Abstract: A filling method includes storing liquid in a liquid tank; pressing a seal member of a filling head against a mouth of a vessel to seal the mouth; providing a liquid valve in a liquid passageway which connects an inside of the liquid tank to the vessel via the filling head; providing a gas valve in a gas passageway connecting a headspace of the liquid tank to the vessel via the filling head; providing a snifting valve in a snifting passage which connects the vessel to an outside via the filling head; detecting an amount of the liquid supplied to the vessel; and when the liquid is a non-fizzy liquid, opening the liquid valve to supply the liquid to the vessel while a compressor pressurizes the inside of the liquid tank, the gas valve is closed, the snifting valve is opened, and the mouth of the vessel is sealed.

Abstract: A filling system includes a liquid tank for storing liquid; a compressor for pressurizing the inside of the liquid tank; a filling head having a seal member adapted to be pressed against a mouth of a vessel and filling the liquid to the vessel through a liquid passageway while the mouth of the vessel is sealed by the seal member; a liquid valve provided in the liquid passageway; a gas passageway connecting a headspace of the liquid tank to the vessel; a gas valve provided in the gas passageway; a snifting passage connecting the vessel to the outside; and a flowmeter for detecting the amount of liquid supplied to the vessel. When the liquid is a non-fizzy liquid, the liquid valve is opened while the liquid tank is pressurized, the gas valve is closed and the snifting valve is opened.

Abstract: A filling system includes a center wheel that conveys vessels, a first filler provided with a plurality of filling heads, a second filler provided with a plurality of filling heads and arranged downstream from the first filler, a first inlet wheel that receives the vessels from the center wheel and supplies the vessels to the first filler, and a second inlet wheel that receives the vessel from the center wheel and supplies the vessels to the second filler. Operation modes are switchable between a first operation mode that conveys the vessels to the first filler and a second operation mode that conveys the vessels to the second filler instead of conveying to the first filler by controlling the reception of the vessels at the first and second inlet wheels.

Abstract: A filling valve for filling liquid into a bottle is provided that comprises a nozzle having an outlet on its bottom end and a seat on its interior surface, a stem arranged inside the nozzle and having a plug provided on its outer periphery, a helical vane provided on the outer periphery of the stem for inducing a spiral flow, and a bevel with expanding diameter in the downward direction is provided at the bottom end of the stem. The filling valve is closed when the stem descends and the plug makes contact with the seat. The filling valve is opened when the stem ascends and the plug separates from the seat. The bevel is extended below the outlet when the plug is opened. The liquid revolved via the helical vane and ejected from the outlet is spread by the bevel toward a bottle finish or neck.

Abstract: A filling system includes a conveyance chamber that conveys vessels, a filling chamber provided with a filling head that fills content into the vessels, a pressure control means that controls the pressure conditions of each chamber, an intermediate chamber that is provided between the conveyance chamber and the filling chamber, and a shutter that can separate the conveyance chamber and the intermediate chamber. When the filling chamber is separated by the shutter, the pressure control means controls the pressure of the intermediate chamber to become lower than the pressure of the conveyance chamber and the filling chamber.

Abstract: A container conveyor system includes a first endless conveyor and a second endless conveyor. The first endless conveyor is provided with a plurality of neck grippers that holds the neck of a capped container and conveys the container held by the neck gripper by moving the neck gripper. The second endless conveyor is provided with a plurality of vertical grippers that comprises an upper grip member, which is liftable and abuts against the top of the cap of the container, and a support plate that supports the base of the container. The second endless conveyor conveys the container held by the upper grip member and the support plate by moving the vertical gripper. The container conveyor system conveys the container by transferring the container between the neck gripper and the vertical gripper.

Abstract: A filling system includes a conveyance chamber in which a center wheel for conveying vessels is housed inside, a filling chamber where filling machines are housed inside, an inlet/outlet wheel that transfers the vessels from the center wheel to the filling machine, an opening that allows conveyance of the vessels, and a shutter that closes the opening. The inlet/outlet wheel includes grippers configured from a fixed section and a movable section. The movable section can be raised or lowered with respect to the rotational axis of the inlet/outlet wheel. When the shutter closes the opening, movable section is raised or lowered by a predetermined amount relative to the fixed section, after which the movable section is rotated by a predetermined amount to a position where it does not interfere with the shutter.

Abstract: A container conveyor system includes a first endless conveyor and a second endless conveyor. The first endless conveyor is provided with a plurality of neck grippers that holds the neck of a capped container and conveys the container held by the neck gripper by moving the neck gripper. The second endless conveyor is provided with a plurality of vertical grippers that comprises an upper grip member, which is liftable and abuts against the top of the cap of the container, and a support plate that supports the base of the container. The second endless conveyor conveys the container held by the upper grip member and the support plate by moving the vertical gripper. The container conveyor system conveys the container by transferring the container between the neck gripper and the vertical gripper.

Abstract: A filling system includes a conveyance chamber that conveys vessels, a filling chamber provided with a filling head that fills content into the vessels, a pressure control means that controls the pressure conditions of each chamber, an intermediate chamber that is provided between the conveyance chamber and the filling chamber, and a shutter that can separate the conveyance chamber and the intermediate chamber. When the filling chamber is separated by the shutter, the pressure control means controls the pressure of the intermediate chamber to become lower than the pressure of the conveyance chamber and the filling chamber.

Abstract: A filling system includes a conveyance chamber in which a center wheel for conveying vessels is housed inside, a filling chamber where filling machines are housed inside, an inlet/outlet wheel that transfers the vessels from the center wheel to the filling machine, an opening that allows conveyance of the vessels, and a shutter that closes the opening. The inlet/outlet wheel includes grippers configured from a fixed section and a movable section. The movable section can be raised or lowered with respect to the rotational axis of the inlet/outlet wheel. When the shutter closes the opening, movable section is raised or lowered by a predetermined amount relative to the fixed section, after which the movable section is rotated by a predetermined amount to a position where it does not interfere with the shutter.

Abstract: A filling system includes a center wheel that conveys vessels, a first filler provided with a plurality of filling heads, a second filler provided with a plurality of filling heads and arranged downstream from the first filler, a first inlet wheel that receives the vessels from the center wheel and supplies the vessels to the first filler, and a second inlet wheel that receives the vessel from the center wheel and supplies the vessels to the second filler. Operation modes are switchable between a first operation mode that conveys the vessels to the first filler and a second operation mode that conveys the vessels to the second filler instead of conveying to the first filler by controlling the reception of the vessels at the first and second inlet wheels.

Abstract: A filling valve for filling liquid into a bottle is provided that comprises a nozzle having an outlet on its bottom end and a seat on its interior surface, a stem arranged inside the nozzle and having a plug provided on its outer periphery, a helical vane provided on the outer periphery of the stem for inducing a spiral flow, and a bevel with expanding diameter in the downward direction is provided at the bottom end of the stem. The filling valve is closed when the stem descends and the plug makes contact with the seat. The filling valve is opened when the stem ascends and the plug separates from the seat. The bevel is extended below the outlet when the plug is opened. The liquid revolved via the helical vane and ejected from the outlet is spread by the bevel toward a bottle finish or neck.

Abstract: An electron beam detecting device detects a state of an electron beam radiated by an electron beam radiation device. A plurality of wire electrodes, which are conductors, are disposed corresponding to a plurality of filaments, the wire electrodes being electrically insulated from each other, in the area in which the electron beams are radiated. The electrical current flowing through each of the wire electrodes is measured by an electric current measuring instrument (measuring unit). A CPU (determining unit) determines the radiation level of the electron beams by receiving a signal output by the electric current measuring instrument. The CPU judges that when the measuring instrument measures a decrease of the current value, an abnormal condition exists in the filament corresponding to the conductor with the lower current value.

Abstract: An electron beam detecting device detects a state of an electron beam radiated by an electron beam radiation device. A plurality of wire electrodes, which are conductors, are disposed corresponding to a plurality of filaments, the wire electrodes being electrically insulated from each other, in the area in which the electron beams are radiated. The electrical current flowing through each of the wire electrodes is measured by an electric current measuring instrument (measuring unit). A CPU (determining unit) determines the radiation level of the electron beams by receiving a signal output by the electric current measuring instrument. The CPU judges that when the measuring instrument measures a decrease of the current value, an abnormal condition exists in the filament corresponding to the conductor with the lower current value.

Abstract: An electron beam irradiation apparatus is provided that includes a vacuum room, an electron beam generator, a window frame, and an irradiation foil. The vacuum room includes a wall having an opening through which an electron beam is irradiated. An internal atmosphere of the vacuum room is evacuated. The electron beam generator is provided inside the vacuum room. The window frame is attached to and surrounds the opening in the wall of the vacuum room. The irradiation foil, through which an electron beam generated in the vacuum room is transmitted, is fixed to the window frame. The surface of the window frame, at least an area exposed to the vacuum room, is substantially covered with material including an element or elements with an atomic number less than or equal to 10.

Abstract: To prevent electrical charging inside a resin material as well as a surface of a resin vessel at a time of sterilizing the resin vessel by being irradiated with electron beam, a bottle support unit is mounted to a lower end portion of a cylindrical rotating shaft rotatably supported by a rotating wheel. The bottle support unit includes a pair of griper members by which a mouth portion of a bottle is gripped. A ground electrode is disposed to be capable of being inserted into the interior of the resin vessel through a mouth portion thereof, and the interior of the resin vessel is irradiated with the electron beam in a state of the ground electrode being inserted into the resin vessel.

Abstract: An electron beam sterilizer has a bottle holder 28 provided with a rotation shaft 38, a neck gripper 70 mounted to a lower end of the rotation shaft 38, a rotating body 30 for rotating and moving the neck gripper 70 and a rotator revolver (segment gear 54, pinion gear 46, disc-shaped cam 66, etc.), and while conveying the resin bottle 2 in the state of being held, the resin bottle 2 is sterilized by irradiation with the electron beam through the irradiation window 19 of the electron beam irradiation device 18. The entire surface of the resin bottle 2 is completely sterilized by being rotated by the rotator during the movement in front of the irradiation window 19 and, thereafter, the rotator is inverted in position to return the neck gripper to thereby discharge the bottle.

Abstract: An electron beam cap-sterilizer radiates an electron beam onto caps while the caps are continuously conveyed. The caps are conveyed in the restricting conveying section while the movements of the caps are restricted, so that the caps roll down freely and separately from each other in the free conveying section. The electron beam radiating device emits electron beams onto the inside of the caps in the lateral direction while the caps are conveyed in the free conveying section. A deflecting device is provided in the free conveying section. The deflecting device is located at the opposite side of the electron beam radiating device to deflect the electron beams emitted by the electron beam radiating device onto the outside of the caps.

Abstract: Charges accumulated inside a wall structure of a resin vessel, which is sterilized by an electron beam irradiator, and an ionizer disposed outside a filler emits to the outer surface of the resin vessel are eliminated with negative ions having the same polarity as that of charges accumulated in the wall section of the resin vessel, while conveying the resin vessel sterilized by the electron beam irradiator to the filler, by which liquid fills the resin vessel.

Abstract: To prevent electrical charging inside a resin material as well as a surface of a resin vessel at a time of sterilizing the resin vessel by being irradiated with electron beam, a bottle support unit is mounted to a lower end portion of a cylindrical rotating shaft rotatably supported by a rotating wheel. The bottle support unit includes a pair of griper members by which a mouth portion of a bottle is gripped. A ground electrode is disposed to be capable of being inserted into the interior of the resin vessel through a mouth portion thereof, and the interior of the resin vessel is irradiated with the electron beam in a state of the ground electrode being inserted into the resin vessel.