Injection device

Abstract

To provide a manual injection device adapted for perforating a vacuum-seal package receiving a particulate material into empty.SOLUTION: A manual injection device or accessory, adapted for perforating a vacuum-seal package (P) receiving a particulate material into empty, includes a cylindrical body having a for-material flow duct (20) that extends from an inlet opening (21) positioned in a first end to a particulate material-outlet opening (22) positioned in a second end and a hollow perforation tool (3) that has a distal end terminating at a sharp-pointed tip and a proximate end having a broad base and is firmly connected to the cylindrical body. The device further includes a shoulder (4) that serves as a stop portion for stopping the injection device if a wall portion is perforated by a perforation tool (3) by an abutment against the wall portion of the package.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an injection device having particular application for piercing and emptying containers containing granular material essentially by gravity, possibly assisted by the movement of a user when operated manually, or the injection device may be attached to a production unit.

[0002] The present disclosure further relates to packaging specially configured to cooperate with such injection devices to avoid handling errors, as well as equipment including injection devices and packaging according to the present disclosure.

[0003] The present invention more particularly relates to emptying vacuum-sealed packages in which granular material has been compressed by a vacuum inside the package and a pressure difference between the subatmospheric pressure inside the package and the atmospheric pressure outside the package.

[0004] The invention has particular, but not exclusive, application in the aseptic transfer of particulate material such as yeast from packages, especially vacuum-sealed packages, to equipment such as fermentation tanks, particularly in the field of beer production.

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

[0006] In the field of beer production, it is very often necessary to add dry yeast at some stage of the production, for example after cooling the wort obtained by filtering a mixture of crushed grains and water in order to carry out fermentation in tanks.

[0007] Active dry yeast is typically contained in a vacuum-sealed package to protect it from oxygen and moisture during storage. The package is opened in order to manually pour its contents into the manhole of a fermentation tank. This operation must be performed as sterile as possible; otherwise, contaminants, bacteria, or fungi may be transferred to the tank and grow during fermentation, compromising the organoleptic properties of the beverage. To prevent the transfer of contaminants into the tank, the tool used to open the package (such as scissors) may be sterilized, and the exterior of the package may also be sterilized, before piercing the vacuum-sealed package.

[0008] Once the vacuum sealed package is opened, the operator can inject the yeast into the workpiece in the fermentation tank by simply inverting the package over the manhole.

[0009] According to the inventors' findings, such an implementation is not satisfactory, for several reasons as follows: Disinfection of tools (such as scissors), which is typically done using a flame or disinfectant solution, is tedious and the success of the operation is essentially dependent on the care of the operator when performing this operation. The manual injection of packages through manholes is often a cumbersome operation with a non-negligible risk of dangerous drops, for example of packages falling into tanks, in particular - The manhole opening required for yeast injection itself carries the risk of worsening the tank's sterility, as it allows a large amount of unsterilized air to enter the tank, allowing airborne bacteria and fungi to enter the tank and contaminate the wort. [Background technology]

[0010] Conventionally, devices suitable for piercing and emptying packages for the purpose of transferring hygiene products are known, as disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 1. The device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is intended for emptying liquid pouches such as sauces or beverages and implicitly requires the use of suction. This technical means is neither effective nor functional for emptying granular materials from vacuum-sealed packages.

[0011] Also known from Patent Document 2, for example, is a device specially designed to remove and empty a predetermined amount of granular material (such as fine powder). This device includes a drilling tool having an ogive shape for drilling the wall of a container until a shoulder provided on the ogive-shaped base abuts against the wall of the container. The drilling tool is hollow and has a side opening for being positioned completely inside the container when the shoulder abuts against the wall. By means of the side opening, the material is transferred into the body of the drilling tool and then flows into the ogive-shaped base toward the outlet hole. This device is designed to deliver an amount of material depending on the volume of the hollow part each time the container is inverted.

[0012] In any event, and to the knowledge of the inventors, the device disclosed in Patent Document 2 is unable to puncture the entire package to completely and quickly empty it, particularly in the case of vacuum-sealed packages, which are generally held in a vertical position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0013] [Patent Document 1] EP1201598 [Patent Document 2] GB719054 Summary of the Invention

[0014] The present disclosure improves this situation by proposing an injection device that has particular application for piercing and emptying vacuum-sealed packages containing granular material, essentially by the action of gravity, possibly with gentle shaking, especially when operated manually, and / or by deforming the flexible walls of the package.

[0015] More specifically, the device has particular application for completely and quickly emptying vacuum-sealed packages of granular material with the device and package in a generally vertical position, i.e., without the need to invert the package.

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

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

[0018] Another object of the present disclosure is to propose a package that is specially adapted to cooperate with an injection device according to the present disclosure, in particular a manual injection device, or an injection device belonging to a manufacturing unit according to the present disclosure.

[0019] Another object of the present disclosure is to propose an assembly comprising an injection device and a package specially configured to cooperate with a perforation device as described herein, in particular a perforation device that is manually operated or alternatively belongs to a manufacturing unit as described herein.

[0020] Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description, which is given for informational purposes 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 contained in a package, in particular a vacuum-sealed package, comprising: The injection device comprises a tubular body having a material flow duct extending from an inlet opening at a first end to an outlet opening for the particulate material at a second end; a hollow piercing tool having a distal end terminating in a sharp tip and an enlarged base at a proximal end, the hollow piercing tool being rigidly connected to the tubular body at a first end thereof, the hollow piercing tool having at least one side opening along the length of the piercing tool extending from the enlarged base thereof along the length of the piercing tool and configured to allow material to be injected from outside the hollow portion of the piercing tool into the hollow portion of the piercing tool, the hollow portion of the enlarged base of the piercing tool communicating with an inlet opening of the tubular body; a shoulder as a peripheral stop formed by a first end of the tubular body arranged around the widened base of the piercing tool and configured to abut directly or indirectly against a wall of the package to stop the injection device when the wall is pierced by the piercing tool at a location where the side opening extends into the package; The injection device is configured to ensure that the contents within the vacuum-sealed package are continuously removed and emptied when the injection device is positioned vertically with its pointed tip facing upwards and the granular material passes under gravity through the inlet opening via the side opening.

[0022] The manual injection device may include any of the following features, either separately or in combination: the piercing tool has a longitudinal axis, the shoulder has a flat surface substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and configured as a bonding surface (Sc) for bonding to an outer wall of the package with an adhesive; The flat surface used as the joining surface is 3cm 2 ~50cm 2 , for example 5cm 2 ~50cm 2 , for example 3 cm 2 ~10cm 2 , or 10 cm 2 ~35cm 2 and the active surface of the joint is ring-shaped and defined between an outer radius and an inner radius; a radius difference ΔR between the outer radius and the inner radius is 2 mm to 20 mm; the tubular body has a longitudinal axis that is 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 cylindrical 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 having a wrist strap rigidly connected to the grip handle and through which a user's hand passes when the user's hand grasps the grip handle; The injection device essentially consists of a single piece made of plastic material forming the piercing tool and the barrel, including a shoulder.

[0023] In an advantageous embodiment, particularly for emptying small packages, the piercing tool has a widened base which, in a plane perpendicular to its longitudinal axis, has a longer dimension in a first direction and a shorter dimension in a substantially perpendicular second direction, and the active surface of the joint extends along an elliptical locus consisting of a closed curve which is longer in the first direction and narrower in the second direction.

[0024] In a second aspect, the present disclosure further relates to a manufacturing unit including a housing and an injection device according to the present disclosure rigidly attached to the housing or a pipe, wherein the piercing tool is positioned vertically with its pointed tip facing upwards, and the injection device is configured to transfer granular material contained in a vacuum-sealed package into the housing directly or indirectly via the pipe.

[0025] In one embodiment of the manufacturing unit, the cylindrical body of the injection device is tightly sealed and connected to the housing so that the outlet opening is in communication with the internal volume of the housing, and the injection device, which is placed on top of the housing, is configured so that the granular material flows (by gravity) from the outlet opening into the interior of the housing.

[0026] In one embodiment of the manufacturing unit, the housing is sealed to the pipe through which the product is pumped, or indirectly through a transfer system, such that the granular material flows into the pipe while mixing with the product before being routed into the housing together 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 for containing granular material, the package comprising an aseptic or sterile adhesive on the outer surface of a wall, isolated from external contamination by a release sheet to be removed for package perforation, the adhesive configured to be bonded to a shoulder of an injection device described herein when the perforation tool perforates the wall, the injection device being configured to be manual or permanently mounted in a manufacturing unit.

[0028] The package may include any of the following features, either separately or in combination: the adhesive is a double-sided adhesive having a first adhesive side bonded to the wall of the package and a second adhesive side covered by the release sheet, the double-sided adhesive being configured to be bonded to a mating surface of a shoulder of an injection device described herein; the adhesive has holes for the punching tool to pass through when punching the wall of the package; the adhesive is in the shape of a ring or an ellipse; The double-sided adhesive has a thickness separating the first adhesive surface and the second adhesive surface of 0.5 mm to 2 mm, for example 0.6 mm, 1.1 mm or 1.6 mm, and is flexible with respect to thickness; The double-sided adhesive includes a flexible substrate for an adhesive composition and an adhesive composition covering the substrate, the substrate being air-cell and formed of closed-cell foam; The granular material is under vacuum within the package.

[0029] In a fourth aspect, the present disclosure further relates to an assembly including a manual injection device as well as a package according to the present disclosure.

[0030] In one embodiment of the assembly, the assembly includes a manual injection device as described herein, wherein the adhesive of the package bonds to a shoulder of the injection device when a wall of the package is pierced by a perforation tool to form an adhesive bond, and the adhesive bond between the shoulder and the adhesive is configured so that an operator can hold the assembly by only the handle of the injection device, with the pointed tip of the perforation tool of the injection device facing downwards, and the package containing the granular material is suspended from the injection device by only the bonding force of the adhesive bond.

[0031] In a fifth aspect, the present disclosure further relates to an equipment comprising an injection device as described herein or an injection device of a fermentation unit as described herein, and a cover that sealingly cooperates with a first end of the cylindrical body to cover the perforation tool and form a sealed chamber for fluid, the sealed chamber being defined between the cover, the perforation tool and the shoulder, while communicating with a duct in the cylindrical body through the at least one side opening.

[0032] The present disclosure further relates to a method for cleaning and disinfecting the drilling tool and the inner surface of the duct of the tubular body of an injection device of the equipment described herein, and the outer surface of said drilling tool and said shoulder, placing the cover in place to cover the drilling tool and the shoulder and form the fluid sealed chamber, the sealed chamber being defined between the cover, the drilling tool and the shoulder and communicating with the duct of the tubular body through the side opening; By injecting disinfectant through the outlet opening, the disinfectant flows into the hollow portion of the duct and the drilling tool and abuts against the inner walls of the hollow portion of the duct and the drilling tool, while flowing into the sealed chamber and abuts against the outer walls of the drilling tool and the shoulder.

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

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

[0035] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a manual injection device according to one embodiment. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a top view of the device shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram of a package, specifically a vacuum-sealed package, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. [Figure 3a] FIG. 4 is a detailed view of the adhesive of the package of FIG. 3, with a first adhesive surface bonded to the wall of the package, a second adhesive surface covered with a release sheet, and a central hole for passage of a piercing tool of a manual injection device. [Figure 4] 4 is a schematic diagram of the device of FIG. 1 in which, when used by an operator to pierce the package of FIG. 3 and empty the granular contents, the mating surface of the shoulder is bonded to the annular adhesive of the package. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 4 (operator's hands not shown). [Figure 6] 1 is a perspective view of an injection device configured to be permanently and sealingly attached to a manufacturing unit according to a second embodiment; FIG. [Figure 7] 7 is a cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 6 with a cover added by threading onto the threads of the injection device body. [Figure 8] 7 is a schematic diagram showing several possible combinations of the injection device of FIG. 6 permanently attached to a fermentation unit. [Figure 9] 2 is a top view of a variation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 in which each ogive arch of the drilling tool has an oblique cross section, the drilling tool has a widened base in a plane perpendicular to its longitudinal axis, the widened base having a longer dimension in a first direction and a shorter dimension in a generally perpendicular second direction, and the effective surface of the joint extends along an elliptical locus consisting of a closed curve that is longer in the first direction and narrower in the second direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0036] The present invention relates to a manual injection device 1 suitable for piercing and emptying packages P containing granular material, in particular vacuum-sealed packages.

[0037] The granular material is preferably a dry material such as active dry yeast intended for fermentation purposes such as in beer production. The granular material is preferably contained in a vacuum-sealed package. The vacuum and pressure difference between an internal pressure that is below atmospheric pressure and an external pressure, i.e. atmospheric pressure, compresses the material and the package.

[0038] Preliminary tests conducted by the inventors have shown that injection devices, such as those known from the prior art as disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,629,693, which operate to puncture the package and empty liquid or granular material from conventional packages (without vacuum), are not sufficient to empty compressed granular material from vacuum-sealed packages. When used with such vacuum-sealed packages, these devices begin to empty the granular material before the flow quickly ceases. These injection devices are unable to quickly empty the granular contents of the package.

[0039] The present invention arose from the inventors' discovery that when conventional injection devices are used to puncture and empty vacuum-sealed packages, a partial vacuum is created during material flow and can maintain a vacuum within the package that is opposed to the flow of granular material. In other words, if the air required to remove and empty the granular contents flows in the opposite direction, reflux can occur, resulting in product loss and possible escape from the device at the puncture site.

[0040] To address this challenge, the inventors have designed an injection device which, in at least one embodiment, when configured to be manual, pierces the package and allows the operator to easily handle it, for example by shaking the injection device and pierced package assembly during emptying operations or by deforming flexible walls of the package to facilitate flow through manholes in fermentation tanks or the like, preferably limiting the risk of mishandling and inadvertent dropping.

[0041] Advantageously, such a device allows for rapid, in particular continuous, removal and emptying of all the granular material contained in a package, in particular a vacuum-sealed package.

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

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

[0044] In general, an injection device 1 configured (manual or non-manual) includes: a cylindrical 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; a hollow drilling tool (3) having a distal end terminating in a sharp tip (30) and an enlarged base (31) at a proximal end, said hollow drilling tool (3) being rigidly connected to said tubular body at a first end thereof, said hollow drilling tool (3) having at least one side opening (32) along the length of said drilling tool extending from said enlarged base (31) of said drilling tool along the length of said drilling tool and configured to allow material to be injected from the outside of the hollow portion of said drilling tool (3) into the inside thereof, said hollow portion of said enlarged base (31) of said drilling tool (3) communicating with the inlet opening (21) of said tubular body (2); and a shoulder 4 as a peripheral stop formed by a first end of the cylindrical body 2 that is arranged around the widened base 31 of the drilling tool and configured to abut against the wall of the package and stop the injection device when the wall is drilled by the drilling tool 3.

[0045] It should be noted that, in general, it is preferable that the longitudinal axis A of the drilling tool and the longitudinal axis of the duct 20 are approximately the same, and that the duct 20 extends vertically of the drilling tool when the drilling tool is positioned vertically, with the pointed tip 30 facing upward.

[0046] It should be noted that in general the drilling tool may include a number of lateral openings 32 distributed around the axis A of the drilling tool, for example four openings extending over an angular sector, in particular an angle of less than 90°.

[0047] The drilling tool 3 has an ogive shape, with each ogive arch 33 extending from the widened base 31 of the drilling tool 3 to the pointed tip 30 of the drilling tool and meeting therein. The at least one side opening 32 may comprise a plurality of side openings 32. Preferably, each side opening 32 extends from the widened base 31 towards the pointed tip 30 over all or part of the length of the drilling tool between two consecutive ogive arches 33. By way of example, there are four ogive arches 33 distributed around the axis A, for example every 90°.

[0048] Thus, as shown in Figure 4, such an injection device is used in its manual configuration by perforating the wall of the package with the perforation tool until the shoulder 4 hits the outer surface of the wall and stops. Injection occurs when the device is held in a position with the axis of the perforation tool substantially vertical and the pointed tip 30 pointing upwards, and the granular material flows from the package through the side openings and the inlet opening 21 in the hollow part of the perforation tool 3 and into the outlet opening 22 through which the granular material escapes.

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

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

[0051] The shoulder 4 can therefore initially have a flat surface substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and configured to provide a bonding surface Sc for adhesive bonding to the outer wall of the package. In such a case, the package P containing the granular material can advantageously include an aseptic or sterile adhesive Ad on the outer surface of its wall, which is isolated and protected from external contamination by a release sheet Fp, which is to be removed before perforation. Once the release sheet Fp is removed, the adhesive is configured to bond to the shoulder 4 of the injection device when a perforation tool pierces the wall of the package.

[0052] The adhesive Ad may be a double-sided adhesive having a first adhesive surface S1 bonded (pre-attached) to the wall of the package and a second adhesive surface S2 covered with a protective release sheet Fp. Once the release sheet is removed, the second adhesive surface is bonded to the bonding 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 on one of the longitudinal ends of the package when the package is long. Advantageously, the adhesive also advantageously prevents leakage of the product through the perforation hole in the package by forming a 360° seal between the shoulder 4 and the adhesive around the perforation device, thereby avoiding backflow of granular material.

[0053] The double-sided adhesive may have a thickness between 0.5 mm and 2 mm, e.g., 0.6 mm, 1.1 mm, or 1.6 mm, separating the first and second adhesive surfaces. Combined with the flexibility of the adhesive (relative to its thickness), such a thickness advantageously compensates for irregularities in the package wall that contact the first surface of the adhesive, providing a seal between the package and the mating surface of the device. The irregularities may consist of creases or grooves in the package wall.

[0054] Thus, the double-sided adhesive comprises a flexible substrate and an adhesive composition, such as an air-cell, preferably a closed-cell foam. For example, the foam may be acrylic. The adhesive composition covering the substrate may be acrylic.

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

[0056] The effective surface of the joint may be a ring defined by an outer radius Rext and an inner radius Rint, where 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 may have a hole T through which the drilling tool passes when drilling the wall of the package. This hole has a diameter at least equal to the diameter of the widened base 31 of the drilling tool. The adhesive Ad may be annular, preferably sized to match the dimensions of the joining surface Sc formed by the shoulder 4, and in the case of an annular adhesive, may have the same inner and outer radii as the flat effective surface of the shoulder as the joining surface Sc.

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

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

[0060] According to one embodiment, the device can have a wrist strap 51, in particular in the form of a strap, rigidly connected to the grip handle 5 and through which a user's hands pass when gripping the grip handle 5. An attachment eyelet 52 integral with the tubular body 2 allows the attachment of the wrist strap 51. This wrist strap provides additional security against the risk of loss and falling during the emptying operation, in particular if the operator shakes the package / injection device assembly during the operation.

[0061] In one embodiment, the injection device may consist essentially of a single, integral piece, including the shoulder, made from a plastic material that forms the drilling tool and barrel (including the shoulder and possible grip handle). In other embodiments, the device is an assembly of multiple pieces. The single, integral piece of the injection device (or various pieces of the device) may be formed by additive manufacturing, such as 3D printing or injection molding.

[0062] Another possibility is that the injection device may be an integral part of the production unit, permanently attached to the production unit with the sharp tip of the drilling tool pointing upwards.

[0063] In this embodiment, as particularly shown in Figure 9, the cross sections of the ogive arches 33 may advantageously be oblique, so that each ogive arch has a particularly sharp ridge 330 formed between two obliquely inclined surfaces 331, 332, said ridge directed radially outward. The angle between the two inclined surfaces 330, 331 may be 90° or less, i.e., an acute angle. Such an oblique ogive arch provides controlled perforation of the package wall when the perforation tool passes through it, thus avoiding uncontrolled tearing due to the obliqueness and avoiding the risk of leakage due to undesired tearing of the package when the perforation tool passes through it.

[0064] In the embodiment shown in Figure 9, the drilling tool may have a widened base 31 having a longer dimension in a first direction d1 in a plane perpendicular to its longitudinal axis and a shorter dimension in a second direction d2, generally perpendicular to the first direction d1, in the same plane. Preferably, the effective surface of joint of the shoulder 4 extends along an elliptical locus around the periphery of the widened base, consisting of a closed curve that is longer in the first direction d1 and narrower in the second direction d2. The radial width of the joint surface may be between 2 mm and 20 mm.

[0065] Such a shape of the drilling tool and the joining surface advantageously limits the effective dimension of the device in the second direction d2, advantageously without reducing the emptying performance compared to an embodiment in which the widened base extends according to the same radius in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the drilling tool.

[0066] As a result, the adhesive of the package may be oval in the design shown in Figure 9, rather than ring-shaped in the device embodiment of Figures 1 and 2. The size of the adhesive in the narrow dimension is then smaller than the diameter of the ring-shaped adhesive, which facilitates implementation of the package, especially a small package.

[0067] The present disclosure also relates to a production unit 7, such as a fermentation unit, comprising a housing 70, such as a fermentation tank, and an injection device 1 according to the present invention, which is firmly connected to said housing 70 or a pipe 71, wherein said perforation tool is arranged vertically with its pointed tip pointing upwards, and said injection device is configured to transfer granular material contained in a vacuum-sealed package into said housing 70 directly or indirectly via said pipe 71.

[0068] To that end, the second end of the tubular body is sealingly fixed to the housing 70, in particular to a fermentation tank or pipe, for example by means of an internal thread 23 (or screw) of the outlet opening 22 which screws into a threaded joint of the production unit. Any other type of joint may also be used to attach the second end to the tank or pipe, such as joints according to SMS standards and joints known to those skilled in the art under the name "CLAMP joint".

[0069] In one embodiment, the tubular body of the injection device is tightly and sealedly connected to said housing 70 such that the outlet opening 22 is in communication with the interior volume of said housing, in particular a fermentation tank. The injection device is fixed to the top of the housing, in particular a tank, and is configured so that the particulate material flows by gravity through the outlet opening 22 into the interior of said housing 70, in particular a tank.

[0070] Another possibility is that the housing 70, in particular the fermentation tank 70, is pumped with product by means of a pipe 71, and the injection device cylinder is sealingly connected to the pipe 71 directly or indirectly via a transfer system so that the granular material flows into the pipe 71 while mixing with the product before being routed into the housing 70 together with the product.

[0071] For example, a transfer system such as a venturi 8 through which the fluid in a pipe passes may be used, and the partial vacuum created by the venturi 8 draws the particulate material in to mix with the fluid downstream of the venturi.

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

[0073] The sealed chamber is defined between the inner wall of the cover 6, the drilling tool 3, and the shoulder 4, and communicates with the duct 20 of the cylindrical body through the at least one side opening. In addition to its function as a component for closing the inlet opening, such a cover 6 can advantageously perform a cleaning and disinfecting method. The cover 6 has an internal thread that screws into the external 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 coupling, such as an SMS coupling or a CLAMP coupling.

[0074] The present invention also relates to a method for cleaning and disinfecting the drilling tool and the inner surface of the duct of the tubular body and the outer surface of the drilling tool and shoulder of the injection device 1 of the installation equipment described in the present disclosure.

[0075] This cleaning and disinfecting method includes the following steps. a cover 6 is placed in place over the drilling tool and shoulder 4 to form a fluid-sealed chamber 60 defined between the cover, the drilling tool 3 and the shoulder 4, while communicating with the duct 20 of the tubular body through one side opening 32; By injecting disinfectant through the outlet opening 22, the disinfectant flows into the hollow portion of the duct 20 and the drilling tool and abuts against the inner walls of the hollow portion of the duct 20 and the drilling tool 3, while flowing into the sealed chamber 60 and abuts against the outer walls of the drilling tool 3 and the shoulder portion 4.

[0076] The present disclosure further relates to a package comprising the above-mentioned aseptic or sterile adhesive Ad isolated from external contamination by a release sheet Fp to be removed before perforation, the adhesive being configured to bond to the shoulder 4 of a manual injection device described in the present disclosure or to the shoulder 4 of an injection device permanently attached to a manufacturing unit when a perforation tool perforates the wall of the package.

[0077] In the latter case, where the adhesive is bonded 360° to the shoulder around the periphery of the drilling tool of the injection device belonging to the production unit, in addition to preventing the leakage of granular material, it has the advantage of preventing the introduction of potentially non-sterile outside air into the material flowing through the production unit.

[0078] The present disclosure further relates to an assembly including an injection device as described herein and a package as described herein, wherein the adhesive of the package is configured to bond 360° to the mating surface around the periphery of the drilling tool of the injection device to form an adhesive connection between the package and the injection device, which can prevent leakage of material between the package and the injection device during emptying and ensure a good seal.

[0079] If the injection device is a manual device (especially if the body 2 has dimensions designed to form a gripping handle 5 for the hand), the adhesive bond between the injection device and the package provides additional safety for the operator to inject the contents of the package, avoiding the risk of the package and / or the injection device falling, especially into the fermentation tank.

[0080] Such an adhesive bond makes it possible, in particular at the end of the package emptying operation, to deform the walls of the package with both hands in order to expel the last portion of granular material from the injection device, without the need to hold the injection device by the handle, and the injection device is suspended from the package by the adhesive bond between the package and the injection device, with the outlet opening 22 facing downwards.

[0081] Preferably, on the contrary, the adhesive bond may also be advantageously configured to allow the operator to hold the assembly by the handle of the injection device alone, with the pointed tip of the injection device pointing downwards and the package containing the granular material suspended by the adhesive bond alone.

[0082] In this case, the bond strength of the adhesive bond is therefore at least equal to (and 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 being the weight of the package before it has been pierced by the sharp tip of the injection device, i.e. before it has been emptied of the granular material.

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

[0084] The injection device has particular application, for example, in beer production, for emptying vacuum-sealed packages containing active dry yeast, and more particularly for ensuring the aseptic transfer of the dry brewer's yeast from the yeast-containing packages to the fermentation tanks.

[0085] In the field of beer production, this represents a significant advancement by limiting the risk of contamination in fermentation tanks when injecting yeast into the tanks from vacuum-sealed packages. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 1 Manual injection device 2 Cylindrical body 20 Duct 21 Inlet opening 22 Exit opening 23 Internal thread 3 Drilling tool 30 sharp tip 31 Widened base 32 Side opening 33 Ogeve Arch 330 Ridge (Ogive Arch Bevel) 331, 332 Slope 4 Shoulder 5 Grab Handle 51 Wrist strap 52 Eyelet (for attaching a wrist strap) 53 Rim 6 Cover 60 Closed room 7 Fermentation units and other manufacturing units 70 Housings of fermentation tanks, etc. 71 Pipe A Vertical axis of drilling tool 3 Adhesive d1, d2 First direction and second direction F male thread Fp release sheet P Package S1 First adhesive side (double-sided adhesive) S2 Second adhesive side (double-sided adhesive) Rint, Rext: The inner and outer radii of the joint surface formed by the shoulder 4 Sc Flat joint surface (shoulder 4) T adhesive hole

Claims

1. A dosing device (1) suitable for piercing and emptying granular material contained in a vacuum-sealed package (P), comprising: 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) for said granular material located at a second end; a hollow piercing tool (3) having a distal end terminating in a sharp tip (30) and an enlarged base (31) at a proximal end, the hollow piercing tool (3) being rigidly connected to the tubular body at a first end thereof, the hollow piercing tool (3) having at least one side opening (32) along the length of the piercing tool extending from the enlarged base of the piercing tool along the length of the piercing tool and configured to allow material to be injected from outside the hollow portion of the piercing tool into the interior thereof, the hollow portion of the enlarged base (31) of the piercing tool (3) communicating with the inlet opening (21) of the tubular body (2); a shoulder (4) as a peripheral stop formed by a first end of the tubular body (2) arranged around the widened base (31) of the piercing tool and adapted to abut directly or indirectly against a wall of the package to stop the injection device when the wall is pierced by the piercing tool (3) at a position where the side opening (32) extends into the interior of the package; Including, The injection device (1) is arranged vertically, with its pointed tip pointing upward, and is configured to ensure that the contents within the package are continuously removed and emptied when the granular material flows by gravity through the inlet opening (21) via the side opening (32) and into the outlet opening (22) along a direction opposite to the direction of air flowing into the vacuum-sealed package.

2. 2. The manual injection device of claim 1, wherein the piercing tool has a longitudinal axis, and the shoulder (4) has a flat surface that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and configured to serve as a bonding surface (Sc) for bonding to the outer wall of the package with an adhesive.

3. The flat surface as the joining surface (Sc) is 3 cm ２ ~50cm ２ , for example 3 cm ２ ~10cm ２ 3. The manual injection device of claim 2, wherein the effective surface area of ​​the bond is 0.05 mm.

4. 4. A manual injection device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the effective surface of the junction is a circular ring defined between an outer radius (Rext) and an inner radius (Rint).

5. 5. The manual injection device according to claim 4, wherein a radius difference ΔR between the outer radius (Rext) and the inner radius (Rint) is 2 mm to 20 mm.

6. 4. Apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the piercing tool (3) has an enlarged base (31) which, in a plane perpendicular to its longitudinal axis, has a long dimension in a first direction (d1) and a short dimension in a substantially perpendicular second direction (d2), and the active surface of the joint extends along an elliptical locus consisting of a closed curve which is long in the first direction (d1) and narrow in the second direction (d2).

7. The manual injection device according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the tubular body has a longitudinal axis that is substantially the same as a longitudinal axis of the piercing tool.

8. A manual injection device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tubular body (2) has dimensions adapted to form a gripping handle (5) for a hand.

9. 9. A manual injection device according to claim 8, wherein the effective length (L) of the cylindrical body as a handle is between 8 cm and 15 cm, for example between 6 cm and 10 cm, for example 7 cm.

10. A manual injection device according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the outer diameter of the active surface forming the grip handle (5) is between 2 cm and 5 cm, for example 2.5 cm.

11. 11. The device according to any one of claims 8 to 10, comprising a wrist strap (51) rigidly connected to the grip handle (5) and through which a user's hand passes when gripping the grip handle (5).

12. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, made of plastic material forming said piercing tool and said tubular body, essentially consisting of a single integral part including a shoulder.

13. 10. A manufacturing unit (7) comprising a housing (70) and an injection device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, rigidly attached to the housing (70) or a pipe (71), wherein the piercing tool is arranged vertically with its pointed tip pointing upwards, and the injection device is configured to transfer granular material contained in a vacuum-sealed package into the housing (70) directly or indirectly via the pipe.

14. 14. The manufacturing unit according to claim 13, wherein the cylindrical body of the injection device is tightly sealed and connected to the housing (70) so that the outlet opening (22) communicates with the internal volume of the housing (70), and the injection device, which is arranged on top of the housing (70), is configured so that the granular material flows into the interior of the housing (70) through the outlet opening by gravity.

15. 14. The manufacturing unit according to claim 13, wherein the housing (70) is sealed to the pipe (71) through which the product is pumped, and the cylindrical body of the injection device is sealed to the pipe (71) directly or indirectly through a transfer system so that the granular material flows into the pipe (71) while mixing with the product before being routed into the housing (70) together with the product.

16. A production unit according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein the enclosure (70) is a fermentation tank.

17. A package (P) for containing granular material, comprising an adhesive (Ad) on the outer surface of a wall of the package, the adhesive (Ad) being aseptic or sterile and isolated from external contamination by a release sheet (Fp) to be removed before piercing, the adhesive being configured to be bonded to a shoulder (4) of an injection device according to any one of claims 1 to 12 or an injection device belonging to a manufacturing unit (7) according to any one of claims 13 to 16 when the piercing tool pierces the wall of the package (P).

18. The package according to claim 17, wherein the adhesive is a double-sided adhesive (Ad) having a first adhesive surface bonded to the package wall and a second adhesive surface covered with the release sheet (Fp), and configured to be bonded to the bonding surface (Sc) of the shoulder (4) of an injection device according to any one of claims 1 to 12 or an injection device belonging to a manufacturing unit (7) according to any one of claims 13 to 16 when the piercing tool pierces the package wall.

19. 19. A package according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the adhesive has holes (T) for the piercing tool to pass through when piercing the package wall.

20. 20. The package according to claim 19, wherein the adhesive (Ad) is in the shape of a ring or an ellipse.

21. 21. The package of any one of claims 17 to 20, wherein the double-sided adhesive has a thickness separating the first adhesive side from the second adhesive side of 0.5 mm to 2 mm, for example 0.6 mm, 1.1 mm or 1.6 mm, making it flexible with respect to thickness.

22. 22. The package of claim 21, wherein the double-sided adhesive comprises a flexible substrate for an adhesive composition and the adhesive composition covering the substrate, the flexible substrate being air-cell and formed of closed-cell foam.

23. A package according to any one of claims 17 to 22, wherein the particulate material is in a vacuum.

24. An assembly comprising an injection device according to any one of claims 1 to 12 and a package according to any one of claims 17 to 23.

25. 25. An assembly according to claim 24, comprising the manual injection device of claim 8, wherein the adhesive of the package bonds to a shoulder (4) of the injection device when the package wall is pierced by a piercing tool to form an adhesive bond, and the adhesive bond between the shoulder and the adhesive (Ad) is configured so that an operator can hold the assembly by the handle of the injection device alone, with the pointed tip of the piercing tool of the injection device facing downwards and the package containing the granular material suspended on the injection device solely by the bonding force of the adhesive bond.

26. 17. The equipment includes an injection device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 12 or an injection device of a manufacturing unit according to any one of claims 13 to 16, and a cover (6) that sealingly cooperates with a first end of the cylindrical body to cover the piercing tool and form a sealed chamber (60) for fluid, the sealed chamber being defined between the cover (6), the piercing tool (3) and the shoulder (4), while communicating with a duct (20) of the cylindrical body via the at least one side opening.

27. 27. A method for cleaning and disinfecting the inner surface of the piercing tool and the duct of the cylindrical body of an injection device (1) of an installation according to claim 26, and the outer surface of the piercing tool, comprising: the cover (6) is placed in place to cover the piercing tool and the shoulder (4) and form the fluid-sealed chamber (60), the sealed chamber being defined between the cover, the piercing tool (3) and the shoulder (4) and communicating with the duct (20) of the tubular body through the at least one side opening (32); By injecting a disinfectant through the outlet opening (21), the disinfectant flows into the hollow portion of the duct (20) and the piercing tool (3) and abuts against the inner walls of the hollow portion of the duct (20) and the piercing tool (3), while flowing into the sealed chamber (60) and abuts against the outer walls of the piercing tool (3) and the shoulder portion (4).

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the step of injecting a disinfectant solution to disinfect the piercing tool of the injection device (1) and the inner surface of the duct of the cylindrical body, and the outer surface of the piercing tool and the shoulder portion, is an injection step that simultaneously cleans the inner surface of the manufacturing unit.

29. Use of a manual injection device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, a package according to claims 17 to 23, or an assembly according to claim 24 or 25 for transferring dry brewer's yeast into a fermentation tank.

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