Cartridge filler and capping machine for filling and capping cartridges with consumable fluids

Abstract

A cartridge handling machine for vape type cartridges is provided, which may comprise a filling module for filling of cartridge bodies with viscous consumable fluids, particularly oils extracted from hemp and cannabis and compositions thereof. The cartridge handling machine may also comprise a capping module to provide for synchronized filling of the filled cartridges and capping the cartridges with a cap, such as a mouthpiece or other cap device developed for such cartridges. The individual filling and capping modules can be operated independent of each other such that the cartridge handling machine preferably comprises both a filling module and capping module that preferably are integrated together for synchronized operation, although these modules may also be constructed and operated as separate machines for the respective filling and capping of these types of vape cartridges.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A cartridge handling machine for successive filling of cartridge bodies with a viscous consumable fluid in a filling station, comprising:
 a filling module disposed adjacent said filling station into which each of the cartridge bodies may be placed empty and then removed after filling, wherein said filling module comprises:   a feed supply for supplying a bulk quantity of the consumable fluid which defines a fill fluid dispensed by the filling module for filling of the cartridge bodies; and   an injector assembly, which receives said fill fluid from said feed supply and dispenses said fill fluid from an injector nozzle for injection into said cartridge body located in said filling station, said injector nozzle being reversibly movable downwardly from a raised position, wherein said injector nozzle is separated from a mouth of the cartridge body, to a fill position in which said injector nozzle is engageable with the cartridge body in a filling operation during which said fill fluid is injected into said cartridge body, said injector nozzle being displaceable after filling of the cartridge body to return to said raised position;   a vertically reciprocating body, which selectively contacts and is displaced by movement into contact with said cartridge body wherein said injector assembly opens and returns as it moves out of contact with said cartridge body wherein said injector assembly closes; and   said injector nozzle being configured for sealing engagement with an open mouth of the cartridge body to prevent leakage of the consumable fluid when pressurized during filling and having an annular injector passage that injects said fill fluid into the mouth of the cartridge body in an annular pattern.   
     
     
         2 . The cartridge handling machine according to  claim 1 , wherein said injector passage extends 360 degrees about the mouth of the cartridge body and injects said fill fluid about the entire 360 degrees of said injector passage. 
     
     
         3 . The cartridge handling machine according to  claim 2 , wherein said injector nozzle includes a discharge passage centrally of said injector passage for the removal of gases or air in the cartridge body which are displaced by said fill fluid during the filling operation. 
     
     
         4 . The cartridge handling machine according to  claim 1 , wherein said injector nozzle is configured with a valve, which is normally closed when said injector nozzle is in said raised position and opens when said injector nozzle is in said fill position. 
     
     
         5 . The cartridge handling machine according to  claim 4 , wherein said valve of said injector nozzle opens by downward displacement thereof to said fill position in contact with the cartridge body. 
     
     
         6 . The cartridge handling machine according to  claim 5 , wherein said injector nozzle automatically closes said injector passage upon upward movement away from and disengagement from the cartridge body. 
     
     
         7 . The cartridge handling machine according to  claim 1 , wherein said injector nozzle comprises a sealing member, which selectively contacts said cartridge body for sealing engagement therewith and separates from said cartridge body as said injector nozzle moves into contact with and out of contact with said cartridge body. 
     
     
         8 . The cartridge handling machine according to  claim 1 , wherein said injector nozzle comprises an interior nozzle body having an interior wall, an injector housing spaced radially outwardly of the interior wall to define an injection passage receiving said fill fluid, which flows axially therealong, and further comprises said vertically reciprocating body, which reciprocatingly displaces relative to said interior body and said injector housing to define an end mouthpiece forming an axial end of said fluid flow passage for discharge of said fill fluid, said reciprocating body being biased downwardly while being movable upwardly when contacting the cartridge body during filling. 
     
     
         9 . The cartridge handling machine according to  claim 8 , wherein said injector nozzle includes a discharge passage centrally of said injector passage for the removal of gases or air in the cartridge body which are displaced by said fill fluid during the filling operation. 
     
     
         10 . The cartridge handling machine according to  claim 1 , wherein said injector nozzle comprises a nozzle body having an interior wall, an injector housing spaced radially outwardly of the interior wall to define an injection passage receiving said fill fluid, which flows axially therealong, said injector housing being fixed to said nozzle body, and further comprises said vertically reciprocating body, which is reciprocatingly carried by said interior body to define an end mouthpiece forming an axial end of said fluid flow passage for discharge of said fill fluid, said reciprocating body being biased downwardly while being movable upwardly when contacting the cartridge body during filling. 
     
     
         11 . The cartridge handling machine according to  claim 10 , wherein said reciprocating body contacts said injector housing to close said fluid passage when said injector nozzle is in said raised position and separates from said injector housing to open said fluid passage when said injector nozzle is in said fill position. 
     
     
         12 . The cartridge handling machine according to  claim 11 , wherein said injector nozzle includes a discharge passage centrally of said injector passage for the removal of gases or air in the cartridge body which are displaced by said fill fluid during the filling operation. 
     
     
         13 . The cartridge handling machine according to  claim 1 , wherein said injector nozzle comprises a nozzle body formed with distribution passages receiving said fill fluid, an injector housing disposed radially outwardly of said nozzle body and axially slidable therealong to define said reciprocating body, and an internal valve body projecting downwardly from said nozzle body, wherein said nozzle body, said injector housing and said valve body define an internal pressure chamber having a variable volume which receives said fill fluid from said distribution passages, said injector housing and said valve body defining an annular discharge passage receiving said fill fluid from said pressure chamber and forming an outlet port for discharge of said fill fluid to said cartridge body, said injector housing being biased downwardly while being movable upwardly when contacting the cartridge body during filling to reduce said volume of said pressure chamber and increase a pressure of said fill fluid for discharge from said outlet port. 
     
     
         14 . The cartridge handling machine according to  claim 13 , wherein said injector housing contacts said valve body to close said fluid passage when said injector nozzle is in said raised position and separates from said valve body to open said fluid passage when said injector nozzle is in said fill position. 
     
     
         15 . The cartridge handling machine according to  claim 14 , wherein said injector nozzle includes a discharge passage centrally of said injector passage for the removal of gases or air in the cartridge body which are displaced by said fill fluid during the filling operation. 
     
     
         16 . The cartridge handling machine according to  claim 14 , wherein at least a portion of each said distribution passage is tapered radially inwardly in a passage portion between an inlet end and an outlet end thereof, wherein said outlet end discharges fill fluid into said pressure chamber. 
     
     
         17 . The cartridge handling machine according to  claim 16 , wherein said distribution passage comprises a tapered section defining said inlet end and a cylindrical section defining said outlet end. 
     
     
         18 . In an injector assembly for cartridge handling machine configured for successive filling of cartridge bodies with a viscous consumable fluid defining a fill fluid, said injector assembly configured to receive said fill fluid under pressure and having an injector nozzle to dispense said fill fluid for injection into said cartridge body located in a filling station, comprising the improvement wherein said injector nozzle is configured for sealing engagement with an open mouth of the cartridge body to prevent leakage of the fill fluid during filling, said injector nozzle defining an injection outlet injecting said fill fluid in an annular pattern into a portion of said open mouth of said cartridge body and having a central discharge passage centrally separated from said injection outlet by an intermediate wall and configured for opening into a central portion of the cartridge body, which permits the removal of gases or air in the cartridge body simultaneously during injection of fill fluid therein; and
 said injector nozzle being configured for reversible movement downwardly from a raised position, wherein said injector nozzle is separated from a mouth of the cartridge body, to a fill position in which said injector nozzle is engageable with the cartridge body in a filling operation during which said fill fluid is injected into said cartridge body, said injector nozzle being displaceable after filling of the cartridge body to return to said raised position;   wherein said injector nozzle includes a vertically reciprocating body, which selectively contacts and is displaced by movement into contact with and out of contact with said cartridge body.   
     
     
         19 . The cartridge handling machine according to  claim 18 , wherein said injector nozzle comprises an interior nozzle body having an interior wall, an injector housing spaced radially outwardly of the interior wall to define an injection passage receiving said fill fluid, which flows axially therealong, and further comprises said vertically reciprocating body, which reciprocatingly displaces relative to said interior body and said injector housing to define an end mouthpiece forming an axial end of said fluid flow passage for discharge of said fill fluid, said reciprocating body being biased downwardly while being movable upwardly when contacting the cartridge body during filling. 
     
     
         20 . The cartridge handling machine according to  claim 18 , wherein said injector nozzle comprises a nozzle body having an interior wall, an injector housing spaced radially outwardly of the interior wall to define an injection passage receiving said fill fluid, which flows axially therealong, said injector housing being fixed to said nozzle body, and further comprises said vertically reciprocating body, which is reciprocatingly carried by said interior body to define an end mouthpiece forming an axial end of said fluid flow passage for discharge of said fill fluid, said reciprocating body being biased downwardly while being movable upwardly when contacting the cartridge body during filling. 
     
     
         21 . The cartridge handling machine according to  claim 18 , wherein said injector nozzle comprises a nozzle body formed with distribution passages receiving said fill fluid, an injector housing disposed radially outwardly of said nozzle body and axially slidable therealong to define said reciprocating body, and an internal valve body projecting downwardly from said nozzle body, wherein said nozzle body, said injector housing and said valve body define an internal pressure chamber having a variable volume which receives said fill fluid from said distribution passages, said injector housing and said valve body defining an annular discharge passage receiving said fill fluid from said pressure chamber and forming an outlet port for discharge of said fill fluid to said cartridge body, said injector housing being biased downwardly while being movable upwardly when contacting the cartridge body during filling to reduce said volume of said pressure chamber and increase a pressure of said fill fluid for discharge from said outlet port. 
     
     
         22 . A cartridge handling machine for successive filling of cartridge bodies with a viscous consumable fluid, comprising:
 a filling module disposed adjacent a filling station into which each of the cartridge bodies may be placed empty and then removed after filling; and   a capping module which provides for synchronized filling of the cartridge bodies with viscous consumable oils as the fill fluid and capping of the cartridges with a cap, said cap being secured to the cartridge body by a screw engagement or a press fit engagement.   
     
     
         23 . The cartridge handling machine according to  claim 22 , wherein said filling module operates in conjunction with a conveyor assembly which operates to sequentially convey and feed empty cartridge bodies to said filling module, and transport filled cartridge bodies to said capping module. 
     
     
         24 . The cartridge handling machine according to  claim 23 , wherein said capping module comprise an installation chuck which may rotate for a screw engagement or may displace linearly for a press fit. 
     
     
         25 . The cartridge handling machine according to  claim 24 , wherein said capping module comprises a feed assembly having a cap carrier that moves between a loading position and a capping position, in the loading position, said cap carrier receives a cap and holds same in a temporary storage position therein, and said cap carrier being displacable to a capping position, which aligns said cap carrier with said installation chuck and said installation chuck then displaces or operates to drive said cap from said storage position toward and into engagement with said cartridge body. 
     
     
         26 . The cartridge handling machine according to  claim 25 , wherein said feed assembly includes a cap loader, which incrementally loads said caps into said cap carrier by dropping said caps one at a time into said cap carrier, which are held in an interior chamber that defines said temporary storage position. 
     
     
         27 . The cartridge handling machine according to  claim 26 , wherein said interior chamber includes a releasable stop that stops and holds said caps in said interior chamber of said cap carrier, but releases said cap when said installation chuck engages said cap and drives said cap out of said interior chamber for connection to the cartridge body. 
     
     
         28 . The cartridge handling machine according to  claim 27 , wherein said caps are prepositioned in said cap loader in a row and are fed along a feed path until discharged such that said cap will drop by gravity from said cap loader into said carrier.