Primary packaging line for ophthalmic articles

Primary packaging line (1) for packaging ophthalmic articles, the primary packaging line comprising:

• a plurality of individual single shell carriers (2), each individual single shell carrier (2) configured to carry a single primary packaging shell (3);
• a supply belt (4) configured to transport those individual single shell carriers (2) arranged thereon in a first transportation direction (42) to a downstream end (40) of the supply belt (4);
• a primary packaging shell placement robot (30) arranged along the supply belt (4) and configured to place a said single primary packaging shell (3) on a said individual single shell carrier (2) arranged on the supply belt (4), so that a primary packaging shell (3) is arranged on each single shell carrier (2) at the downstream end (40) of the supply belt (4);
• a cyclically and intermittently movable singling conveyor belt (5) arranged at the downstream end (40) of the supply belt (4) and extending in a direction transverse to the supply belt (4), the singling conveyor belt (5) configured to receive thereon during an actual cycle the single shell carrier (2) which is arranged at the downstream end (40) of the supply belt (4), and further configured to intermittently transport that single shell carrier (2) as well as those single shell carriers (2) received during preceding cycles in a second transportation direction (52) transverse to the first transportation direction (42) towards a downstream end (50) of the singling conveyor belt (5);
• a guiding rail (6) arranged at the downstream end of the singling conveyor belt (5) and extending in a direction transverse to the singling conveyor belt (5), the guiding rail (6) configured to receive during the respective actual cycle of the singling conveyor belt (5) that single shell carrier (2) which is arranged at the downstream end (50) of the singling conveyor belt (5), and further configured to guide the received single shell carrier (2) along the guiding rail (6) in a third transportation direction (62) transverse to the second transportation direction (52);
• a pusher (60) arranged at the downstream end (50) of the singling shell conveyor belt (5), the pusher configured to push that single shell carrier (2) that is arranged at the downstream end (50) of the singling conveyor belt (5) on the guiding rail (6) during the respective actual cycle of the singling conveyor belt (5), thereby moving those single shell carriers (2) pushed on the guiding rail (6) during preceding cycles in the third transportation direction (62) along the guiding rail (6);
• an ophthalmic article placement robot (63) arranged along the guiding rail (6) and configured to place an ophthalmic article into a cavity (33) of the primary packaging shell (3) arranged on the respective single shell carrier (2);
• an ophthalmic article presence check unit (65) arranged along the guiding rail (6) downstream of the ophthalmic article placement robot (63) and configured to determine the number of ophthalmic articles present in the cavity (33) of the primary packaging shell (3) arranged on the respective single shell carrier (2);
• a shell carrier ejector (67) arranged along the guiding rail (6) downstream of the ophthalmic article presence check unit (65) and configured to eject from the guiding rail (6) a single shell carrier (2) with a primary packaging shell (3) arranged thereon that has been determined by the ophthalmic article presence check unit (65) to contain in its cavity (33) a number of ophthalmic articles different from one;
• a lot sorter (68) arranged along the guiding rail (6) downstream of the shell carrier ejector (67) and laterally relative to the guiding rail (6), the lot sorter (68) configured to receive and store the single shell carriers (2) arriving at the lot sorter (68) each carrying a primary packaging shell (3) containing one ophthalmic article in its cavity (33), the lot sorter (68) comprising a plurality of sorter compartments (680) which is at least as high as the number of different lots of ophthalmic articles to be placed by the ophthalmic article placement robot (63) into the cavities (33) of the primary packaging shells (3), the lot sorter (68) further configured to receive and store in each sorter compartment (680) only single shell carriers (2) all carrying a said primary packaging shell (3) containing in its cavity (33) one ophthalmic article of the same lot, the lot sorter (68) further configured to push all single shell carriers (2) stored in the respective sorter compartment (680) out of the respective sorter compartment (680) back on the guiding rail (6) when a predetermined number of single shell carriers (2) is contained in the respective sorter compartment (680) and once a said single shell carrier (2) with a said primary packaging shell (3) containing in its cavity (33) an ophthalmic article of the same lot is expected to arrive at the lot sorter (68);
• a shell carrier block transportation mechanism (69) arranged at the lot sorter (6) beneath the guiding rail (6), the shell carrier block transportation mechanism (69) configured to engage a shell carrier block which is formed by the predetermined number of single shell carriers (2) pushed out of the lot sorter compartment (680) on the guiding rail (6) and the next shell carrier (2) arriving at the lot sorter (68), the shell carrier block transportation mechanism (69) further configured to move the shell carrier block on a discharge track (7) extending downstream of the lot sorter (68) in the third transportation direction (62);
• a sealing device (70) arranged along the discharge track (7), the sealing device (70) configured to supply a sealing foil strip (701) comprising a number of individual sealing foils (702) connected to one another to form the sealing foil strip (701), the number of individual sealing foils (702) of the sealing foil strip (701) corresponding to the number of single shell carriers (2) of the shell carrier block, the sealing device (70) further configured to seal the individual foils (702) of the sealing foil strip (701) to the top surfaces (32) of the primary packaging shells (3) carried by the shell carriers (2) of the shell carrier block to form a blister strip (703) of sealed primary packaging shells (3) each containing one ophthalmic article of the same lot in the cavity (33) of the respective primary packaging shell (3).