The invention relates to a cartridge housing comprising a diluting means, especially a water supply, a mixing chamber in which the diluting means and a beverage and/or food substrate are mixed, and an outlet. The cartridge housing is fitted with a hollow rod such that the sealing film of the cartridge is pierced as soon as the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge housing, thereby creating the flow connection between the cartridge and a mixing chamber.

A chemical solution supply part for supplementing the chemical solution to the chemical solution storage tank and a purge gas supply part for supplying N.sub.2 gas as a purge gas to the chemical solution storage tank are in communication with the chemical solution storage tank, and a first manometer serving as a pressure measurement part is arranged on the chemical solution storage tank. In addition, a drain piping is connected to a head portion of the plunger pump, and an automatically controlled air-bleed valve, which is an air-bleed mechanism, is arranged on the drain piping. On the other hand, a second manometer is arranged in the middle of the chemical solution supply pipe, and a front end of the solution supply pipe on the downstream side serves as an injection point for the chemical solution S.

A fluid dispenser for containing and dispensing metered amounts of fluid that includes a reservoir for containing fluid and a chamber positioned substantially within the reservoir for containing a quantity of the fluid. The fluid dispenser additionally includes a piston that is moveable within the chamber to draw fluid into the chamber when the piston is moved in a first direction with respect to the chamber, and to discharge fluid from the chamber when the piston is moved in a second direction opposite the first direction. Further, the fluid dispenser includes a user-manipulatable control coupled to the piston and rotatable about an axis to select one of at least two different metered quantities of fluid to be dispensed. The user-manipulatable control is further movable to move the piston relative to the chamber along the axis to selectively dispense the selected metered quantity of fluid.

A material transfer system for storing, transferring and dispensing viscous material, such as fluids and liquids, includes a material containment vessel with an upper region incorporating a motive force and a bottom region with a material ingress and egress opening. A diconical or other shaped force transfer device is located in the material containment area. The force transfer device is an energy transducer when the material containment is filled with highly viscous materials, such as adhesives, sealants, mastics or lubricating greases. The system's performance can be improved by applying a surface treatment to the wetted surfaces of the system to change the physical properties at the fluid/vessel interface.

The invention relates to a cartridge housing comprising a diluting means, especially a water supply, a mixing chamber in which the diluting means and a beverage and/or food substrate are mixed, and an outlet. The cartridge housing is fitted with a hollow rod such that the sealing film of the cartridge is pierced as soon as the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge housing, thereby creating the flow connection between the cartridge and a mixing chamber.

A material transfer system for storing, transferring and dispensing viscous material, such as fluids and liquids, includes a material containment vessel with an upper region incorporating a motive force and a bottom region with a material ingress and egress opening. A diconical or other shaped force transfer device is located in the material containment area. The force transfer device is an energy transducer when the material containment is filled with highly viscous materials, such as adhesives, sealants, mastics or lubricating greases. The system's performance can be improved by applying a surface treatment to the wetted surfaces of the system to change the physical properties at the fluid/vessel interface.

The invention relates to device (2), for evacuating a container (4) that contains a pasty liquid (6), for avoiding air inclusions or bubbles in the liquid (18) while the container (4) is being filled with the liquid (18), for eliminating air between the material surface (6) of the liquid (18) contained in the container (4) and a follower plate (10) until said follower plate contacts the liquid surface (6) during the insertion of the follower plate (10) into the container (4) before removal of the liquid (18), comprising a cover assembly, which is designed to close an opening of a container (4) in a vacuum-tight manner and which has a connection device (14), which is arranged on the outside of the cover assembly and which is designed for connecting an evacuation pump (29), and comprising a collapse avoidance apparatus (22), which is designed to surround at least one region of the outer faces of walls of the container (4) by means of a seal (24) surrounding the region and to connect to the wall outer face (26) in a vacuum-tight manner and to form a vacuum-tight collapse avoidance chamber (28) together with the wall outer face (26), which collapse avoidance chamber has a connection device (14), which is designed for connecting an evacuation pump (29), such that, when the collapse avoidance chamber (28) is evacuated, the vacuum therein acts on the wall outer face (26).

The invention relates to an apparatus (10, 110) for the conveying of viscous material from a drum-like container (12), which has a container bottom (14) and a circumferential container wall (18) extending from the container bottom (14) to an upper rim (16) of the container, which is open at the upper rim (16) of the container, the apparatus having, for closing of the container (12), a follower plate (26) having a material outlet (28) attached to a conveyor pump (30), wherein the follower plate (26) can be moved up and down in the container (12) while being in sealing contact against an inside face of the container wall (18) turned toward it, and having a lifting device (22) for raising and lowering of the follower plate (26), wherein the lifting device (22) has a drive unit. According to the invention, a protective device (32, 132) having a protective member (34, 134) is provided, which is disposed in such a way with respect to the follower plate (26) and the container (12) that, upon introduction of the follower plate (26) into the container (12), it annularly surrounds on the one hand the follower plate (26) and on the other hand the container (12) in the region of the upper rim (16) of the container. The protective device (32, 132) additionally has at least one switch (52, 152, 154) for switching-off of the drive unit upon an at least partial exposure of the upper rim (16) of the container by the protective member (34, 134) during the introduction of the follower plate (26) into the container (12).

The invention relates to an adapter and to a filling method giving the possibility of flexibility in the transfer of fluids from a filling cell to a fluidic circuit, depending on the different filling levels required on a production line, notably finding application for the transfer of fluids such as coolant fluid, brake fluid, air-conditioning fluid, to the corresponding fluidic circuit of a vehicle, for example on an automotive assembly line, or further in the energy sector for filling electric radiators with a fluid. The adapter comprises a conduit 4 connected to the filling cell 16 for sucking up filling fluid 5 contained in, and filling with the filling fluid 5, the fluidic circuit 2, and a plunger tube 6, secured to a piston 7 axially adjustable on an axis Y in a first guiding tube 9, having first and second ends 14, and connected through the first end to the conduit. The piston forms with the first guiding tube a first chamber able to receive a movement transmission liquid 3 through a hydraulic transfer line 10 in order to allow, by injection or by suction of the movement transmission liquid into, or from the first chamber, the movement of the plunger tube, via the piston, into a first or a second direction, along the axis Y, for plunging into or moving upwards the fluidic circuit.

The invention relates to an apparatus (10) for the conveying of viscous material from a drum-like container (12), which has a container bottom (14) and a circumferential container wall (18), extending from the container bottom (14) to a container upper side (16) and is open at the container upper side (16), with, for closing of the container (12), a follower plate (20) having a material outlet (26) attached to a conveyor pump (40), wherein the follower plate (20) is provided with an annularly circumferential wiper ring (28), wherein the wiper ring (28) has a radially outwardly extending contacting part (34) for contact against an inside face (36), turned toward the follower plate (20), of the container wall (18), and wherein the contacting part (34) can be pressurized with a variable pressing force for pressing against the inside face (36) of the container wall (18). According to the invention, it is provided that the follower plate (20) is mounted by means of at least one vertically extending retaining rod (58) on a horizontally extending crosspiece (52), which is mounted on or close to a first end (54) on a lifting device (50) for raising and lowering of the crosspiece (52), while its second end (56) is free.