An apparatus for counting and unloading pharmaceutical articles

An apparatus for counting and unloading pharmaceutical articles, comprising:

• a plurality of descent channels configured so as to receive internally thereof pharmaceutical articles;
• an accumulation chamber arranged below the descent channels and having an entry mouth for receiving the pharmaceutical articles exiting from the descent channels and an unloading mouth for unloading the pharmaceutical articles;
• blocking elements being activatable to open the descent channels and enable the falling of the pharmaceutical articles in the accumulation chamber and to close the descent channels when the number of pharmaceutical articles that have fallen into the accumulation chamber has reached a predetermined value;
• a closing element which is arranged and movable with respect to the unloading mouth in such a way as to be movable between a first closed position (O1) in which the closing element is positioned at the unloading mouth in order to close the unloading mouth and enable the accumulation of the pharmaceutical articles, and a second open position (O1) in which the closing element is completely removed from the unloading mouth in order to free and open the unloading mouth for unloading the pharmaceutical articles accumulated in the accumulation chamber,
• the closing element including a first abutment surface and a second abutment surface, the first and second abutment surfaces being arranged at an angle to one another, the accumulation chamber and the closing element being reciprocally arranged and configured in such a way that, with the closing element being positioned in the first closed position (O1) at the unloading mouth in order to close the unloading mouth, the first abutment surface is arranged in the accumulation chamber inclined and with a first angle with respect to a first internal wall of the accumulation chamber defining a first accumulation volume (V1) for the pharmaceutical articles between the first abutment surface and the first internal wall, and the second abutment surface is arranged inside the accumulation chamber inclined and with a second angle with respect to a second internal wall of the accumulation chamber, opposite the first internal wall, defining a second accumulation volume (V2) for the pharmaceutical articles between the second abutment surface and the second internal wall, in such a way that the pharmaceutical articles falling from the descent channels can accumulate into a first group (A1) of pharmaceutical articles in the first accumulation volume (V1) and into a second group (A2) of pharmaceutical articles in the second accumulation volume (V2),
• the closing element being movable with respect to the unloading mouth from the first closing position (O1) to the second open position (O1) in order first to move the second abutment surface away from the second internal wall of the accumulation chamber opening a first part of the unloading mouth for the unloading of the second group (A2) of pharmaceutical articles, and then to move away and completely remove the first abutment surface from the unloading mouth for the unloading of the first group (A1) of pharmaceutical articles, and
• wherein the first abutment surface and the second abutment surface are arranged at an angle to one another so as to form a separation cusp of the first accumulation volume (V1) from the second accumulation volume (V2), and
• wherein the closing element is conformed in such a way as to comprise a first part, arranged externally of the accumulation chamber and hinged rotatably to a hinge axis, and a second part arranged at an angle with respect to the first part occupies the unloading mouth of the accumulation chamber to close the unloading mouth when the closing element is positioned in the first closed position (O1), and wherein the second part is conformed in such a way as to define the first abutment surface and the second abutment surface.

An apparatus for counting and unloading pharmaceutical articles, comprising:

• a plurality of descent channels configured so as to receive internally thereof pharmaceutical articles;
• an accumulation chamber arranged below the descent channels and having an entry mouth for receiving the pharmaceutical articles exiting from the descent channels and an unloading mouth for unloading the pharmaceutical articles;
• blocking elements being activatable to open the descent channels and enable the falling of the pharmaceutical articles in the accumulation chamber and to close the descent channels when the number of pharmaceutical articles that have fallen into the accumulation chamber has reached a predetermined value;
• a closing element which is arranged and movable with respect to the unloading mouth in such a way as to be movable between a first closed position (O1) in which the closing element is positioned at the unloading mouth in order to close the unloading mouth and enable the accumulation of the pharmaceutical articles, and a second open position (O2) in which the closing element is completely removed from the unloading mouth in order to free and open the unloading mouth for unloading the pharmaceutical articles accumulated in the accumulation chamber,
• the closing element including a first abutment surface and a second abutment surface, the first and second abutment surfaces being arranged at an angle to one another, the accumulation chamber and the closing element being reciprocally arranged and configured in such a way that, with the closing element being positioned in the first closed position (O1) at the unloading mouth in order to close the unloading mouth, the first abutment surface is arranged in the accumulation chamber inclined and with a first angle with respect to a first internal wall of the accumulation chamber defining a first accumulation volume (V1) for the pharmaceutical articles between the first abutment surface and the first internal wall, and the second abutment surface is arranged inside the accumulation chamber inclined and with a second angle with respect to a second internal wall of the accumulation chamber, opposite the first internal wall, defining a second accumulation volume (V2) for the pharmaceutical articles between the second abutment surface and the second internal wall, in such a way that the pharmaceutical articles falling from the descent channels can accumulate into a first group (A1) of pharmaceutical articles in the first accumulation volume (V1) and into a second group (A2) of pharmaceutical articles in the second accumulation volume (V2),
• the closing element being movable with respect to the unloading mouth from the first closing position (O1) to the second open position (O2) in order first to move the second abutment surface away from the second internal wall of the accumulation chamber opening a first part of the unloading mouth for the unloading of the second group (A2) of pharmaceutical articles, and then to move away and completely remove the first abutment surface from the unloading mouth for the unloading of the first group (A1) of pharmaceutical articles, and
• wherein the first abutment surface and the second abutment surface are arranged at an angle to one another so as to form a separation cusp of the first accumulation volume (V1) from the second accumulation volume (V2), and
• wherein the closing element is plate-shaped having a first wall, defining the first abutment surface, a second wall opposite the first wall, and a third wall arranged inclined between the first wall and the second wall and defining the second abutment surface.