Patent ID: 7635451

Claim:
An apparatus for pasteurizing filled receptacles, comprising a control unit comprising a first control circuit ( 1 ) which is adapted to be controlled according to a first criterion, and at least one second control circuit ( 2 ) which is adapted to be controlled according to a second criterion, and the second control circuit ( 2 ) being superimposed on the first control circuit ( 1 ), wherein the first and the second control circuit ( 1 , 2 ) each comprise a unit ( 10 , 11 ) for calculating the actual values of the respective first and second criteria from a single and same process parameter, wherein the second control circuit ( 2 ) is linked to mixing point ( 1 a ), which is adapted to have supplied thereto an input signal CR 1 ref of the first control circuit ( 1 ) that corresponds to a reference value of the first criterion, and an output signal CR 2 set of the second control circuit ( 2 ), the output signal CR 2 set of the second control circuit ( 2 ) modulating the input signal CR 1 ref of the first control circuit ( 1 ), wherein the mixing point ( 1 a ) is located in an input branch of the first control circuit ( 1 ), further comprising additional control circuits ( 3 , . . . N), which are each adapted to be controlled according to further criteria, output signals CR 3 set . . . CR N set of the additional control circuits ( 3 , . . . N) being adapted to be supplied to the mixing point ( 1 a ) and influencing the input signal CR 1 ref of the first control circuit ( 1 ), wherein the additional control circuits ( 3 , . . . N) each comprise a mixing point ( 3 a . . . Na) at which each additional control circuit is linked to the respective preceding control circuit, wherein the additional control circuits ( 3 , . . . N) each comprise a unit for calculating actual values of the respective 3 rd to N th criteria from the single and same process parameter, wherein the first criterion comprises pasteurization units PU and the second criterion comprises a criterion different from the first criterion, and wherein the single and same process parameter is a spray temperature T i spray , which transfers the pasteurization units PU to the filled receptacles.