Injection device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a manual injection device (1) or accessory suitable for piercing and emptying vacuum-sealed packages (P) containing granular material, comprising a tubular body (2) having a duct (20) for the flow of material extending from an inlet opening (21) at a first end to an outlet opening (22) for the granular material at a second end, and a hollow piercing tool (3) rigidly connected to the tubular body, the hollow piercing tool having a distal end terminating in a sharp tip (30) and an enlarged base (31) at a proximal end. The device further comprises a shoulder (4) as a stop for abutting the wall of the package to stop the injection device when the wall is pierced by the piercing tool (3).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an injection device having a special application for perforating and emptying a container containing granular material, basically by gravity phenomena and possibly assisted by the user's movement when manually operated. Alternatively, the injection device may be attached to a manufacturing unit.

[0002] The present disclosure further relates to a package specially configured to avoid handling errors in cooperation with such an injection device, and to a facility including the injection device and the package according to the present disclosure.

[0003] More specifically, the present invention relates to emptying a vacuum-sealed package in which granular material is compressed by the vacuum inside the package and the pressure difference between the internal pressure of the package, which is lower than atmospheric pressure, and the atmospheric pressure outside the package.

[0004] The present invention has a special, non-limiting application particularly in the field of beer production, in the aseptic transfer of granular materials such as yeast from a package, particularly a vacuum-sealed package, to a facility such as a fermentation tank.

[0005] The present disclosure relates to the field of vacuum-sealed packaging of dry granular materials such as powdered dry yeast, and to a technical solution for the aseptic transfer of granular materials contained in a package to a predetermined facility.

[0006] In the field of beer production, it is very often necessary to add dry yeast in several manufacturing steps. For example, such addition is very often carried out after cooling the wort obtained by filtering a mixture of crushed grain kernels and water in order to achieve fermentation in the tank.

[0007] Active dry yeast is typically housed within a vacuum-sealed package in order to be protected from oxygen and moisture during storage. This package is opened for the purpose of manually injecting its contents into the manhole of a fermentation tank. This operation must be performed by aseptic means whenever possible, as otherwise, contaminants, bacteria, or fungi may be transferred into the tank and grow during fermentation, potentially degrading the sensory properties of the beverage. To prevent the transfer of contaminants into the tank, the tools (such as scissors) used to open the package may be sterilized, and the outer surface of the package may also be sterilized, prior to piercing the vacuum-sealed package.

[0008] Once the vacuum-sealed package is opened, the operator can simply invert the package above the manhole to inject the yeast into the work in the fermentation tank.

[0009] According to the findings of the present inventors, such an implementation is not sufficient, and several reasons for this are shown below. - Sterilization of tools (such as scissors), typically performed using a flame or a disinfectant solution, is cumbersome, and the success of the operation basically depends on the attention of the operator performing this operation. - Manual injection of the package through the manhole is often a cumbersome operation with a non-negligible risk of dangerous drops, such as the package falling into the tank, especially - The opening of the manhole itself required for yeast injection allows a large amount of unsterilized air to flow into the tank, and there is a risk of bacteria and fungi floating in the air entering the tank and contaminating the wort, thus deteriorating the aseptic state of the tank.

Background Art

[0010] Conventionally, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, an apparatus suitable for piercing and emptying a package for the purpose of transporting a sanitary product is known. The apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 is intended to empty a bag of liquid such as a source or a beverage and implicitly requires the use of suction. This technical means is neither effective nor functional for removing and emptying particulate material from a vacuum-sealed package.

[0011] Also, for example, from Patent Document 2, there is known an apparatus specially designed to take out and empty a predetermined amount of granular material (such as fine powder). This apparatus includes a perforating tool having an ogive shape for perforating the wall of a container until a shoulder provided on the ogive-shaped base abuts against the wall of the container. The perforating tool is hollow and has a lateral opening for being completely located inside the container when the shoulder abuts against the wall. Due to the lateral opening, after the material is transferred into the body of the perforating tool, it flows into the ogive-shaped base toward the outlet hole. This apparatus is designed to deliver an amount of material corresponding to the volume of the hollow part each time the container is inverted.

[0012] In any case, also according to the findings of the present inventors, this apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2 cannot perforate and completely and quickly empty an entire package, especially in the case of a package generally held in a vertical position, particularly a vacuum-sealed package.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0013]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

[0014] The present disclosure proposes an injection device having a special use for perforating and emptying a vacuum-sealed package containing granular material, basically by means of the gravity phenomenon, particularly when manually operated, probably by gently shaking and / or deforming the flexible wall of the package, thereby improving this situation.

[0015] More specifically, the device has a special use for completely and quickly emptying the granular material of a vacuum-sealed package in a state where the device and the package are generally in a vertical position, that is, without the need to invert the package.

[0016] Another object of the present disclosure is to propose an apparatus configured for manual operation that limits the risk of mishandling by an operator.

[0017] Another object of the present disclosure is to propose a manufacturing unit including an injection device configured for aseptic transfer of granular material described in the present disclosure to a housing, which is permanently attached and housed in a vacuum-sealed package.

[0018] Another object of the present disclosure is to propose a package configured to cooperate with the injection device described in the present disclosure, particularly a manual injection device, or an injection device belonging to the manufacturing unit described in the present disclosure.

[0019] Another object of the present disclosure is to propose an assembly including an injection device and a package configured to cooperate with a piercing device described in the present disclosure, particularly a manually operated piercing device or alternatively a piercing device belonging to the manufacturing unit described in the present disclosure.

[0020] Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description, which is given for the purpose of providing information and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0021] In a first aspect, the present disclosure relates to an injection device suitable for piercing and emptying granular material housed in a package, particularly a vacuum-sealed package. The injection device includes a cylindrical body having a duct for the flow of material extending from an inlet opening located at a first end to an outlet opening of the granular material located at a second end. A hollow piercing tool having a distal end reaching a pointed tip and an enlarged base at a proximal end, which is firmly connected to the cylindrical body at the first end of the cylindrical body, and at least one lateral opening along the length of the piercing tool configured to inject material from the outside to the inside of the hollow portion of the piercing tool, and the hollow portion of the enlarged base of the piercing tool communicates with the inlet opening of the cylindrical body. Formed by the first end of the tubular body disposed around the widened base of the piercing tool, and configured to stop the injection device when the wall portion is pierced by the piercing tool at a position where the side opening extends into the package by directly or indirectly abutting against the wall portion of the package. A shoulder as a peripheral stop portion, The injection device is arranged vertically with the pointed tip facing upward, and is configured to ensure that the contents in the vacuum-sealed package are continuously taken out and emptied when the granular material passes through the inlet opening through the side opening by gravity.

[0022] The manual injection device includes any of the following features separately or in combination. The piercing tool has a longitudinal axis, the shoulder is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and has a flat surface configured as a bonding surface (Sc) bonded to the outer wall portion of the package with an adhesive. The flat surface as the bonding surface is 3 cm 2 ~50 cm 2 For example, 5 cm 2 ~50 cm 2 For example, 3 cm 2 ~10 cm 2 Or 10 cm 2 ~35 cm 2 And has an effective surface area of bonding. The effective surface of the bonding is ring-shaped and defined between an outer radius and an inner radius. The radius difference ΔR between the outer radius and the inner radius is 2 mm to 20 mm. The tubular body has a longitudinal axis substantially the same as the longitudinal axis of the piercing tool. The injection device is manual, and the tubular body has dimensions configured to form a handle. The effective length of the tubular body as a handle is 5 cm to 15 cm, for example 6 cm to 10 cm, for example 7 cm. The outer diameter of the effective surface forming the grip handle is 2 cm to 5 cm, for example 2.5 cm. The device is firmly connected to the gripping handle and has a wrist strap through which the user's hand passes when the user grips the gripping handle. The injection device is made of a plastic material forming the piercing tool and the cylindrical body and is basically composed of a single part including a shoulder.

[0023] In an advantageous embodiment, in particular to empty a small package, the piercing tool has an enlarged base having a dimension that is long in a first direction and short in a substantially perpendicular second direction in a plane perpendicular to its longitudinal axis, and the effective surface of the joint is long in the first direction and narrow in the second direction and extends along an elliptical locus consisting of a closed curve.

[0024] In a second aspect, the present disclosure further relates to a manufacturing unit including a housing and the injection device according to the present disclosure firmly attached to the housing or a pipe, in which manufacturing unit the piercing tool is arranged longitudinally with its pointed tip facing upward, and the injection device is configured to transfer particulate material housed in a vacuum-sealed package directly to the housing or indirectly via the pipe.

[0025] In one embodiment of the manufacturing unit, the cylindrical body of the injection device is firmly and sealingly connected to the housing such that the outlet opening communicates with the internal volume of the housing, and the injection device arranged at the upper part of the housing is configured such that the particulate material flows (by gravity) from the outlet opening into the interior of the housing.

[0026] In one embodiment of the manufacturing unit, the housing has a product pumped through the pipe, and the cylindrical body of the injection device is directly or indirectly sealingly coupled to the pipe such that the particulate material flows into the pipe before being routed into the housing together with the product while being mixed with the product. For example, the manufacturing unit is a fermentation unit and the housing is a fermentation tank.

[0027] In a third aspect, the present disclosure relates to a package containing a granular material, the package including an adhesive on an outer surface of a wall portion that is isolated from external contamination by a peel sheet that is aseptic or sterilized and is to be removed for package piercing, the adhesive being configured to be joined to a shoulder portion of the injection device described in the present disclosure when the piercing tool pierces the wall portion. The injection device may be configured to be manual or may be permanently provided in a manufacturing unit.

[0028] The package includes any of the following features separately or in combination. The adhesive has a first adhesive surface joined to the wall portion of the package and a second adhesive surface covered by the peel sheet, and is a double-sided adhesive configured to be joined to a joining surface of a shoulder portion of the injection device described in the present disclosure. The adhesive has a hole for passing through when the piercing tool pierces the wall portion of the package. The adhesive is annular or elliptical. The double-sided adhesive has a thickness of 0.5 mm to 2 mm, for example 0.6 mm, 1.1 mm or 1.6 mm, separating the first adhesive surface and the second adhesive surface, and is flexible with respect to the thickness. The double-sided adhesive includes a flexible substrate for an adhesive composition and an adhesive composition covering the substrate, the substrate being an air cell and formed of a closed-cell foam. The granular material is in a vacuum within the package.

[0029] In a fourth aspect, the present disclosure further relates to an assembly including not only a manual injection device but also the package described in the present disclosure.

[0030] In one embodiment of the assembly, the assembly includes the manual injection device described in the present disclosure, and when the adhesive of the package is perforated by a perforating tool on the wall of the package, it is joined to the shoulder of the injection device to form an adhesive joint. The adhesive joint between the shoulder and the adhesive is configured such that an operator can hold the assembly only by the handle of the injection device. The pointed tip of the perforating tool of the injection device faces downward, and the package containing the granular material is suspended from the injection device only by the joining force of the adhesive joint.

[0031] In a fifth aspect, the present disclosure further includes an injection device of the equipment described in the present disclosure or an injection device of the fermentation unit described in the present disclosure, and a cover that seals and cooperates with the first end of the cylindrical body to cover the perforating tool and form a fluid-tight chamber. The sealed chamber is defined between the cover, the perforating tool, and the shoulder, and communicates with the duct of the cylindrical body through the at least one side opening, relating to equipment.

[0032] The present disclosure further relates to a method for cleaning and disinfecting the inner surface of the duct of the perforating tool and the cylindrical body of the injection device of the equipment described in the present disclosure, and the outer surfaces of the perforating tool and the shoulder. The cover is placed in a predetermined position to cover the perforating tool and the shoulder to form the fluid-tight chamber. The sealed chamber is defined between the cover, the perforating tool, and the shoulder, and communicates with the duct of the cylindrical body through the side opening. By injecting a disinfectant through the outlet opening, the disinfectant flows into the duct and the hollow part of the perforating tool and contacts the inner wall of the duct and the hollow part of the perforating tool, while flowing into the sealed chamber and contacting the outer wall of the perforating tool and the shoulder.

[0033] In one embodiment, the step of injecting a disinfectant to disinfect the inner surface of the perforating tool of the injection device and the duct of the cylindrical body, and the outer surfaces of the perforating tool and the shoulder is an injection step for simultaneously cleaning the inner surface of the manufacturing unit.

[0034] Other features, details, and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description and analysis of the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0035]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 3a

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0036] The present invention relates to a manual injection device 1 suitable for perforating and emptying a package P containing a granular material, particularly a vacuum-sealed package.

[0037] The granular material is preferably a dried product such as active dry yeast for the purpose of fermentation such as beer production. The granular material is preferably contained in a vacuum-sealed package. Due to the vacuum and the pressure difference between the internal pressure and the external pressure below atmospheric pressure, i.e., atmospheric pressure, the material and the package are compressed.

[0038] According to preliminary tests conducted by the inventors, an injection device that operates to perforate a package and remove and empty a liquid or granular material from a conventional package (without vacuum) as known from the prior art disclosed in Patent Document 2, for example, is not sufficient to remove and empty the compressed granular material from a vacuum-sealed package. When using these devices with such vacuum-sealed packages, one begins to remove and empty the granular material before the flow quickly stops. These injection devices cannot quickly remove and empty the granular contents in the package.

[0039] The present invention stems from the inventors' finding that when a conventional injection device is used to perforate and empty a vacuum-sealed package, a partial vacuum is generated during the flow of the material, and the vacuum in the package that is opposite to the flow of the granular material can be maintained. In other words, if the air required to remove and empty the granular contents flows in the opposite direction of the flow, a reflux occurs, resulting in product loss and a risk of escaping outside the device at the perforation site.

[0040] To address this problem, the inventors designed an injection device which, in at least one embodiment, when configured to be manual, pierces the package and enables the operator to easily handle it, for example, by shaking the injection device and the pierced package assembly during an emptying operation or by deforming the flexible wall of the package to facilitate the flow through, for example, a manhole of a fermentation tank, preferably limiting the risk of mishandling and accidental dropping.

[0041] Advantageously, such a device can quickly and especially continuously remove and empty all the granular material contained in a package, in particular a vacuum-sealed package.

[0042] According to one embodiment, when the injection device is firmly connected and permanently attached to the manufacturing unit, advantageously, the injection device can aseptically transfer the granular material contained in the vacuum-sealed package to the housing of the manufacturing unit.

[0043] Also, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 by way of non-limiting example, the injection device 1 is configured to be manual and is suitable for piercing and emptying the granular material contained in a package P, in particular a vacuum-sealed package.

[0044] Generally, the injection device 1 configured (to be manual or non-manual) has a cylindrical body 2 having a duct 20 for the flow of material extending from an inlet opening 21 located at a first end to an outlet opening 22 of the granular material located at a second end, a hollow piercing tool 3 having a distal end ending in a sharp tip 30 and a widened base 31 at the proximal end, and being firmly connected to the cylindrical body at the first end of the cylindrical body, the hollow piercing tool having at least one lateral opening 32 along the length of the piercing tool configured to inject material from the outside to the inside of the hollow part of the piercing tool 3, and the hollow part of the widened base 31 of the piercing tool 3 communicating with the inlet opening 21 of the cylindrical body 2. It includes a shoulder 4 as a peripheral stop portion formed by the first end of the cylindrical body 2 disposed around the widened base 31 of the perforating tool, which abuts against the wall portion of the package and is configured to stop the injection device when the wall portion is perforated by the perforating tool 3.

[0045] Generally, it is preferable that the longitudinal axis A of the perforating tool is substantially the same as the longitudinal axis of the duct 20. It should be noted that the duct 20 extends in the vertical direction of the perforating tool when the perforating tool is disposed vertically, and the pointed tip 30 faces upward.

[0046] Generally, the perforating tool can include a plurality of side openings 32 distributed around the axis A of the perforating tool. For example, it should be noted that four openings extend at an angle sector, especially at an angle of less than 90°.

[0047] The perforating tool 3 has the shape of an ogive including ogive arches 33 each extending from the widened base 31 of the perforating tool to the pointed tip 30 of the perforating tool and merging. The at least one side opening 32 can include a plurality of side openings 32. Each side opening 32 preferably extends from the widened base 31 towards the pointed tip 30 over all or part of the length of the perforating tool between two consecutive ogive arches 33. As an example, four ogive arches 33 are distributed around the axis A, for example, every 90°.

[0048] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, such an injection device is used in its manual configuration by perforating the wall portion of the package with the perforating tool until the shoulder 4 hits and stops against the outer surface of the wall portion of the package. The injection is performed when the device is held in a position where the axis of the perforating tool is substantially vertical and the pointed tip 30 faces upward. The granular material passes from the package through the side openings and the inlet opening 21 in the hollow portion of the perforating tool 3 and flows into the outlet opening 22 from which the granular material escapes.

[0049] During the emptying operation, the operator can hold the package with one hand and the injection device with the other hand, deform the package, especially a vacuum-sealed package, and shake the assembly of the injection device and the package P to promote the flow.

[0050] The manual injection device has a special application in the aseptic transfer of dry brewer's yeast into the fermentation tank. In particular, for this reason, in order to avoid the risk of an object (package and / or injection device) falling into the fermentation tank and the associated contamination risk, the injection device and / or the package itself can have certain advantageous provisions.

[0051] Therefore, the shoulder 4 can first have a flat surface configured to be substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and to be a joint surface Sc joined to the outer wall portion of the package with an adhesive. In such a case, advantageously, the package P containing the granular material may include an adhesive Ad that is sterile or sterilized and is isolated and protected from external contamination by a release sheet Fp on the outer surface of its wall. This release sheet Fp is to be removed before piercing. When the release sheet Fp is removed, the adhesive is configured to be joined to the shoulder 4 of the injection device when the piercing tool pierces the wall of the package.

[0052] The adhesive Ad may be a double-sided adhesive having a first adhesive surface S1 joined (pre-attached) to the wall of the package and a second adhesive surface S2 covered with a release sheet Fp that functions as a protection. When the release sheet is removed, the second adhesive surface is configured to be joined to the joint surface Sc of the shoulder to hold the injection device to the package. For example, the double-sided adhesive may be a double-sided silicone adhesive. As shown in the figure, this adhesive may be located at one of the longitudinal ends of the package when the package is long in the direction. Advantageously, the adhesive further preferably prevents leakage of the product from the piercing hole of the package by sealing 360° between the shoulder 4 and the adhesive around the piercing device to avoid reflux of the granular material.

[0053] The double-sided adhesive may have a thickness of 0.5 mm to 2 mm, for example, 0.6 mm, 1.1 mm or 1.6 mm, separating the first adhesive surface and the second adhesive surface. In combination with the fact that the adhesive is flexible (with respect to its thickness), such a thickness provides a seal between the package and the bonding surface of the device and advantageously compensates for the unevenness of the package wall portion in contact with the first surface of the adhesive. The unevenness may be constituted by folds or grooves in the package wall portion.

[0054] Therefore, the double-sided adhesive includes a flexible substrate and an adhesive composition, for example, an air cell, and preferably an independent bubble foam. For example, the foam may be acrylic. The adhesive composition covering the substrate may be acrylic.

[0055] The flat surface as the bonding surface Sc can be 3 cm 2 ~50 cm 2 For example, 5 cm 2 ~50 cm 2 For example, 10 cm 2 ~35 cm 2 For example, 20 cm 2 and can have a bonding effective surface area of about that size. The surface area can be further 3 cm 2 ~10 cm 2 The bonding surface is a determining parameter for the bonding strength of the adhesive bond between the package and the injection device. However, by selecting an adhesive composition with a higher bonding strength, depending on the type of adhesive selected (and its bonding strength), the bonding surface can be made smaller to achieve the same bonding strength.

[0056] The effective surface of the joint may be an annular shape defined between an outer radius Rext and an inner radius Rint. The radius difference ΔR between the outer radius Rext and the inner radius Rint is 2 mm to 30 mm, for example, 2 mm to 10 mm or 10 mm to 20 mm.

[0057] The adhesive Ad can have a hole T for passage when the piercing tool pierces the wall of the package. This hole has a diameter at least equal to the diameter of the widened base 31 of the piercing tool. The adhesive Ad may be annular and is preferably sized according to the dimensions of the joint surface Sc formed by the shoulder 4. In the case of an annular adhesive, it can have the same inner radius and the same outer radius as the flat effective surface of the shoulder as the joint surface Sc.

[0058] In a possible alternative (not shown), instead of the package, it is also possible to apply an (previously attached) adhesive to the shoulder 4 of the piercing device.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 4, generally, whenever the device is configured to be manual, the cylindrical body 2 can advantageously have dimensions configured to form a gripping handle 5. The effective length Lp of the cylindrical body as the handle is 5 cm to 15 cm, for example, 6 cm to 10 cm, for example, 7 cm, that is, a length approximately corresponding to the width of the human palm. The outer diameter Dp of the effective surface forming the gripping handle can be 2 cm to 5 cm, for example 2.5 cm. It should be noted that the handle can have a peripheral rim 53 that projects radially outwards at the outlet opening 22.

[0060] According to one embodiment, the device can have a wrist strap 51 that is firmly connected to the gripping handle 5 and through which the user's hand passes when the hand grips the gripping handle 5, in particular a wrist strap in the form of a strap. The mounting eyelet 52 integrated with the cylindrical body 2 enables the mounting of the wrist strap 51. This wrist strap provides additional safety against the risk of loss and dropping during the emptying operation, especially when the operator shakes the package / injection device assembly during the operation.

[0061] In one embodiment, the injection device may be made of a plastic material that forms a piercing tool and a cylindrical body (including a shoulder and a possible gripping handle), and may be basically composed of a single integral part including the shoulder. In other embodiments, the device is an assembly of multiple parts. The single integral part of the injection device (or various parts of the above device) can be formed by additive manufacturing such as three-dimensional printing or injection molding.

[0062] As another possibility, the injection device may be an integral part of a manufacturing unit that is permanently attached to the manufacturing unit and has a pointed tip of the piercing tool facing upward.

[0063] In this embodiment, as particularly shown in FIG. 9, the cross-section of the ogive arch 33 may advantageously be an oblique cross-section. Therefore, each ogive arch has a particularly sharp ridge 330 formed between two oblique inclined surfaces 331 and 332, and the ridge is directed radially outward. The angle between the two inclined surfaces 330 and 331 may be 90° or less than 90°, that is, an acute angle. Such an oblique ogive arch provides controlled piercing of the package wall when the piercing tool passes through the package wall, avoids uncontrolled tearing, and avoids the risk of leakage due to unwanted tearing of the package when the piercing tool passes through the wall of the package.

[0064] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the piercing tool can have a widened base 31 that has a dimension long in a first direction d1 and a dimension short in a second direction d2 that is substantially perpendicular in the same plane in a plane perpendicular to its longitudinal axis. Preferably, the effective surface of the joint of the shoulder 4 extends along an elliptical locus around the periphery of the widened base, which consists of a closed curve that is long in the first direction d1 and narrow in the second direction d2. The radial width of the joint surface may be 2 mm to 20 mm.

[0065] The shape of the perforating tool and the joint surface can advantageously limit the effective dimension of the device in the second direction d2, and compared with an embodiment in which the widened base extends along the same radius in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the perforating tool, it does not disadvantageously reduce the emptying performance.

[0066] As a result, the adhesive of the package may be elliptical in the design shown in FIG. 9 instead of annular in the embodiments of the devices of FIGS. 1 and 2. And the dimension of the adhesive in the narrow dimension is smaller than the diameter of the annular adhesive, which facilitates the implementation of the package, especially a small package.

[0067] Further, the present disclosure further relates to a manufacturing unit 7 such as a fermentation unit, including a housing 70 such as a fermentation tank and the injection device 1 according to the present invention firmly connected to the housing 70 or the pipe 71. The perforating tool is arranged vertically, the pointed tip faces upward, and the injection device is configured to transfer the granular material housed in the vacuum-sealed package directly to the housing 70 or indirectly through the pipe 71.

[0068] For this purpose, the second end of the cylindrical body is hermetically fixed to the housing 70, particularly a fermentation tank or a pipe, by a female thread 23 (or thread) of the outlet opening 22 that engages with the thread of the manufacturing unit, for example. Any other type of joint, for example, a joint conforming to the SMS standard and joints known to those skilled in the art under the name "CLAMP joint", etc. may be used to attach the second end to the tank or pipe.

[0069] In one embodiment, the cylindrical body of the injection device is firmly and hermetically connected to the housing 70 such that the outlet opening 22 communicates with the internal volume of the housing, particularly a fermentation tank. The injection device is fixed to the upper part of the housing, particularly the tank, and is configured such that the granular material flows by gravity from the outlet opening 22 into the housing 70, particularly the inside of the tank.

[0070] As another possibility, the housing 70, particularly the fermentation tank 70, has a product pumped through the pipe 71, and the cylindrical body of the injection device is sealed directly or indirectly via a transfer system to the pipe 71 such that granular material flows into the pipe 71 as it is mixed with the product and routed into the housing 70 with the product before being routed within the housing 70.

[0071] For example, a transfer system such as a venturi 8 through which the fluid in the pipe passes may be used. The partial vacuum generated by the venturi 8 sucks in the granular material and mixes it with the fluid downstream of the venturi.

[0072] The present disclosure further relates to a facility including the injection device 1 described in the present disclosure or the injection device of the manufacturing unit 7 described in the present disclosure, and a cover 6 that sealingly cooperates with the first end of the cylindrical body to cover the piercing tool 3 and the shoulder 4 (in the closed position) to form a fluid-tight chamber 60.

[0073] The above-mentioned sealed chamber is defined between the inner wall of the cover 6, the piercing tool 3, and the shoulder 4, and communicates with the duct 20 of the cylindrical body through the at least one side opening. Such a cover 6 can advantageously implement a cleaning and disinfection method in addition to its function as a component for closing the inlet opening. The cover 6 has a female thread that screws onto the male thread F of the cylindrical body at the first end of the cylindrical body and can be screwed onto the cylindrical body. Alternatively, the cover 6 can be attached to the cylindrical body of the device by any joint such as an SMS joint or a CLAMP joint.

[0074] The present invention further relates to a method for cleaning and disinfecting the inner surfaces of the piercing tool of the injection device of the facility described in the present disclosure and the duct of the cylindrical body, and the outer surfaces of the piercing tool and the shoulder.

[0075] This cleaning and disinfection method includes the following steps. The cover 6 is placed in a predetermined position to cover the piercing tool and the shoulder 4 to form a fluid-tight chamber 60. The sealed chamber is defined between the cover, the piercing tool 3, and the shoulder 4, and communicates with the duct 20 of the cylindrical body through one side opening 32. By injecting the disinfectant solution through the outlet opening 22, the disinfectant solution flows into the duct 20 and the hollow part of the perforating tool and abuts against the inner wall of the hollow part of the duct 20 and the perforating tool 3, while flowing into the sealed chamber 60 and abutting against the outer walls of the perforating tool 3 and the shoulder 4.

[0076] The present disclosure further relates to a package containing an adhesive Ad that is aseptic or sterilized and isolated from external contamination by a release sheet Fp to be removed before perforation as described above, wherein the adhesive is configured to be joined to the shoulder 4 of the manual injection device described in the present disclosure or the shoulder 4 of an injection device permanently attached to the manufacturing unit when the perforating tool perforates the package wall.

[0077] In the latter case where the adhesive is joined 360° to the shoulder around the perforating tool of the injection device belonging to the manufacturing unit, in addition to preventing leakage of particulate material, there is an advantage of preventing the introduction of potentially non-aseptic outside air into the material flowing through the manufacturing unit.

[0078] The present disclosure further relates to an assembly including the injection device described in the present disclosure and a package as described in the present disclosure. The adhesive of the package is configured to be joined 360° to the joint surface around the perforating tool of the injection device to form an adhesive connection between the package and the injection device. This adhesive connection can prevent leakage of material between the package and the injection device during emptying and ensure good sealing performance.

[0079] When the injection device is a manual device (in particular, when the cylindrical body 2 has dimensions designed to form a manual gripping handle 5), the adhesive joining between the injection device and the package further provides safety for the operator during the operation of injecting the contents of the package. It avoids the risk of the package and / or the injection device falling, especially into the fermentation tank.

[0080] Such an adhesive joint, in particular, at the end of the operation of emptying the package, allows the walls of the package to be deformed by hand in order to discharge the last portion of the granular material from the injection device. Therefore, there is no need to hold the injection device by hand, and the injection device is suspended from the package by the adhesive joint between the package and the injection device, with the outlet opening 22 facing downward.

[0081] Preferably, conversely, the adhesive joint may be advantageously configured such that the operator can hold the assembly only by the handle of the injection device, with the pointed tip of the injection device facing downward, and the package containing the granular material is suspended only by the adhesive joint.

[0082] Therefore, in this case, the bonding strength of the adhesive joint is at least equal to (preferably greater than) the force acting on the package due to gravity, and thus the weight of the package containing the granular material. The weight to be considered here is the weight of the package before the pointed tip of the injection device is pierced, i.e., the weight of the package before the granular material is removed and it becomes empty.

[0083] As described above, the bonding strength depends on the type of adhesive and the bonding surface of the shoulder.

[0084] The injection device has a special application, for example, in beer production, for emptying a vacuum-sealed package containing active dry yeast. More specifically, it ensures the aseptic transfer of dry brewing yeast from the package containing the yeast to the fermentation tank.

[0085] In the field of beer production, injecting yeast from a vacuum-sealed package into a tank brings notable progress by limiting the risk of contamination in the fermentation tank.

Explanation of symbols

[0086] 1 Manual injection device 2 Cylindrical body 20 Duct 21 Inlet opening 22 Outlet opening 23 Female screw 3 Drilling tool 30 Sharp tip 31 Widened base 32 Side opening 33 Ogive arch 330 Ridge (ogive arch bevel) 331, 332 Inclined surfaces 4 Shoulder 5 Grip handle 51 Wrist strap 52 Eyelet (attachment of wrist strap) 53 Rim 6 Cover 60 Sealed chamber 7 Manufacturing unit such as fermentation unit 70 Housing such as fermentation tank 71 Pipe A Vertical axis of drilling tool 3 Ad Adhesive d1, d2 First direction and second direction F Male screw Fp Release sheet P Package S1 First adhesive surface (double-sided adhesive) S2 Second adhesive surface (double-sided adhesive) Rint, Rext Inner radius and outer radius of joint surface formed by shoulder 4 Sc Flat joint surface (shoulder 4) T Adhesive hole

Claims

1. A manual injection device (1) suitable for piercing and emptying a granular material contained in a vacuum-sealed package (P), A cylindrical body (2) having a duct (20) for the flow of material extending from an inlet opening (21) located at a first end to an outlet opening (22) of the granular material located at a second end, A hollow piercing tool (3) having a distal end ending in a pointed tip (30) and a widened base (31) at the proximal end, and being firmly connected to the cylindrical body at the first end of the cylindrical body, extending along the length of the piercing tool from the widened base of the piercing tool, and configured to inject material from the outside to the inside of the hollow portion of the piercing tool (3), having at least one lateral opening (32) along the length of the piercing tool (3), and the hollow portion of the widened base (31) of the piercing tool (3) communicating with the inlet opening (21) of the cylindrical body (2), A shoulder (4) as a peripheral stop configured to be formed by the first end of the cylindrical body (2) disposed around the widened base of the piercing tool (3), directly or indirectly contacting the wall portion of the package, and stopping the manual injection device when the wall portion is pierced by the piercing tool (3) at a position where the lateral opening (32) extends into the interior of the package, comprising, Vertically arranged with the pointed tip facing upward, when the granular material flows along the direction opposite to the air flowing into the vacuum-sealed package, passes through the inlet opening (21) through the lateral opening (32) by gravity, and flows into the outlet opening (22), the contents in the package are continuously taken out and emptied, The piercing tool has a longitudinal axis, the shoulder (4) is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and has a flat surface configured to be a bonding surface (Sc) bonded to the outer wall of the package with an adhesive, The piercing tool (3) has a widened base (31) having a dimension long in a first direction (d1) and a dimension short in a substantially perpendicular second direction (d2) in a plane perpendicular to its longitudinal axis, and the effective surface of the bonding extends along an elliptical locus formed by a closed curve long in the first direction (d1) and narrow in the second direction (d2), a manual injection device (1). A manual injection device (1) suitable for piercing through and emptying granular material housed in a vacuum-sealed package (P), A cylindrical body (2) having a duct (20) for the flow of material extending from an inlet opening (21) located at a first end to an outlet opening (22) of the granular material located at a second end, A hollow piercing tool (3) having a distal end ending in a pointed tip (30) and a widened base (31) at the proximal end, and being firmly connected to the cylindrical body at the first end of the cylindrical body, extending along the length of the piercing tool from the widened base of the piercing tool, and configured to inject material from the outside to the inside of the hollow part of the piercing tool (3), having at least one lateral opening (32) along the length of the piercing tool (3), and the hollow part of the widened base (31) of the piercing tool (3) communicating with the inlet opening (21) of the cylindrical body (2), A shoulder (4) as a peripheral stop formed by the first end of the cylindrical body (2) disposed around the widened base of the piercing tool, configured to stop the manual injection device when the wall portion is pierced by the piercing tool (3) at a position where the lateral opening (32) extends into the interior of the package and abuts directly or indirectly against the wall portion of the package, Including, Vertically arranged with the pointed tip facing upward, and when the granular material flows through the inlet opening (21) via the lateral opening (32) by gravity in a direction opposite to the air flowing into the vacuum-sealed package and into the outlet opening (22), configured to ensure that the contents in the package are continuously removed and emptied, The cylindrical body (2) has dimensions configured to form a manual gripping handle (5), A manual injection device (1) firmly connected to the gripping handle (5) and having a wrist strap (51) for the user's hand to pass through when the hand grips the gripping handle (5).

3. The piercing tool has a longitudinal axis, the shoulder (4) is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and has a flat surface configured to be a bonding surface (Sc) bonded to the outer wall of the package with an adhesive, the manual injection device according to claim 2.

4. The flat surface as the joint surface (Sc) is 3 cm ２ The manual injection device according to claim 3, having an effective surface area for joining of 3 cm2 to 50 cm2.

5. The manual injection device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the effective surface of the joint is an annular shape defined between an outer radius (Rext) and an inner radius (Rint).

6. The manual injection device according to claim 5, wherein the radius difference ΔR between the outer radius (Rext) and the inner radius (Rint) is 2 mm to 20 mm.

7. The manual injection device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the cylindrical body has a longitudinal axis substantially the same as the longitudinal axis of the piercing tool.

8. The effective length (L) of the cylindrical body as a handle is 8 cm to 15 cm, The outer diameter of the effective surface forming the grip handle (5) is 2 cm to 5 cm, the manual injection device according to claim 2.

9. The device according to claim 2 or 3, made of a plastic material forming the piercing tool and the cylindrical body, and basically composed of a single integral part including a shoulder.

10. A manufacturing unit (7) including a housing (70) and an injection device (1) suitable for piercing and emptying a granular material contained in a vacuum-sealed package (P), wherein the injection device A cylindrical body (2) having a duct (20) for the flow of material extending from an inlet opening (21) located at a first end to an outlet opening (22) of the granular material located at a second end; A hollow piercing tool (3) having a distal end ending in a sharp tip (30) and a widened base (31) at the proximal end, and being firmly connected to the cylindrical body at the first end of the cylindrical body, the widened base of the piercing tool extending along the length of the piercing tool, and having at least one lateral opening (32) along the length of the piercing tool configured to inject material from the outside to the inside of the hollow part of the piercing tool (3), and the hollow part of the widened base (31) of the piercing tool (3) communicating with the inlet opening (21) of the cylindrical body (2); A shoulder (4) as a peripheral stop formed by the first end of the cylindrical body (2) disposed around the widened base (31) of the piercing tool, and configured to stop the injection device when the wall of the package is pierced by the piercing tool (3) at a position where the lateral opening (32) extends into the interior of the package; including When the injection device is arranged vertically with its pointed tip facing upward and the granular material flows through the inlet opening (21) via the side opening (32) under gravity in a direction opposite to the air flowing into the vacuum-sealed package and into the outlet opening (22), the contents in the package are continuously removed and emptied. The manufacturing unit (7) is configured such that the injection device is firmly attached to the housing (70) or the pipe (71), the piercing tool is arranged vertically with its pointed tip facing upward, and the injection device transfers the granular material accommodated in the vacuum-sealed package directly to the housing (70) or indirectly via the pipe. Claim 11 The cylindrical body of the injection device is firmly and hermetically connected to the housing (70) such that the outlet opening (22) communicates with the internal volume of the housing (70). The injection device arranged at the upper part of the housing (70) is configured such that the granular material flows into the housing (70) from the outlet opening under gravity. The manufacturing unit according to claim 10. Claim 12 The housing (70) has a product pumped through the pipe (71). The cylindrical body of the injection device is directly or indirectly hermetically coupled to the pipe (71) such that the granular material flows into the pipe (71) before being routed into the housing (70) together with the product while being mixed with the product. The manufacturing unit according to claim 10. Claim 13 The housing (70) is a fermentation tank. The manufacturing unit according to any one of claims 10 to 12. The manufacturing unit according to claim 10, and a cover (6) that hermetically cooperates with the first end of the cylindrical body to cover the piercing tool and form a fluid-tight chamber (60). The sealed chamber is defined between the cover (6), the piercing tool (3), and the shoulder (4), and communicates with the duct (20) of the cylindrical body via the at least one side opening. Equipment. Claim 15 A method for cleaning and disinfecting the inner surfaces of the piercing tool and the duct of the cylindrical body of the injection device (1) of the equipment according to claim 14, and the outer surface of the piercing tool. Place the cover (6) in a predetermined position to cover the piercing tool and the shoulder (4) to form the fluid-sealed chamber (60). The sealed chamber is defined between the cover, the piercing tool (3), and the shoulder (4), and communicates with the duct (20) of the cylindrical body through the at least one side opening (32). By injecting the disinfectant solution through the outlet opening (21), the disinfectant solution flows into the hollow parts of the duct (20) and the piercing tool (3) and contacts the inner walls of the hollow parts of the duct (20) and the piercing tool (3). At the same time, it flows into the sealed chamber (60) and contacts the outer walls of the piercing tool (3) and the shoulder (4). A method in which the step of injecting the disinfectant solution to disinfect the inner surfaces of the piercing tool of the injection device (1) and the duct of the cylindrical body and the outer surfaces of the piercing tool and the shoulder is an injection step of simultaneously cleaning the inner surface of the manufacturing unit.

16. Use of the manual injection device according to claim 1 or 2 for transferring dry brewing yeast to a fermentation tank.

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