U.S. patent application number 13/314300 was filed with the patent office on 2012-06-14 for method and device for aseptic filling.
This patent application is currently assigned to KRONES AG. Invention is credited to Roland Feilner, Oliver Martini, Stephan Mayr, Matthias Weinzierl.
Application Number | 20120144778 13/314300 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45023704 |
Filed Date | 2012-06-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120144778 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Feilner; Roland ; et
al. |
June 14, 2012 |
Method and Device for Aseptic Filling
Abstract
A method and a device for the aseptic filling of a liquid food
product that contains at least one solid particle, including
disinfection with a disinfection unit of at least a part of the
external surface of at least one first container which contains the
solid particle, and disinfection of at least a second container,
opening of the disinfected first container with an opening unit and
removal of the solid particle, and filling via a filling unit of a
disinfected second container with the solid particle and a liquid
food.
Inventors: |
Feilner; Roland;
(Regensburg, DE) ; Mayr; Stephan; (Regensburg,
DE) ; Martini; Oliver; (Thun, CH) ; Weinzierl;
Matthias; (Eching, DE) |
Assignee: |
KRONES AG
Neutraubling
DE
|
Family ID: |
45023704 |
Appl. No.: |
13/314300 |
Filed: |
December 8, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
53/425 ;
53/167 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B67C 3/007 20130101;
B67C 3/023 20130101; B67C 7/0073 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
53/425 ;
53/167 |
International
Class: |
B65B 55/02 20060101
B65B055/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 10, 2010 |
DE |
102010062797.6 |
Claims
1. A method for the aseptic filling of a liquid food product, which
contains at least one solid particle, comprising: Disinfecting at
least one part of the external surface of at least one first
container that comprises the solid particle, and disinfecting at
least one second container, Opening the disinfected first container
and removing the solid particle, and Filling a disinfected second
container with the solid particle and a liquid food (18).
2. The method according to claim 1, and one of wherein the external
surface of the first container is completely disinfected, and the
disinfected container is transferred before opening into a clean
room; and wherein the first container is only partly disinfected
and then a disinfected part of the first container is docked onto
an opening unit and opened.
3. The method according to claim 1, and wherein, between the step
of opening in the opening unit and the step of filling: one of
producing a mixture of the solid particle with a liquid carrier in
a dilution unit, predosing one of the solid particle and the
mixture of solid particle with the liquid carrier in a predosing
unit, and a combination thereof.
4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the solid particle
removed from the first container or the mixture (34) runs
consecutively through the opening unit, the dilution unit and the
predosing unit in a vertical direction from top to bottom.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of opening
comprises the perforation of the first container with a
perforator.
6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising one of
testing the leak-tightness of the first container which contains
the solid particle, detecting metal in a second container filled
with liquid food product with a metal detector, and a combination
thereof, wherein the containers are sorted out in the event of one
of a leak, the presence of metal, and a combination thereof.
7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising pasteurizing
one of the liquid food, the liquid carrier, and a combination
thereof with a pasteurization unit.
8. The method according to claim 2, further comprising one of
introducing one of the first container which contains the solid
particle, the empty second container, and a combination thereof
into the clean room via at least one first transfer device,
removing one of the empty first container the second container
filled with the liquid food product, and a combination thereof from
the clean room via at least one second transfer device, and a
combination thereof.
9. A device for the aseptic filling of a liquid food product that
contains at least one solid particle, comprising at least one
disinfection unit to disinfect at least one part of the external
surface of at least one first container that contains the solid
particle and to disinfect at least one second container, at least
one opening unit to open the disinfected first container and to
remove the solid particle, and at least one filling unit for
filling a disinfected second container with a liquid food and the
solid particle.
10. The device according to claim 9, further comprising one of a
clean room in which the opening unit is located, and in which a
completely disinfected first container is opened, a docking unit
which is located at the opening unit and onto which a disinfected
part of the container is docked before opening, and a combination
thereof.
11. The device according to claim 9, further including one of a
dilution unit for producing a mixture of the solid particle with a
liquid carrier, a predosing unit for predosing one of the solid
particle and the mixture of the solid particle with the liquid
carrier, and a combination thereof.
12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the opening unit, the
dilution unit and the predosing unit are laid out in a vertical
direction from top to bottom.
13. The device according to claim 9, further comprising one of a
testing unit for testing the leak-tightness of the first container
which contains the solid particle, a metal detector to detect metal
in a second container filled with liquid food product, and a
combination thereof.
14. The device according to claim 9, further comprising at least
one pasteurization unit for pasteurizing one of the liquid food,
the liquid carrier, and a combination thereof.
15. The device according to claim 9, further comprising one of at
least one first transfer device to introduce one of the first
container, which contains the solid particle, an empty second
container, and a combination thereof into the clean room, at least
one second transfer device to remove one of an empty first
container, a second container filled with the liquid food product,
and a combination thereof from the clean room, and a combination
thereof.
16. The method according to claim 4, wherein the downward movement
is due to gravity.
17. The method according to claim 5, wherein the perforator
perforates the container in a vertical direction from top to
bottom.
18. The method according to claim 7, wherein the pasteurization
step is carried out without treating the solid particle.
19. The device according to claim 12, and wherein the opening unit
comprises a perforator.
20. The device according to claim 19, wherein the perforator is
positioned in such a way in relation to the first container that
the perforator can perforate the first container in a vertical
direction from top to bottom.
21. The device according to claim 14, and wherein the
pasteurization unit is laid out in such a way that the solid
particle is not treated.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application claims the benefit of priority of
German Application No. 102010062797.6, filed Dec. 10, 2010. The
entire text of the priority application is incorporated herein by
reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0002] The disclosure relates to a method and device for the
aseptic filling of liquid food products which contain solid
particles.
BACKGROUND
[0003] There is a growing market for liquid food products such as
fruit juice drinks containing solid particles such as, for example,
whole pieces of fruit, especially aloe vera, coconut, pineapple,
peach or mandarin orange sacs. These pieces of fruit are added to
the carrier juice in proportions of up to 50 percent by weight and
can measure up to 1 cm.times.1 cm.times.1 cm.
[0004] In traditional filling plants, food products of this type
are filled into containers such as glass bottles, PET or polyolefin
bottles or pouches, and the carrier fruit juice and the fruit
pieces are filled into the container separately. The fruit pieces
are normally delivered to the filling plants in pasteurized and
autoclaved containers, mainly tin cans in 5 to 10 kg pack sizes.
The containers are opened shortly before filling, emptied and if
necessary suspended in a carrier liquid before the filling process.
The pasteurized fruit piece suspension is then taken to a predosing
system and then filled together with a second stream of fruit
juice, which may have been subjected to a separate thermal
treatment.
[0005] When the autoclaved containers are opened to remove the
fruit pieces, recontamination with all sorts of microorganisms
occurs, so that the fruit pieces, or the suspension of fruit pieces
in the carrier liquid, have to be pasteurized again. Pasteurisation
is normally carried out through thermal treatment in a flash
pasteuriser. In addition to the thermal stress, the fruit pieces
are subjected to a high level of mechanical stress, from the effect
of pumps, control valves, etc., by the repeated pasteurisation
stage required. This thermal and mechanical stress leads in turn to
unwanted product damage, such as the reduction in the size of the
particles and a more widespread particle size distribution of the
solid particles. Furthermore, the traditional methods and devices
are very cost-intensive and inefficient because of this additional
pasteurisation stage.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure is the provision of a
cost-effective, efficient method and a device for the aseptic
filling of liquid food products containing solid particles in which
the solid particles are subjected to the lowest possible thermal
and mechanical stress, thus ensuring a high quality of the food
product.
[0007] The method according to the disclosure for the aseptic
filling of a liquid food product that contains at least one solid
particle covers the following steps: [0008] Disinfecting at least
one part of the external surface of at least one first container
that contains the solid particle, and disinfecting at least one
second container, [0009] Opening the disinfected first container
and removing the solid particle, [0010] Filling a disinfected
second container with the solid particle and a liquid food.
[0011] The term "disinfecting" is understood to mean the treatment
of the container with suitable disinfectants, such as peracetic
acid, hydrogen peroxide or hot water vapor, whereby microorganisms
occurring on the container surface are reduced at least by the
factor log 3, preferably log 5, and particularly preferably log 7,
i.e. by the factor 1,000, 100,000 or 10,000,000. Suitable
disinfecting methods are known in the state of the art and are not
explained further here.
[0012] The term "first container" refers to the container in which
the solid particles are delivered. The term "second container"
refers to the container in which the liquid food product is filled.
The external surface of the first container is completely
disinfected, or at least a part is disinfected. In the case of the
empty second container, both the external surface and the internal
surface of the container are completely disinfected.
[0013] Because of the previous disinfection of the first container
before the opening and removal of the solid particles, there is no
need for another pasteurization of the solid particles, since the
opening and removal of the solid particles from the first container
are carried out aseptically and thus recontamination with
microorganisms is impossible. As a result, the thermal and
mechanical stress on the solid particles can be minimized, which
means that the size and particle size distribution of the solid
particles are not negatively influenced, which results in a high
quality of the food product. At the same time, the method is
cost-effective and efficient because of the absence of the repeated
pasteurization stage of the solid particles.
[0014] In particular, it is preferred, as regards the method, that
the external surface of the first container which contains the
solid particle is completely disinfected, and the disinfected
container is transferred to a clean room before the opening step.
The opening of the first containers and the removal of the solid
particles from the first container within a clean room ensures
particularly effectively that the opening and emptying process is
carried out aseptically and hygienically so that recontamination of
the solid particles is impossible. The filling step can be carried
out inside or outside the clean room.
[0015] In an alternative embodiment of the method, the first
container is only partly disinfected and then a disinfected part of
this first container is docked on to an opening unit and opened. In
this embodiment, the step of docking the disinfected part of the
first container to the opening unit guarantees that the removal of
the solid particle from the first container is carried out under
aseptic conditions. The advantage of this embodiment is that the
process does not have to take place within a clean room, i.e. that
no clean room is necessary and only a part of the first container
which contains the solid particle has to be disinfected. In this
way, a particularly cost-effective version of the method is
possible. The case is particularly preferred in which the solid
particles are delivered in a cylindrical can and only the base
and/or the cover of the can is disinfected and opened.
[0016] In a further preferred embodiment, the method also includes,
between the opening step and the filling step, the step of
producing a mixture (i.e. a suspension) of the solid particle with
a liquid carrier, and/or the step of predosing the solid particle
and/or the mixture of the solid particle with a liquid carrier. The
liquid food, i.e. the fruit juice in particular, may be used as the
liquid carrier, for example. According to the disclosure, however,
the use of other carrier liquids is comprised. The suspension of
the solid particles, especially if the solid particles are present
in the first containers as pure solids, makes handling of the solid
particles during the filling process easier. However, it is also
possible that the solid particles in the first container are
already present as a suspension, i.e. as a mixture with a carrier
liquid, so that there is no need for the step of making the
mixture. The step of predosing the solid particle and/or the
mixture of the solid particle with the liquid carrier simplifies
filling into the second container, thus allowing a particularly
effective management of the procedure.
[0017] In this, it is particularly preferred that the solid
particles, after removal from the first container, run
consecutively through an opening unit, a dilution unit and a
predosing unit in a vertical direction from top to bottom. A
process management of this type further minimizes the mechanical
stress on the solid particles. As a particular preference, the
downward movement of the solid particles takes place through
gravity so that there is no need for conveyance using pumps or
similar, which additionally reduces the mechanical stress on the
solid particles.
[0018] In particular, the opening step comprises perforating the
first container with a perforator, whereby as a particular
preference the perforator perforates the container in a vertical
direction from top to bottom. Preferably the perforator can in this
way make two openings in the first container, i.e. an outlet
opening and an equalizing opening. The opening made by the
perforator must be large enough for the solid particles to come out
of the opening of the container and for the container to empty
completely as quickly as possible. As a particular preference, the
perforator makes a funnel shape in the outlet opening so that the
container does not need to be turned.
[0019] Furthermore, the method preferably comprises the step of
testing the leak-tightness of the first container that contains the
solid particles. The leak-tightness is determined in particular
through a pressure test, whereby the containers are placed under
pressure (negative or positive) by means of a device and tested for
pressure stability. Alternatively, the leak-tightness test can be
carried out using an ultrasonic measurement in which the containers
are hit with ultrasonic waves which are generated with an
ultrasonic wave device. If the containers are leaky, the product
emerges, and this can be detected using a sensor. Leaky and
insufficiently autoclaved containers can thus be sorted out of the
process and the process can be carried out effectively and the high
quality of the resulting food product maintained.
[0020] Alternatively or in combination with it, the method
comprises in a further preferred embodiment the step of detecting
metal with a metal detector in a second container filled with the
liquid food product. In this way, the presence of metal residues
which could occur, for example, when the first containers are
opened can be detected and containers contaminated in this way can
be removed. This further increases the effectiveness of the method
and the quality of the resultant food product.
[0021] In particular, it is preferred that the method comprises the
step of pasteurizing the liquid food and/or the liquid carrier with
a pasteurizing unit. In this way, it is guaranteed that the
resultant food product meets the hygienic requirements. The
pasteurization step in the method according to the disclosure is
preferably carried out in such a way that the solid particles are
not treated. Such an embodiment of the method can ensure aseptic
filling and thus guarantee a high level of hygienic purity of the
food product without the solid particles being too mechanically
and/or thermally stressed. Pasteurization methods and systems are
known in the state of the art and are not explained further
here.
[0022] As a preference, the method includes the step of introducing
the first container which contains the solid particle and/or the
empty second container into the clean room via at least one
transfer device and/or the method comprises the step of removing
the empty first container and/or the second container filled with
the liquid food product from the clean room via at least one second
transfer device. The entry/removal of the containers out of the
clean room guarantees aseptic filling and thus a high level of
hygiene of the food product.
[0023] The device according to the disclosure for the aseptic
filling of a liquid food product that contains at least one solid
particle comprises: [0024] at least one disinfection unit to
disinfect at least one part of the external surface of at least one
first container that contains the solid particle and to disinfect
at least one second container, [0025] at least one opening unit to
open the disinfected first container and to remove the solid
particle, [0026] at least one filling unit for filling a
disinfected second container with a liquid food and the solid
particle.
[0027] The presence of the disinfection unit for the disinfection
of at least one part of the external surface of the first container
ensures that the liquid food product is filled aseptically, whereby
it is also possible at the same time to do without another
pasteurization of the solid particle, so that the thermal and
mechanical stress on the solid particles is minimized. In this way,
a high quality of the liquid food product as regards the hygienic
requirements and the size and size distribution of the solid
particles can be guaranteed. Furthermore, the device can be
operated effectively and economically since the device does not
include any additional device for pasteurization of the solid
particles after removal from the first container.
[0028] The term "filling unit" comprises according to the
disclosure the following embodiments: (a) a filler; (b) a blender
and a filler; (c) two fillers (i.e. a predosing unit and a filler);
(d) a double-aseptic filler valve which mixes two or more
components in the valve. Corresponding embodiments are known in the
state of the art and are not explained further here.
[0029] Preferably, the device includes additionally a clean room in
which the opening unit is located and in which a completely
disinfected first container is opened. This layout within a clean
room particularly effectively ensures the aseptic opening and
filling of the first container, so that recontamination of the
solid particles is excluded. The filling unit can be inside or
outside the clean room.
[0030] As an alternative, the device may preferably include a
docking unit which is located at the opening unit, and particularly
preferably directly above the opening unit. A disinfected part of
the container is docked before opening onto the docking unit in
such a way that when the first container is opened, the solid
particles are transferred directly and without recontamination into
the opening unit. In this way, the device is particularly efficient
and cost-effective. In this embodiment of the device, the docking
unit guarantees that the solid particle is removed from the first
container under aseptic conditions. The advantage of this
embodiment is that the device does not need to comprise a clean
room and only a part of the first container which contains the
solid particle has to be disinfected, which means that the device
can be made particularly cost-effectively.
[0031] In particular, it is preferred that the device also includes
a dilution unit for making a mixture of the solid particle with a
liquid carrier. This dilution or suspension of the solid particles
with the liquid carrier makes the handling of the solid particle
within the device easier.
[0032] Alternatively or in combination with this, the device also
includes a predosing unit for predosing the solid particle and/or
the mixture of the solid particle with the liquid carrier. This
predosing unit allows predosed portions of the solid particle to be
generated, which can be transferred particularly effectively to the
second container.
[0033] It is particularly preferred that the opening unit, the
dilution unit and the predosing unit are laid out in a vertical
direction from top to bottom. With this layout, after the solid
particles have been removed, they can run through the opening unit,
the dilution unit and the predosing unit with the lowest possible
mechanical stress on the solid particles, which further improves
the quality of the food product.
[0034] As a particular preference, the opening unit comprises a
perforator which, as a particular preference, is laid out in
relation to the first container in such a way that the perforator
can perforate the first container in a vertical direction from top
to bottom. The shape of the perforator should preferably be such
that easy cleaning is possible, i.e. it should not have any
undercuts or similar. Furthermore, the shape of the perforator
should preferably have the smallest possible displacement volume in
order to minimize the mechanical stress on the solid particles in
the container. Preferably, on the lower surface of the container, a
funnel is produced from which the solid particles can emerge
without any further mechanical stress, from pumps etc., being
necessary.
[0035] Furthermore, the device preferably comprises a test unit to
check the leak-tightness of the first container that contains the
solid particle. As an alternative to this or in combination with
it, the device can include a metal detector for detecting metal in
a second container filled with liquid food. Leaky and/or
insufficiently autoclaved containers can thus be sorted out of the
process and the device can thus be operated effectively with the
high quality of the resulting food product being ensured.
[0036] It is particularly preferred that the device has at least
one pasteurizing unit for pasteurizing the liquid food and/or the
liquid carrier, with the pasteurization unit preferably being laid
out in such a way that the solid particles are not treated. In this
way, the quality of the resulting food product can be further
increased, since this guarantees aseptic filling and thus a high
level of hygienic purity of the food product without the solid
particles being overstressed mechanically and/or thermally.
[0037] Preferably, the device can comprise at least a first
transfer device for introducing the first container that contains
the solid particle and/or an empty second container into the clean
room. Alternatively or in combination with it, the device can
comprise at least a second transfer device for introducing an empty
first container and/or a second container filled with the liquid
food product out of the clean room. The transfer devices guarantee
aseptic filling and thus a high level of hygiene of the food
product, which makes a particularly effective device design
possible.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0038] The disclosure and its advantages are further explained on
the basis of the embodiments shown in the following drawings. These
show the following:
[0039] FIG. 1: a schematic sectional drawing of an embodiment of a
device according to the disclosure with clean room;
[0040] FIG. 2: a schematic sectional drawing of a further preferred
embodiment of a device according to the disclosure with clean
room;
[0041] FIG. 3: a schematic sectional drawing of an alternative
embodiment of a device according to the disclosure with docking
device;
[0042] FIG. 4: a part of a device according to the disclosure with
a combined opening unit, dilution unit and predosing unit;
[0043] FIG. 5: a schematic embodiment of a perforator to open a
first container.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0044] FIG. 1 shows a device with a testing unit 40 for testing the
leak-tightness of a first container 6, plus a disinfection unit 20
for disinfecting the external surface of the first container 6.
Furthermore, the device comprises a clean room 22 with transfer
device 46 for the introduction of full first containers 6 and a
second transfer device 48 for the removal of empty first containers
10. The clean room 22 comprises an opening unit 24 for opening the
disinfected first containers 16, and for removing the solid
particles 4 out of the containers 16. Furthermore, the device
comprises a second disinfection unit 20 for disinfecting the empty
second containers 8 into which the food product 2 is filled, and a
filling unit 26. This is linked via pipes with the opening unit 24
and a pasteurization unit 44, through which the solid particles 4
or the liquid food 18 are taken to the filling unit 26. In
addition, the device comprises a metal detector 42 for the
detecting of metal in a second container 12 filled with the liquid
food product 2.
[0045] In the device according to FIG. 1, a method according to the
present disclosure can be carried out as follows:
[0046] After delivery, first containers 6, which contain solid
particles 4, are tested initially for leak-tightness in the testing
unit 40. Leaky containers 50 are sorted out of the testing unit 40.
After the leak-tightness test, the leak-tight first containers 6
are disinfected in the first disinfection unit 20, whereby here the
entire external surface of the containers 6 is treated. After
disinfection, the disinfected first containers 16 are transferred
via the first transfer device 46 into the clean room 22, and opened
by means of the opening unit 24 located there. After opening and
after removal of the solid particles 4 the empty containers 10 are
removed from the clean room 22 via the second transfer device 48.
In parallel with this, in the second disinfection unit 20, empty
second containers 8 are disinfected and transferred to the filling
unit 26, and liquid food 18 is pasteurized using the pasteurization
unit 44. After this, the removed solid particles 4 from the opening
unit 24 and the liquid food 18 from the pasteurization unit 44 are
transferred via pipes to the filling unit 26 and filled there into
the sterilized second container 14. The second containers 12 filled
in this way with the food product 2 are then tested with the metal
detector 42 for the presence of metal and any contaminated
containers 50 are removed.
[0047] A further embodiment of the device is described in FIG. 2.
This is constructed in a similar way to the device according to
FIG. 1, with the difference that in this embodiment the filling
unit 26 is in the clean room 22. In addition, this embodiment
includes two first transfer devices 46 and two second transfer
devices 48 for the introduction/removal of the first containers and
the second containers from the clean room 22.
[0048] In the device according to FIG. 2, a method according to the
present disclosure can be carried out in a way similar to that
described above. The only difference in the embodiment according to
FIG. 2 is that the step of filling takes place in the clean room
22, whereby the empty second containers 8 are introduced into the
clean room 22 and the filled second containers 12 are removed from
the clean room 22.
[0049] An alternative embodiment of a device is shown in FIG. 3.
This device comprises a testing unit 40 for checking the
leak-tightness of a first container 6 which contains the solid
particle 4 and a disinfection unit 20 for disinfecting a part of
the external surface of a first container 6. A docking unit 28 is
positioned directly at the disinfection unit 20, which docking unit
is connected in turn directly with the opening unit 24.
Furthermore, the device includes a filling unit 26 and a second
disinfection unit 22 directly connected with it for disinfecting
the empty second containers 8. The filling unit 26 is connected by
pipes with the opening unit 24 and a pasteurization unit 44 through
which solid particles 4 and/or pasteurized liquid food 18 can enter
the filling unit 26. Furthermore the device comprises a metal
detector 42 to detect metal in a second container 12 filled with
liquid food product 2.
[0050] In the device according to FIG. 3, a method according to the
disclosure can be carried out as follows:
[0051] After the delivery of autoclaved first containers 6 which
contain solid particles 4, these are tested for leak-tightness in
the testing unit 40 and if necessary removed from the process 50.
After the leak-tightness test, the containers 6 are disinfected in
the first disinfection unit 20, whereby the containers are only
disinfected partly, here only on the lower surface 17. After this,
the partly disinfected first containers 15 are transferred to the
docking unit 28. In the docking unit 28, the disinfected part 17 of
the first container 15 is opened in such a way that the disinfected
part 17 is directly above the opening unit 24, so that
non-disinfected parts of the first container do not come into
contact with the solid particles 4 or with the opening unit 24.
After the opening of the first containers 15 and the removal of the
solid particles 4, the empty first containers 10 are removed from
the docking unit 28. In parallel with this, empty second containers
8 are disinfected in the second disinfection unit 20 and then taken
to the filling unit 26. Furthermore, the pasteurization of the
liquid food 18 is carried out. The removed solid particles 4 and
the liquid food 18 are then taken via a pipe to the filling unit
26. In the filling unit 26, the disinfected second container 14 is
filled with the solid particle 4 and the liquid food 18. After
emerging from the filling unit 26, the second container 12 filled
with the liquid food product 2 is tested for metal using the metal
detector 24 and any contaminated containers 50 are removed.
[0052] FIG. 4 shows a preferred embodiment of a part of a device
according to the disclosure which contains a combined opening unit
24, dilution unit 30 and predosing unit 36. The opening unit 24,
the dilution unit and the predosing unit 36 are laid out in a
vertical direction from top to bottom in such a way that after the
emptying of the first containers 15/16 the solid particles 4 are
moved from top to bottom solely due to gravity. The embodiment also
contains an infeed pipe 31 for the production of a mixture 34 of
the solid particle 4 with a liquid carrier 32.
[0053] Within a method according to the disclosure following this
embodiment, the first containers 15/16 are opened in the opening
unit 24, whereby the removed solid particles 4 move in a vertical
direction from top to bottom and enter the dilution unit 30. There,
the liquid carrier 32 is added via the infeed pipe 31, which
produces the mixture 34. The mixture 34 then moves into the
predosing unit 36, with which predosed units are produced which are
then transferred to the filling unit 26 and filled into the second
containers 14.
[0054] FIG. 5 schematically illustrates a section of a preferred
embodiment of the opening unit 24 which contains a perforator 24.
Within the opening step, a first container 15/16 is opened with the
perforator 24, in that the perforator 36 perforates the closed
container in a vertical direction from top to bottom, so that the
solid particles 4 emerge from the funnel-shaped opening on the
underneath of the container 15/16 in the direction of the
arrow.
* * * * *