Patent ID: 9316438
Filing Date: 2016-04-19
CPC Classification: B65G,F26B

Claim Text:
1. A method for transfer of containers or vials, between a freeze dryer that is located at a first location and a separate transport vehicle that is mobile with respect to the freeze dryer, wherein the freeze dryer comprises a freeze dryer housing with an access opening towards an inner freeze drying chamber inside the freeze dryer housing, multiple shelves that are arranged spaced apart above each other inside the freeze dryer chamber and each provided with a horizontally extending first flat supporting surface for supporting the containers, wherein the mobile transport vehicle comprises a mobile undercarriage supporting a storage housing with an access opening towards an inner storage chamber, a carrier provided with a second flat supporting surface for supporting the containers inside the storage housing, and a container shifter for pushing out containers away from the second flat supporting surface in a pushing out direction parallel to the second flat supporting surface, wherein the method comprises for a first shelf aligning the carrier and the shelf and by means of the container shifter pushing out a first container pack of multiple mutually abutting containers from the second flat supporting surface onto the first flat supporting surface of the first shelf reversing the container shifter and subsequently pushing out a second container pack of multiple mutually abutting containers from the second flat supporting surface onto the first flat supporting surface of the first shelf while leaving an elongated separation space free between the first container pack and the second container pack on the first shelf, running a freeze drying, process inside the freeze dryer, unloading the container packs from the shelf, wherein the unloading comprises per shelf aligning the shelf and the carrier, moving the container shifter to enter the elongated separation free space, by means of the container shifter pulling in the second container pack from the first flat supporting surface onto the second flat supporting surface in a pulling in direction parallel to the second flat supporting surface, and extending the container shifter in an extending direction opposite the pushing in direction and subsequently pulling in the first container pack from the first flat supporting surface onto the second fat supporting surface.