Title of Invention

AN IMPROVED NOZZLE ASSEMBLY

Abstract An improved nozzle assembly used in mixer-coater, comprising: L-shaped nozzle pipe (1.1), the said nozzle pipe having one longer feed end and the other shorter discharge end, the said discharge end at the tip (1.3) having one large central hole (1.5) and 3 no. peripheral holes (1.4).
Full Text FORM 2
THE PATENT ACT 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
The Patents Rules, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See section 10 and rule 13)
1. TITLE OF THE INVENTION : 'An improved nozzle assembly.'

2. APPLICANT
(a) NAME :
(b) NATIONALITY
(c) ADDRESS:

Mr. RAJKUMAR BUDHRAJA
INDIAN
PLOT NO. 23,
GOLANI COMPLEX,
OPPOSITE AGARWAL HOSPITAL,
VALIV VASAI ROAD-, VASAI EAST.
THANE-401208. MAHARASHTRA.

3. PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRITION
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION The following specification
particularly describes the invention
and the manner in which it is to be
performed


GRANTED

An improved nozzle assembly. Introduction- In the pharmaceutical industry the key component for coating pellets and particles are coaters which consist of a top chamber, taper expansion chamber, product chamber, nozzle chamber and the bottom chamber called as the inlet plenum. The nozzle chamber consists of a nozzle assembly fitted into the distribution plate which is responsible for carrying out the process of fluidization. Fluidization is nothing but the process used in the pharma industry for coating /drying. It is better known as fluidization in a guided way of granules and coating of pellets in the pharma industry. The process involves passage fluidized air with the help of a blower which is sucked from the bottom inlet plenum. The compressed air is passed through holes provided in the nozzle assembly. The nozzle assembly is also provided with a thin inner needle which is provided with a hole at the top. This inner needle is responsible for passing a liquid fluid or a coating agent better known as a coating solution which is passed along with the compressed air. This results in generation of fine spray and coating of even minute granules which are placed on a distribution plate in the product chamber. These granules are thrown up in the air in the product chamber in a fountain like movement due to the decrease in velocity as the higher tip taper chamber
Original 1278/MUM/2004

lesser the velocity created. As a result these granules drop to the bottom of the plate in a u shaped reverse motion as a result of centrifugal forces acting in the product chamber. In the meanwhile the fluidization process is simultaneously in operation as a result of which the pellets/ granules are coated at a high pressure.
But since this process of fluidization works at a high pressure and the holes provided in the conventional nozzle assembly were minute the nozzle assembly used to get choked up. The main reasons for choking up were that the coating solutions were either thick which obstructed the passage of the coating solutions or the hardening of the powder material used as coating agent blocked the holes thus resulting in stoppage of liquid coating solution. Moreover in the conventional methods the nozzle assembly was fitted in such a manner that the cleaning of the nozzle assembly was not possible without detaching the entire coater consisting of the product chamber and the nozzle chamber. The advantage in the present invention is that the nozzle assembly can be easily separated from the nozzle chamber without detaching the remaining components as a result the nozzle assembly can be removed even when the process of coating is in operation. The main objective behind this is that the duration of time in changing the nozzle assembly is greatly reduced without disturbing the process in operation.

This results in uniform coating. This nozzle assembly is especially useful in multi head 3 to 9 spray nozzle for coating having large batch sizes. In such machines if the nozzle assembly is choked up , the entire process comes to a halt where the product has to be unloaded to discharge the nozzle assembly. In the present invention the nozzle assembly can be changed even when the coating process is in operation. Conventional methods and their disadvantages-
The conventional nozzle assembly was a permanent fixture in the sense that it could not be removed without detaching the remaining components of a coater. The conventional nozzle assembly had two inlet openings one on the right and the other on the left. The right opening was used for the passage of air while the left opening was used for the passage of the coating solution. As a result the compressed air used to come in contact with the coating solution during its passage into the product chamber. The disadvantage behind the conventional nozzle assembly was that if the holes of the nozzle assembly would get choked up the entire batching process would come to a standstill for cleaning the nozzle assembly. The conventional nozzle assembly consisted of just one top opening for passage of compressed air and one opening for the coating solution.

This would result in frequent choking up resulting in poor quality of coating solution as well as constant interruption in the batching process. This made the entire operation of batching extremely tedious, time consuming and unsafe. Moreover there was no means of knowing whether the nozzle assembly was choked up as there was no indicator provided to regulate the movement of the fluidizer and the compressed air. The only means of knowing that the nozzle assembly is choked was when there was poor quality of fluidization resulting in inferior quality of coated granules. Thus the nozzle assembly could not be individually separated without detaching the remaining components of the coater. Disadvantages of the conventional method-
Before the invention of the apparatus the cleaning of the conventional nozzle assembly was time consuming as the nozzle assembly could not be separated individually without detaching the components of the coater like a mesh plate , distribution plate etc. The nozzle assembly was tedious as the nozzle assembly could not be as it was fixed along with several other attachments of a coater.

Since the extent of choke up was not visible neither indicated by means of any indicator this resulted in damage to the final products and resulted in poor quality of final output.
Manual observation was necessary to check the quality of coating as well as to know the whether the nozzle assembly had choked up. The cleaning of the nozzle assembly also affected the batching process as the batching process had to be completely stopped in order to remove and re attach the nozzle assembly after cleaning it.



Complete description of the invention-
The present invention is an L - shaped nozzle assembly forming an angle of
90 degrees. This nozzle assembly has an inner pipe which allows the passage
of the coating solution once the nozzle assembly is fitted into the nozzle
chamber. The compressed air passes through the area covering the inner
sides of the L shaped nozzle assembly excluding the inner pipe for passage
of the coating solution. So nowhere does the coating solution come in
contact with the compressed air. The coating
solution is automized in the fluid bed coater. The compressed air and the coating solution function in individual capacities. Thus the blockage of the nozzle assembly is eliminated. Moreover the opening of the nozzle assembly consists of one opening provided in the centre of the top circumference of the nozzle assembly. The nozzle assembly is provided with acentral
and 3 number peripheral holes as a result the
possibility of a choke up is greatly reduced. There are three holes provided which surround the hole provided for passage of coating solution. These holes allow the passage of compressed air which is responsible for the process of automization. Thus as there is free flow of the compressed air as well as the coating solution in individual capacities the process of coating of the granules is efficient and fast.

This also eliminates the possibilities of choking up of the nozzle assembly. The L - shaped nozzle assembly enables easy removal of the nozzle assembly from the nozzle chamber. Therefore the remaining components need not be detached from the coater in order to remove the nozzle assembly. Thus this nozzle assembly can be cleaned easily without wasting considerable manpower. If the coating solution is thick and even if the holes of the nozzle assembly get choked up, the extent of choke up can be known through the pic software which controls the movement of the nozzle assembly. The present invention has been devised with the general objective of easy removal of the nozzle assembly without disturbing the production assembly. If the coating solution or powder material gets jammed into the holes provided in the nozzle assembly then the nozzle assembly can be easily detached for cleaning purposes without disturbing the process of production. The granules which are to be coated are placed on a distribution plate which rotates in 360 degrees. At the same time the coating solution is passed through the inner pipe of the L shaped nozzle assembly and compressed air is passed through the inner sides of the nozzle assembly in accurate quantity for desired degree of coating.



If the material or the coating solution get stuck on the holes of the nozzle assembly this can be easily traced on the computer screen with the help of pic software. There is an indicator provided on the computer screen which reflects the extent of choke up of the nozzle assembly which then can be easily removed for cleaning purposes without detaching the rest of the components of the coater.

Advantages of the present invention-
The present invention namely an improved nozzle assembly allows the nozzle assembly to be easily separated from the nozzle chamber due to its unique L shape without disturbing the other attachments of spares of the container. As a result the time for removing the nozzle assembly is considerably reduced. The fitting mechanism of the nozzle assembly is easy. It can be easily removable and can be easily fixed to the nozzle assembly after its cleaning purposes. Since the material or liquid gets stuck up into the holes of the nozzle assembly it can be easily traced through the indicator on the computer screen regulated by the pic software. Moreover it reduces the chances of material damage. During the operation if the material gets stuck up in the holes of the nozzle assembly it can be cleaned in time so that it gives fine quality of output and reduces chances of material damage which results in better fluidization. The material is safely rotated for granulation as the apparatus helps the spray nozzle to be removed without disturbing other attachments of the coater during the entire process

The nozzle assembly is easily removable and can be taken out and fitted after its cleaning purpose therefore the batching process need to be stopped to remove the nozzle assembly for cleaning. The L shaped nozzle assembly as claimed can be of any material like SS, MS, and Iron etc and can be of any shape and size as per the requirement.
Explanation with accompanying drawings. Fig 1 illustrates the improved nozzle assembly.
1.1 illustrates the outer side of the nozzle assembly.
1.2 illustrates the inner pipe of the nozzle assembly responsible for passage of the coating solution.
1.3 illustrates the top view of the hole situated on the top circumference at the axis responsible for passage of the coating solution.
1.4 illustrates the three peripheral holes for passage of compressed air.
1.5 illustrates central hole, alligned with central pipe (1.2)
1.6 DS - pressure sensor on discharge end
1.7 VS - visual sensor


Documents:

1278-mum-2004-cancelled pages(25-7-2007).pdf

1278-mum-2004-claims(granted)-(25-7-2007).doc

1278-mum-2004-claims(granted)-(25-7-2007).pdf

1278-mum-2004-correspondence(25-7-2007).pdf

1278-mum-2004-correspondence(ipo)-(12-10-2007).pdf

1278-mum-2004-drawing(25-7-2007).pdf

1278-mum-2004-form 1(30-11-2004).pdf

1278-mum-2004-form 19(30-11-2004).pdf

1278-mum-2004-form 2(granted)-(25-7-2007).doc

1278-mum-2004-form 2(granted)-(25-7-2007).pdf

1278-mum-2004-form 26(21-10-2004).pdf

1278-mum-2004-form 26(30-11-2004).pdf

1278-mum-2004-form 3(30-11-2004).pdf

1278-mum-2004-form 5(30-11-2004).pdf

abstract1.jpg


Patent Number 221944
Indian Patent Application Number 1278/MUM/2004
PG Journal Number 41/2008
Publication Date 10-Oct-2008
Grant Date 11-Jul-2008
Date of Filing 30-Nov-2004
Name of Patentee RAJKUMAR BUDHRAJA
Applicant Address PLOT NO 23, GOLANI COMPLEX, OPPOSITE AGARWAL HOSPITAL, VALIV VASAI ROAD, VASAI EAST, THANE,
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 RAJKUMAR BUDHRAJA PLOT NO 23, GOLANI COMPLEX, OPPOSITE AGARWAL HOSPITAL, VALIV VASAI ROAD, VASAI EAST, THANE-401208,
PCT International Classification Number B05B1/00
PCT International Application Number N/A
PCT International Filing date
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 NA