Abstract: It is aimed 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. The bottle rotated and conveyed in a state supported by the bottle support unit is irradiated with the electron beam from an electron beam irradiator to thereby sterilize the bottle. 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 emitter includes an electron generator for generating electrons. The electron generator can have a housing containing at least one electron source for generating the electrons. The at least one electron source has a width. The electron generator housing can have an electron permeable region spaced from the at least one electron source for allowing extraction of the electrons from the electron generator housing. The electron permeable region can include a series of narrow elongate slots and ribs formed in the electron generator housing and extending laterally beyond the width of the at least one electron source. The electron permeable region can be configured and positioned relative to the at least one electron source for laterally spreading the electrons that are generated by the at least one electron source.