| 主权项 |
1. A packing apparatus in a sterile environment comprising a series of walls assembled to one another and predisposed in such a way as to identify and circumscribe an isolated environment from a surrounding environment, the isolated environment having measures to maintain the isolated environment in a sterile and aseptic condition,
the apparatus internally of the isolated environment comprising: at least one line and a series of operating stations associated with the line for performing a packing operation wherein the series of operating stations comprise an operating station with a supply zone to be supplied with articles to be used for the packing operations, said supply zone being at a height above a ground level; a loading and supply system for loading and supplying articles to said supply zone, the loading and supply system comprising: a hatch, located on a first vertical wall of the series of walls, positioned to be facing said operating station, and in a position at a height from the ground level which is below the position of the supply zone from the ground level; a container element for containing articles, the container element having a bottom, lateral walls which surround the bottom, and an upper part opposite to the bottom so as to define an internal volume for containing articles, the container element having a first load opening in the upper part opposite the bottom and communicating with the internal volume, for loading the articles into the internal volume, and at or in one of said lateral walls a second unloading opening communicating with the internal volume, for unloading the articles from the internal volume, wherein the loading and supply system has a support frame for supporting the container element internally within the isolated environment, in a zone in proximity of the operating station, the frame being mounted at a second vertical wall of the series of walls which surround the isolated environment, opposite the first vertical wall, the frame being movable in rotation about a first rotation axis parallel to the second vertical wall, to move the container element with respect to both the supply zone of the operating station and the hatch and in order to position the container element in a lowered position, wherein the container element is at the hatch and below the supply zone of the operating station with the first load opening positioned at the hatch to enable loading of the articles into the internal volume via the hatch, and in a raised position, wherein the container element is above the hatch and above the supply zone, with the second unloading opening positioned above the supply zone of the operating station, and with an orientation and configuration such that the articles contained in the internal volume remain within the volume, the frame being further movable in rotation about a second rotation axis, perpendicular to the first rotation axis and perpendicular to the second vertical wall, to rotate the container element movable in rotation about the second rotation axis so that, when the container element is positioned in the raised position, the articles contained in the internal volume are directed towards the second unloading opening for unloading the container element to the outside at the supply zone of the operating station. |
