end;
- placing the flange of the container onto a holder that comprises one or more fastening elements and a support surface, the one or more fastening elements comprising a pair of opposing fastening elements, and each fastening element of the pair of fastening elements comprising a holding clip, wherein placing the flange of the container on the holder comprises supporting a bottom surface of the flange with the support surface;
- engaging the one or more fastening elements with one or more of a top surface, the bottom surface, or a peripheral surface of the flange, wherein engaging the one or more fastening elements comprises engaging the top surface of the flange with the holding clips and clamping the bottom surface of the flange against the support surface;
- sequentially moving the holder to a plurality of workstations;
- and
- maintaining the engagement between the one or more fastening elements and the flange as the holder is at each of the plurality of workstations and as the holder is moved between workstations.
A method of manufacturing a container comprising a body that extends along an axis between a first end and a second end, wherein the second end comprises a flange that extends radially to the axis, the method comprising the steps of:
- gripping the container by its first end;
- placing the flange of the container onto a holder that comprises one or more fastening elements;
- engaging the one or more fastening elements with one or more of a top surface, a bottom surface, or a peripheral surface of the flange;
- sequentially moving the holder to a plurality of workstations;
- and
- maintaining the engagement between the one or more fastening elements and the flange as the holder is at each of the plurality of workstations and as the holder is moved between workstations,
- wherein the container is a syringe barrel and comprises a hollow needle, the axis is a barrel axis, and wherein the plurality of workstations comprises:
- a first inspection station, at which the barrel is rotated about the barrel axis and an outer surface of the barrel is inspected using a camera or a sensor;
- a first coating station, at which a surface of the needle is coated;
- a second coating station, at which an inside surface of the barrel is coated;
- a second inspection station, at which the barrel is rotated about the barrel axis and the coating of the inside surface of the barrel is inspected using a camera or a sensor, and at which laser light is emitted through the inside of the barrel and through the needle to detect for blockages;
- a first assembly station, at which a needle cap is loosely placed on the needle;
- a shaking station, at which the holder, the barrel, and the cap are shaken to align the cap and the needle;
- a third inspection station, at which the barrel is rotated about the barrel axis and the alignment of the cap and the needle is inspected using a camera or a sensor;
- a second assembly station, at which the needle cap is pressed onto a tip of the syringe barrel;
- and
- a fourth inspection station, at which the barrel is rotated about the barrel axis and the needle cap and the needle are inspected using a camera or a sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.