HYDROSOL PREPARATION SYSTEM

Abstract

HYDROSOL PREPARATION SYSTEM The invention relates to a hydrosol preparation system (100) comprising a transport unit (10), a distillation unit (20), a sterilization unit (30), and a filling unit (40). The transport unit (10) is used to transport a container (1). The distillation unit (20) performs distillation on a raw material to produce crude hydrosol. The sterilization unit (30) sterilizes the crude hydrosol to produce a final hydrosol. The filling unit (40) pours the final hydrosol into the container (1). The preparation system integrates all the procedures necessary for manufacturing the hydrosol product in such a way as to eliminate the need to transfer the semi-finished hydrosol product between different production sites, thereby minimizing the risk of inclusion of impurities and maximizing the safety and storage capacity of the finished hydrosol product. Figure to be published with the abstract: Figure 2

Description

Title of the invention: HYDROSOL PREPARATION SYSTEM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to preparation systems, and more particularly to a hydrosol preparation system. 2. Description of the state of the art

[0002] Hydrosols are produced by distilling plant materials with water. Through distillation, essential oil floats on water as a lipophilic liquid, and water vapor carrying aromatic substances condenses into a hydrophilic liquid, which is known as a hydrosol.

[0003] In a hydrosol, the essential oil represents only a small part, and the basic element consists of water-soluble constituents of plant origin, so that a hydrosol has much milder olfactory and chemical properties than those of the corresponding pure essential oil. Therefore, the applications of hydrosols are increasingly numerous. In addition to their aromatherapeutic use, hydrosols are also used as soothing means for daily skin care due to the anti-inflammatory organic acids they contain.

[0004] Many products made from hydrosols, such as tonics, hair lotions and bath salts, are intended to come into direct contact with the user's skin during use, thus making it important to ensure the safety and shelf life of hydrosol products by eliminating the presence of substances that may degrade the hydrosol, such as suspended solids, bacteria, viruses, macromolecular colloids, etc., in the hydrosol products during production.

[0005] However, according to conventional manufacturing practice, the process from distillation to packaging is generally carried out in several stages and performed by several manufacturers, such that the semi-finished hydrosol product must be transferred from one site to another during this process. Therefore, the semi-finished hydrosol product is likely to be contaminated with impurities, which compromises the quality and safety of the finished hydrosol product. Summary of the invention

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a hydrosol preparation system, which integrates all the procedures necessary for the manufacturing a hydrosol product to eliminate the need to transfer the semi-finished hydrosol product among different production sites, thereby minimizing the risk of inclusion of impurities and maximizing the safety of the finished hydrosol product.

[0007] Thus, the present invention relates to a hydrosol preparation system comprising a transport unit, a distillation unit, a sterilization unit and a filling unit. The transport unit is configured to transport a container. The distillation unit is located next to the transport unit and is configured to perform distillation on a raw material to produce a crude hydrosol. The sterilization unit is located next to the distillation unit and is connected to the distillation unit. The sterilization unit is configured to perform sterilization on the crude hydrosol to produce a final hydrosol. The filling unit is located above the transport unit and is connected to the sterilization unit. The filling unit is configured to pour the final hydrosol into the container.

[0008] According to a particular characteristic of the invention, the filling unit is configured to carry out aseptic filling with gaseous nitrogen.

[0009] According to a particular characteristic of the invention, the container is a bottle made of aluminum.

[0010] According to a particular characteristic of the invention, the distillation unit comprises a distillation pot made of copper.

[0011] According to a particular characteristic of the invention, the sterilization unit comprises a microfiltration membrane.

[0012] According to a particular characteristic of the invention, the microfiltration membrane has a pore size of between 0.2 micrometers and 1 micrometer.

[0013] According to a particular characteristic of the invention, the sterilization unit and the distillation unit are located above the transport unit.

[0014] According to a particular characteristic of the invention, the transport unit comprises an inlet and an outlet, in which the filling unit is located near the outlet.

[0015] With the configuration described above, the hydrosol preparation system of the present invention integrates all the procedures necessary for manufacturing the hydrosol product so as to eliminate the need to transfer the semi-finished hydrosol product among different production sites, thereby minimizing the risk of inclusion of impurities and maximizing the safety and shelf life of the finished hydrosol product. Brief description of the drawings

[0016] [Fig. 1] is a schematic diagram showing that a container is introduced into the transport unit through the inlet according to one embodiment of the present invention; and

[0017] [Fig.2]is a schematic diagram showing that the filling unit fills the container with the final hydrosol according to the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Although a preferred embodiment is provided hereinafter to illustrate the concept of the present invention which is described above, it is understood that the elements of the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings are shown for ease of explanation and need not be reproduced to exact scale.

[0019] It should be noted that spatial descriptions, such as "top", "bottom", "front", "back", "left", "right", "inside", "outside", "side" and so on, are indicated relative to the orientation shown in the figures, unless otherwise indicated. It should be understood that the spatial descriptions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and that practical implementations of the structures described herein may be arranged in space in any orientation or manner, provided that the advantages of the embodiments of the present invention are not impaired by such arrangement.

[0020] Referring to [Fig. 1] and [Fig. 2], in one embodiment of the present invention, a hydrosol preparation system 100 comprises a conveying unit 10, a distillation unit 20, a sterilization unit 30, and a filling unit 40. The distillation unit 20 and the sterilization unit 30 are both located next to the conveying unit 10. The filling unit 40 is located above the conveying unit 10. The distillation unit 20 and the sterilization unit 30 are connected to each other. The sterilization unit 30 and the filling unit 40 are connected to each other.

[0021] The transport unit 10 has an inlet 11 and an outlet 12. The transport unit 10 is intended to transport a container 1 introduced into the transport unit 10 through the inlet 11, as shown in [Fig. 1]. The transport unit 10 transports the container 1 to pass through the filling unit 40, and the filled container 1 leaves the transport unit 10 at the outlet 12, as shown in [Fig. 2]. In the embodiment of the present invention, the container 1 is a spray bottle made of aluminum. The spray bottle is a fully sealed bottle that is designed to prevent unintentional opening. This prevents the hydrosol, after being filled into the container 1, from coming into contact with the ambient air, and thus protects the hydrosol product from degradation caused by exposure to air.Furthermore, since container 1 has undergone gamma radiation sterilization before entering transport unit 10, the survival of micro- . organisms in the container 1 can be significantly reduced, and the potential negative effects of the environment in the container 1 on the quality of the hydrosol can be minimized. Furthermore, the gamma radiation sterilization used herein can prevent substances harmful to the human body from remaining in the container 1.

[0022] The distillation unit 20 is located next to the transport unit 10. For example, the distillation unit 20 may be located above the transport unit 10. The distillation unit 20 performs pure water distillation on a raw material to produce a crude hydrosol. The raw material may be any aromatic plant, such as rose, lavender, or tea tree.In the embodiment of the present invention, the distillation unit 20 comprises a distillation pot made of copper, which ensures good thermal conductivity and releases copper ions during distillation, while being able to capture sulfur compounds, thus preventing the hydrosol from containing too many sulfur compounds and having a pungent odor.

[0023] The sterilization unit 30 is located next to the distillation unit 20 and between the distillation unit 20 and the filling unit 40. The sterilization unit 30 and the distillation unit 20 are connected to each other by pipes. The sterilization unit 30 performs sterilization on the raw hydrosol to produce a final hydrosol. In the embodiment of the present invention, the sterilization unit 30 and the distillation unit 20 are located above the transport unit 10. The sterilization unit 30 comprises a microfiltration membrane having a pore size between 0.2 micrometers and 1 micrometer. The microfiltration membrane filters out at least some of the impurities that affect the quality and shelf life of the hydrosol, such as suspended solids, bacteria, viruses, macromolecular colloids, etc.By eliminating these unwanted substances, the sterilization unit 30 helps to maximize the safety and shelf life of the hydrosol product.

[0024] The filling unit 40 is located above the conveying unit 10, near the outlet 12. The filling unit 40 and the sterilization unit 30 are connected to each other by pipes. The filling unit 40 has a pouring port 4L. The filling unit 40 pours the final hydrosol into the container 1 via the pouring port 41, as shown in [Fig. 2]. In the embodiment of the present invention, the filling unit 40 performs aseptic filling with nitrogen gas. Nitrogen, as a base gas among medical gas mixtures, is used here to adjust the gas composition in the product and prevents undesirable substances present in the filling environment from degrading the hydrosol.Furthermore, in the present invention, the container 1, after being filled with the final product by aseptic filling with nitrogen gas, not only preserves the hydrosol, but also makes the product . versatile by allowing the user to spray the hydrosol from various angles, thus facilitating the application of the hydrosol to various parts of the user's body.

[0025] In summary, the present invention has the following advantages.

[0026] 1. In the present invention, the distillation unit 20, the sterilization unit 30 and the filling unit 40 are integrated into a hydrosol preparation system 100. It is therefore no longer necessary to transfer the semi-finished hydrosol product among different production sites, which minimizes the risk of inclusion of impurities and maximizes the safety and shelf life of the finished hydrosol product.

[0027] 2. Since the container 1 is a fully aluminum spray bottle sealed tightly, the risk of accidental opening can be eliminated. This prevents the hydrosol, after being poured into the container 1, from coming into contact with the ambient air, and thus protects the hydrosol product from degradation caused by exposure to air.

[0028] 3. The copper distillation pot of the distillation unit 20 ensures good thermal conductivity and releases copper ions during distillation, while being able to capture sulfur compounds that have a pungent odor, allowing the distilled hydrosol to have a fresh and pleasant smell.

[0029] 4. The sterilization unit 30 filters substances which have negative effects on the quality of the hydrosol, such as suspended solids and bacteria, in order to prevent degradation of the hydrosol product and improve the storage capacity of the hydrosol product.

[0030] 5. The filling unit 40 performs aseptic filling with nitrogen gaseous. Nitrogen is used here to adjust the gas composition in the product and prevents unwanted substances present in the filling environment from degrading the hydrosol. In addition, the nitrogen-filled spray bottle not only preserves the hydrosol, but also makes the product versatile by allowing a user to spray the hydrosol from various angles, thus facilitating the application of the hydrosol to various parts of the user's body.

[0031] The present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments and it is understood that the embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, since the contents disclosed herein should be readily understood and can be implemented by those skilled in the art, all equivalent changes or modifications are within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

Claims

1. A hydrosol preparation system (100), characterized in that it comprises: a transport unit (10), configured to transport a container (1); a distillation unit (20), located above the transport unit (10) and configured to perform distillation on a raw material to produce a crude hydrosol; a sterilization unit (30), located above the transport unit (10) and next to the distillation unit (20), connected to the distillation unit (20) and configured to perform sterilization on the crude hydrosol to produce a final hydrosol; and a filling unit (40), located above the transport unit (10), connected to the sterilization unit (30) and configured to pour the final hydrosol into the container (1).

2. A hydrosol preparation system (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the filling unit (40) is configured to perform aseptic filling with nitrogen gas.

3. Hydrosol preparation system (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the distillation unit (20) comprises a distillation pot made of copper.

4. Hydrosol preparation system (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the sterilization unit (30) comprises a microfiltration membrane.

5. A hydrosol preparation system (100) according to claim 4, characterized in that the microfiltration membrane has a pore size of between 0.2 micrometers and 1 micrometer.

6. Hydrosol preparation system (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the transport unit (10) comprises an inlet (11) and an outlet (12), wherein the filling unit (40) is located near the outlet (12).

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