Product discharge and cleaning assembly for an apparatus for coating tablets

A fluidized bed apparatus for applying a coating liquid onto the surface of particles includes a vertically disposed cylindrical product container having a peripheral wall, at least one cylindrical partition defining a centrally located up bed region and a peripherally located down bed region. The product container further includes an upper end connected to an expansion chamber and a lower end including an orifice plate having a plurality of openings for passage of fluidized air or gas. A nozzle is centrally located through the orifice plate and is adapted to generate a spray of coating liquid upwardly into the up bed. Particles located within the product container circulate upwardly through the partition and the coating liquid spray, between the up bed and the down bed. A plurality of inwardly directed discharge jets are positioned along the periphery of the product container and generally adjacent to the orifice plate. A source of pressurized air or gas is connected to the plurality of discharge jets and provide a radially inwardly directed flow of air or gas through the particles of the down bed so that the particles located adjacent to the peripheral wall of the product container are displaced radially inwardly along the orifice plate towards the nozzle and the up bed. A partition having an outer wall surface and an outwardly directed flared lower end defining a lower rim. The partition further includes an inwardly and upwardly directed ramp surface extending between the lower rim and the up bed. The improved partition encourages particles located within the down bed adjacent to the outer wall surface to move outwardly away from the up bed until reaching the lower rim, at which point the particles are atraumatically and gradually directed inwardly and upwardly along the inwardly and upwardly directed ramp surface into the up bed to continue the coating process. A nozzle ramp is provided around the nozzle. The nozzle ramp is generally cusp shaped and includes nozzle-ramp surface. The nozzle ramp is centrally positioned around the nozzle and is directed upwardly towards the partition so that the nozzle-ramp surface directs particles moving generally horizontally across the orifice plate from the down bed upwardly into the partition and the up bed. The nozzle ramp may further include air passages for passing fluidized air upwardly to the nozzle-ramp surface. A central discharge assembly is provided at the lower end of the product containers for emptying p