Abstract: An image forming apparatus, having a body, a fuser to fix an image on a recording medium by heat, an interface to accept a value for a first time, which is between an end of fixing by the fuser until entry into a low power-consuming condition for the heater, a fan, and a controller, is provided. The controller sets a second time being a predetermined length and subtract the second time from the first time to obtain a third time. If the third time is given a positive value, the controller continues driving the fan after the end of the fixing and throughout the third time, and inactivates the fan after the third time. If the third time is given a value smaller than or equal to zero, the controller inactivates the fan during the first time before the entry into the low power-consuming condition.

Abstract: An aseptic filling machine and an aseptic filling method are provided with which a petaloid-shape bottle or an unstable bottle which is filled with sterilized content and sealed with a sterilized cap in an aseptic atmosphere is discharged without a delay from an aseptic zone to a non-aseptic zone. Further, even if a petaloid-shape bottle or an unstable bottle falls over on a discharging conveyor when being discharged from an aseptic zone to a non-aseptic zone, a stopping time of the aseptic filling machine can be shortened. A barrier chamber into which air containing a gas of a sterilizer is supplied is provided downstream of a sealing portion that fills content into the bottle and seals the bottle with a cap. Further, a discharge portion chamber that shields a discharge portions provided downstream of the sealing portion that fills content into the bottle and seals the bottle with a cap.

Abstract: Hot water or heated steam is fed to a drink supply pipe line for simultaneously supplying drink to a plurality of filling nozzles, while exhausting the hot water or heated steam from all the filling nozzles, F-values are calculated by detecting temperatures at a plurality of predetermined portions of the drink supply pipe line and all the filling nozzles at every predetermined time interval, and a sterilizing process is ended at a time when a minimum F-value reaches an aimed value. According to such method, the sterilization to the drink supply pipe line can be smoothly performed.

Abstract: A drink filling system including: a bottle molding section; a sterilizing section that sterilizes a molded bottle; a rinsing section that rinses the bottle; a filling section that fills and seals the bottle; and a conveying unit that conveys the bottle from the molding section through to the filling section. A chamber covers a portion extending from the sterilizing section to the filling section, and an atmosphere shut-off chamber is provided between a sterilizing section chamber and a rinsing section chamber. An exhaust unit is provided for the atmosphere shut-off chamber and/or the sterilizing section chamber, a clean air supply unit is provided for a filling section chamber so that a clean air flows from the filling section chamber into the atmosphere shut-off chamber through the rinsing section chamber or further flows into the sterilizing section chamber, and the air-flow flowing therein is exhausted by an exhaust unit.

Abstract: A drink filling system including: a bottle molding section; a sterilizing section that sterilizes a molded bottle; a rinsing section that rinses the bottle; a filling section that fills and seals the bottle; and a conveying unit that conveys the bottle from the molding section through to the filling section. A chamber covers a portion extending from the sterilizing section to the filling section, and an atmosphere shut-off chamber is provided between a sterilizing section chamber and a rinsing section chamber. An exhaust unit is provided for the atmosphere shut-off chamber and/or the sterilizing section chamber, a clean air supply unit is provided for a filling section chamber so that a clean air flows from the filling section chamber into the atmosphere shut-off chamber through the rinsing section chamber or further flows into the sterilizing section chamber, and the air-flow flowing therein is exhausted by an exhaust unit.

Abstract: A method of sterilizing a bottle includes steps of: sterilizing bacteria adhering to a preform (1) made of resin by gasifying a sterilizer, discharging a sterilized gas (G) from a nozzle (6) toward a preform, now traveling, so as to adhere to the preform (1); activating the sterilizer adhering to the preform by blasting hot air (P) to the preform; sterilizing the bacteria adhering to the preform, and removing the sterilizer adhering to the preform (1); heating the preform to a temperature suitable for blow-molding treatment; and blow-molding the preform within a mold (4) to mold the preform into a bottle (2), wherein the above steps are performed sequentially in order. According to the above-mentioned steps, the sterilizer does not enter a blow-molding machine.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, having a body, a fuser to fix an image on a recording medium by heat, an interface to accept a value for a first time, which is between an end of fixing by the fuser until entry into a low power-consuming condition for the heater, a fan, and a controller, is provided. The controller sets a second time being a predetermined length and subtract the second time from the first time to obtain a third time. If the third time is given a positive value, the controller continues driving the fan after the end of the fixing and throughout the third time, and inactivates the fan after the third time. If the third time is given a value smaller than or equal to zero, the controller inactivates the fan during the first time before the entry into the low power-consuming condition.

Abstract: To provide a method and an apparatus for sterilizing a preform that can reduce the amount of the remaining hydrogen peroxide in sterilization of a preform. A sterilizer at least containing 30% by mass or less of hydrogen peroxide and a solvent having a boiling point of 85° C. or lower is gasified, the sterilizer gas is blasted to the preform, and the preform to which the sterilizer has been blasted is heated to a temperature suitable for molding by blasting hot air or without blasting hot air. Alternatively, after the preform is irradiated with light containing ultraviolet rays, the sterilizer gas is blasted to the preform, and the preform is heated to a temperature suitable for molding.

Abstract: A drink filling system including: a bottle molding section; a sterilizing section that sterilizes a molded bottle; a rinsing section that rinses the bottle; a filling section that fills and seals the bottle; and a conveying unit that conveys the bottle from the molding section through to the filling section. A chamber covers a portion extending from the sterilizing section to the filling section, and an atmosphere shut-off chamber is provided between a sterilizing section chamber and a rinsing section chamber. An exhaust unit is provided for the atmosphere shut-off chamber and/or the sterilizing section chamber, a clean air supply unit is provided for a filling section chamber so that a clean air flows from the filling section chamber into the atmosphere shut-off chamber through the rinsing section chamber or further flows into the sterilizing section chamber, and the air-flow flowing therein is exhausted by an exhaust unit.

Abstract: A method of sterilizing a bottle includes steps of: sterilizing bacteria adhering to a preform made of resin by gasifying a sterilizer, discharging a sterilized gas from a nozzle toward a preform, now traveling, so as to adhere to the preform; activating the sterilizer adhering to the preform by blasting hot air to the preform; sterilizing the bacteria adhering to the preform, and removing the sterilizer adhering to the preform; heating the preform to a temperature suitable for blow-molding treatment; and blow-molding the preform within a mold to mold the preform into a bottle, wherein the above steps are performed sequentially in order. According to the above-mentioned steps, the sterilizer does not enter a blow-molding machine.

Abstract: An apparatus for filling a drink including a drink supply pipe line for supplying a drink to a filling machine, the drink supply pipe line including at least two supply pipe lines of a first supply pipe line for supplying a non-sterilized carbonated drink, a second supply pipe line for supplying a high acidic carbonated drink or a low acidic carbonated drink and a third supply pipe line for supplying a high acid beverage or a low acid beverage, and an aseptic chamber surrounding at least the apparatus for filling the drink.

Abstract: An apparatus for filling a drink including a drink supply pipe line for supplying a drink to a filling machine, the drink supply pipe line and the filling machine including a CIP and SIP treatments apparatus, and an aseptic chamber surrounding at least the apparatus for filling the drink, the aseptic chamber of the filling machine comprising a COP and SOP treatment apparatus. The CIP and SIP treatments apparatus and the COP and SOP treatment apparatus are driven in parallel with each other.

Abstract: At least one of COP and SOP treatments is performed by spraying a predetermined working fluid from spray nozzles within an aseptic chamber accommodated with a filler in a predetermined order, when such at least one of the COP and SOP treatments is performed, the predetermined working fluid is blasted toward externally of the filler in the predetermined order while moving a movable spray nozzle opposing to the filler around the filler from an outer periphery thereof, thus performing the filler cleaning operation. Accordingly, downtime at the drink filling working can be reduced.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing cartridge, a photosensitive drum, a lever, and an electrical connector. The developing cartridge includes a developing roller rotatable about a first axis extending in a first direction, a memory storing information related to the developing cartridge, and an electrical contact electrically connected to the memory. The photosensitive drum is rotatable about a second axis extending in the first direction. The lever moves the developing cartridge between a first position where a surface of the developing roller contacts a surface of the photosensitive drum and a second position where the surface of the developing roller separates from the surface of the photosensitive drum. The electrical connector contacts the electrical contact in the second position of the developing cartridge, and separates from the electrical contact in the first position of the developing cartridge.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to make short a manufacturing time at a time of switching a kind of a filling drink.

Abstract: A bottle is conveyed to a filling device without being sterilized by a container sterilizer, and a culture medium is filled inside the bottle by using the filling device. Then, the bottle is capped with a cap using a cap attachment device. Thereafter, whether or not bacteria survive or propagate in the culture medium in the bottle is verified.

Abstract: At least one of COP and SOP treatments is performed by spraying a predetermined working fluid from spray nozzles (17a, 17b) within an aseptic chamber (9) accommodated with a filler (1) in a predetermined order, when such at least one of the COP and SOP treatments is performed, the predetermined working fluid is blasted toward externally of the filler (1) in the predetermined order while moving a movable spray nozzle (17b) opposing to the filler around the filler (1) from an outer periphery thereof, thus performing the filler cleaning operation. Accordingly, downtime at the drink filling working can be reduced.

Abstract: Provided are a method and an apparatus for sterilizing a sleeve that can shorten a sterilization process for a paper container sleeve and ensure a sterilization effect. In a method for sterilizing a sleeve in an aseptic filling system that molds the sleeve into a paper container having a bottomed tubular shape by closing surfaces of an open end part of the sleeve and performs sterilization, filling and sealing of the paper container, the sleeve being a tubular body having walls formed by laminating at least paper, in a state where the sleeve stands in a columnar shape, heated air containing a sterilizer is blasted to an inner surface of the sleeve that is to form a bottom part of the paper container to perform sterilization of the inner surface of the bottom part and heating for the closing at the same time.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing cartridge, a photosensitive drum, a lever, and an electrical connector. The developing cartridge includes a developing roller rotatable about a first axis extending in a first direction, a memory storing information related to the developing cartridge, and an electrical contact electrically connected to the memory. The photosensitive drum is rotatable about a second axis extending in the first direction. The lever moves the developing cartridge between a first position where a surface of the developing roller contacts a surface of the photosensitive drum and a second position where the surface of the developing roller separates from the surface of the photosensitive drum. The electrical connector contacts the electrical contact in the second position of the developing cartridge, and separates from the electrical contact in the first position of the developing cartridge.

Abstract: A method of sterilizing a preform includes steps of: sterilizing bacteria adhering to a preform (1) made of resin by gasifying a sterilizer, discharging a sterilized gas (G) from a nozzle (6) toward a preform (1), now traveling, so as to adhere to the preform (1); activating the sterilizer adhering to the preform (1) by blasting hot air (P) to the preform; and sterilizing bacteria adhering to the preform, and removing the sterilizer adhering to the preform (1), wherein the above steps are performed sequentially in order. According to the above-mentioned steps, the sterilizer does not enter a blow-molding machine.