JP2018095298A - Beverage filling apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a beverage filling apparatus which can produce a beverage in which a desired sterile condition can be secured with high energy efficiency.SOLUTION: A beverage filling apparatus 1 of the present invention composes a system which comprises an upstream positive pressure chamber 11, an upstream negative pressure chamber 21 provided downstream from the upstream positive pressure chamber 11, an irradiation chamber 31 provided downstream from the upstream negative pressure chamber, a downstream negative pressure chamber 41 provided downstream from the irradiation chamber 31, a filling chamber 61 which is provided downstream from the downstream negative pressure chamber 41 and which fills a plastic container 100 conveyed into the chamber with product liquid, and a downstream positive pressure chamber 77 provided downstream from the filling chamber 61. In the beverage filling apparatus 1 of the present invention, the pressure P3 at the irradiation chamber 31 is lower than the atmospheric pressure and is lowest in the pressures inside the system, and the pressure P6 at the filling chamber 61 is higher than the atmospheric pressure and is highest in the pressures inside the system.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a filling device including a device for sterilizing containers filled with beverages, foods, pharmaceuticals, and the like with an electron beam.

In a filling apparatus that fills containers with product liquids such as beverages, foods, and pharmaceuticals, the containers are sterilized prior to filling the containers with the product liquids. Since it is necessary to prevent bacteria from entering the inside of the container after filling the product liquid after the container is sterilized, the area where the beverage is filled is separated from the outside and sterilized. .
For sterilization of containers, chemical solutions such as peracetic acid and hydrogen peroxide and ultraviolet irradiation are often used. However, as described in, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3, sterilization is not limited to containers but rather than ultraviolet light. Attention has been focused on sterilization technology by electron beam irradiation, which is superior to power.

  In the case of sterilization by electron beam irradiation, if the electron beam is irradiated in an atmosphere depressurized from the atmospheric pressure, the electron range is extended, so that an electron beam with lower energy can be used. This electron beam irradiation under reduced pressure also has an effect of reducing the generation of ozone.

JP 2008-230668 A Japanese Patent No. 4365835 JP 2008-237452 A

  On the other hand, when the sterilization region by electron beam irradiation is in a reduced pressure environment, air containing bacteria is likely to be brought into the sterilization region from the outside having a relatively high atmospheric pressure. Therefore, for example, Patent Document 1 is based on the premise of sterilization of the sheet material constituting the paper pack, and a section having a pressure equal to or higher than the atmospheric pressure is provided on the upstream side of the sterilization region, and the atmospheric pressure is equivalent to the downstream side of the sterilization region It is proposed to provide a section with the above pressure. Further, Patent Document 1 provides a pressure adjustment range for gradually increasing the pressure from the atmospheric pressure to the desired negative pressure upstream of the sterilization region, and further increasing the pressure from the desired negative pressure to the atmospheric pressure downstream of the sterilization region. It is proposed to provide a pressure adjustment range for the state.

However, it cannot be said that it is sufficient to avoid the invasion of bacteria in the region filled with beverages or the like only by the proposal of Patent Document 1 on the premise that the sheet material is sterilized.
In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a beverage filling device capable of producing a beverage in which a desired aseptic state is ensured with high energy efficiency.

The present invention is a beverage filling device for filling a sterilized container with a product liquid after irradiating the container conveyed from the upstream side toward the downstream side with an electron beam and sterilizing the container. An upstream positive pressure chamber that is a positive pressure that exceeds the atmospheric pressure, and an upstream negative pressure chamber that is provided downstream of the upstream positive pressure chamber and a negative pressure that is less than atmospheric pressure, and a downstream side of the upstream negative pressure chamber. An irradiation chamber in which an electron beam from an electron beam irradiator is irradiated on the container, and a downstream negative pressure chamber provided on the downstream side of the irradiation chamber and having a negative pressure less than atmospheric pressure. , Provided downstream from the downstream negative pressure chamber, and inside the filling chamber for filling the product liquid into the container to be transported, and provided downstream from the filling chamber, the downstream in which the internal pressure is a positive pressure exceeding the atmospheric pressure And a positive pressure chamber.
In the beverage filling apparatus of the present invention, the pressure P3 in the irradiation chamber is less than atmospheric pressure and is the lowest in the internal pressure of the system, and the pressure P6 in the filling chamber exceeds the atmospheric pressure and the internal pressure of the system. It is characterized by being the highest in the pressure.

According to the beverage filling device of the present invention, since the irradiation chamber pressure P3 is less than atmospheric pressure, the electron range is extended in the irradiation chamber, so that an electron beam irradiator that irradiates a low energy electron beam can be applied. Further, according to the beverage filling apparatus of the present invention, the pressure control is performed so that the pressure P6 in the filling chamber becomes the highest in the system, so that the aseptic condition in the region where the highest cleanliness of filling of product liquid is required is obtained. Easy to secure. Further, since the pressure is controlled so that the pressure of the upstream positive pressure chamber located at the most upstream in the system and the pressure of the downstream positive pressure chamber located at the most downstream become positive pressure, the pressure is controlled downstream of the upstream positive pressure chamber. It is possible to prevent contaminated air from entering the system upstream of the side and downstream positive pressure chambers.
Therefore, according to the beverage filling apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to produce a beverage in which a desired aseptic condition is ensured with high energy efficiency, using an inexpensive electron beam irradiator.

  In the beverage filling device of the present invention, in the upstream positive pressure chamber, the upstream negative pressure chamber, the irradiation chamber, the downstream negative pressure chamber, the filling chamber, and the downstream positive pressure chamber, a container is provided in a chamber adjacent on the upstream side and the downstream side. The passage that passes through may have an opening that creates a gap around the passing container. The beverage filling apparatus of the present invention can control the pressure described above even when the gap is provided in the passage.

  In the beverage filling device of the present invention, it is preferable that the pressure in the downstream negative pressure chamber is higher than the pressure in the upstream negative pressure chamber. In the beverage filling device of the present invention, it is preferable that the pressure P6 is higher than the pressure P1 and the pressure P8, where P1 is the pressure in the upstream positive pressure chamber and P8 is the pressure in the downstream positive pressure chamber.

In the beverage filling device of the present invention, a molding chamber for molding a container can be provided between the downstream negative pressure chamber and the filling chamber. As this molding, for example, a blow molding is applied to a container filled with a product liquid using a precursor of a container called a preform. When the pressure in the molding chamber is P5, it is preferable that the pressure P5 is equal to or higher than the pressure P4 and lower than the pressure P6 and exceeds the atmospheric pressure.
In the beverage filling device of the present invention, a stoppering chamber that covers the opening of the container can be provided between the filling chamber and the downstream positive pressure chamber. When the pressure in the plugging chamber is P7, it is preferable that the pressure P7 is equal to or higher than the pressure P6 and lower than the pressure P7 and exceeds the atmospheric pressure.

  In the beverage filling apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that the upstream positive pressure chamber includes an air replacement device that replaces air staying inside the transported container with clean air. By doing so, the irradiation chamber can be kept in a highly clean region.

  According to the beverage filling apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to produce a beverage in which a desired aseptic condition is secured with high energy efficiency, using an inexpensive electron beam irradiator.

It is a top view which shows schematic structure of the drink filling apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows schematic structure of the drink filling apparatus of FIG. It is a graph which shows the pressure distribution during operation | movement of the filling apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. The modification of this embodiment is shown, (a) is a side view which shows schematic structure, (b) is a graph which shows the pressure distribution during driving | operation.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The beverage filling apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment realizes a series of steps for filling a beverage in a plastic container 100 made of, for example, PET (polyethylene terephthalate). This series of steps includes a step of sterilizing the preform 103, which is a precursor of the container, with an electron beam, and a step of producing the plastic container 100 by blow-molding the sterilized preform 103. The series of steps includes a step of filling the plastic container 100 with a beverage and a step of covering the plastic container 100 filled with the beverage.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the beverage filling apparatus 1 is a plasticizer that sterilizes the preform 103 conveyed from the upstream side and the sterilized preform 103 in order to realize the above-described steps. A lid is placed on the opening of the plastic container 100 filled with a beverage or the like in the molding unit 50 for blow molding the container 100, the filling unit 60 for filling the plastic container 100 obtained by the molding unit 50 with a beverage or the like. And a plugging portion 70 to be provided. The beverage filling device 1 controls the pressure from the sterilization unit 10 to the plugging unit 70 in order to prevent bacteria from entering the sterilization unit 10 and to ensure aseptic filling in the filling unit 60. This pressure control will be described later.
In the beverage filling apparatus 1, the side on which the preform 103 is carried into the sterilizing unit 10 is defined as upstream, and the side on which the plastic container 100 with the lid attached by the stopper 70 is discharged is defined as downstream. However, upstream and downstream are relative definitions, and the molding part 50 is arranged on the upstream side of the filling part 60, and the filling part 60 is arranged on the downstream side of the molding part 50.

Hereinafter, the structure is demonstrated in order of the sterilization part 10, the shaping | molding part 50, the filling part 60, and the stopper part 70. FIG.
[Sterilization part 10]
The sterilizing unit 10 sterilizes the preform 103 conveyed from the upstream side, and then conveys it downstream.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the sterilization unit 10 includes an upstream positive pressure chamber 11, an upstream negative pressure chamber 21, an irradiation chamber 31, and a downstream negative pressure chamber 41 arranged in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side. Yes. In the chambers adjacent to the upstream positive pressure chamber 11, the upstream negative pressure chamber 21, and the irradiation chamber 31 and the downstream negative pressure chamber 41, they are closed to the outside except for the passage through which the preform 103 passes. In addition, this passage is formed so as to have a marginal opening so that a gap is formed around the preform 103 passing therethrough. The same applies to the passage between the molding chamber 51 and the filling chamber 61, the passage between the filling chamber 61 and the stoppering chamber 71, and the passage between the stoppering chamber 71 and the downstream positive pressure chamber 77, which will be described below.

  The upstream positive pressure chamber 11 is maintained at a pressure P1 exceeding the atmospheric pressure P0, and the preform 103 received from the upstream side as shown in FIG. 2 is rotated by star wheels SW1 and SW2 which are rotary type conveying devices as shown in FIG. While transporting, the air inside the preform 103 is replaced with clean air.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the upstream positive pressure chamber 11 includes an intake blower 12 having a high collection rate filter 13 in order to maintain the chamber at a pressure P1. The upstream positive pressure chamber 11 is driven by the intake blower 12 so that the pressure in the chamber is maintained at the pressure P1 with air having a high cleanliness. In addition, as the filter 13, it is preferable to use a HEPA filter (High Efficiency Particulate Air Filter).

  Further, the upstream positive pressure chamber 11 includes an air replacement device 15 in order to positively replace the air inside the preform 103 with clean air. The air replacement device 15 includes an air supply source 16, a pipe 17 that leads aseptic air from the air supply source 16 to the inside of the upstream positive pressure chamber 11, and a plurality of supply nozzles 18 connected to the pipe 17. The preform 103 is replaced with clean air discharged from the supply nozzle 18 in the course of being transported by the star wheel SW2.

  Since the upstream positive pressure chamber 11 is maintained at a pressure P1 exceeding the atmospheric pressure P0, it is possible to prevent germs from entering the upstream negative pressure chamber 21 and a region downstream of the upstream negative pressure chamber 21. Further, since the upstream positive pressure chamber 11 is replaced with clean air, the irradiation chamber 31 can be prevented from being contaminated.

Next, as shown in FIG. 2, the upstream negative pressure chamber 21 includes a transfer device 25, and the transfer device 25 transfers the preform 103 received from the upstream positive pressure chamber 11 to the irradiation chamber 31 provided downstream.
The upstream negative pressure chamber 21 is maintained at a pressure P2 lower than the atmospheric pressure P0. However, the pressure P2 in the upstream negative pressure chamber 21 is higher than the pressure P3 in the irradiation chamber 31. As shown in FIG. 1, the upstream negative pressure chamber 21 includes an exhaust blower 23 for maintaining the interior of the chamber at a pressure P2. By controlling the operation of the exhaust blower 23, the upstream negative pressure chamber 21 is controlled to a pressure P2. To maintain.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the transfer device 25 is provided across the upstream negative pressure chamber 21, the irradiation chamber 31, and the downstream negative pressure chamber 41, and the preform 103 is connected to the upstream negative pressure chamber 21, the irradiation chamber 31, and the downstream side. The negative pressure chamber 41 is conveyed in this order. The transport device 25 includes a pair of sprockets 26 and 27 and an endless chain belt 28 that is hung around the sprockets 26 and 27.

In the transport device 25, one sprocket 26 is provided in the upstream negative pressure chamber 21, the other sprocket 27 is provided in the downstream negative pressure chamber 41, and one of the sprockets 26, 27, for example, the sprocket 26 is not shown in the drawing. It is rotationally driven by.
In the transport device 25, a plurality of grippers (not shown) are provided on the chain belt 28 at intervals. The preform 103 is conveyed while being gripped by a gripper. The preform 103 is conveyed with the opening facing upward.

  The transfer device 25 includes an outward path 25A from the upstream negative pressure chamber 21 toward the downstream negative pressure chamber 41, and conversely, a return path 25B from the downstream negative pressure chamber 41 toward the upstream negative pressure chamber 21. The preform 103 received from the upstream positive pressure chamber 11 is transferred to the downstream negative pressure chamber 41 after being transported from the upstream negative pressure chamber 21 toward the downstream negative pressure chamber 41 through the forward path 25A.

  Next, the irradiation chamber 31 is sterilized by irradiating the preform 103 with an electron beam while maintaining a reduced pressure environment at a pressure P3 lower than the atmospheric pressure P0. The pressure P3 is lower than the pressure P2 in the upstream negative pressure chamber 21, and is the lowest pressure in the system constituted by the sterilization unit 10, the molding unit 50, the filling unit 60, and the plugging unit 70 of the beverage filling device 1.

  The irradiation chamber 31 includes an electron beam irradiator 33 that irradiates the preform 103 with an electron beam. Since the irradiation chamber 31 is depressurized lower than the atmospheric pressure P0, an inexpensive electron beam irradiator 33 that irradiates a low energy electron beam can be used. The electron beam irradiator 33 irradiates the electron beam EB toward the preform 103 conveyed on the forward path 25 </ b> A of the conveyance device 25.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the irradiation chamber 31 includes an exhaust blower 35 for maintaining the chamber at a pressure P3. By controlling the operation of the exhaust blower 35, the irradiation chamber 31 is maintained at the pressure P3. .

Next, in the downstream negative pressure chamber 41, the preform 103 received from the irradiation chamber 31 is transported by the transport device 25, and the preform 103 is delivered to the molding unit 50 provided downstream.
The downstream negative pressure chamber 41 is maintained at a pressure P4 lower than the atmospheric pressure P0. However, the pressure P4 in the downstream negative pressure chamber 41 is higher than the pressure P3 in the irradiation chamber 31. The downstream negative pressure chamber 41 includes an exhaust blower 43 for maintaining the interior of the chamber at the pressure P4. By controlling the operation of the exhaust blower 43, the downstream negative pressure chamber 41 is maintained at the pressure P4.

  The molding unit 50 is sterilized by the upstream sterilization unit 10 and stretch blow-molds the preform 103 that is continuously conveyed to produce the plastic container 100. The produced plastic container 100 is conveyed to the filling unit 60. In FIG. 1, the preform 103 and the plastic container 100 are shown in the same shape and size. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, star wheels SW 3, SW 4, SW 5, SW 6 and SW 7 for conveying the preform 103 and the plastic container 100 are provided from the molding unit 50 to the plugging unit 70.

The molding unit 50 includes a molding chamber 51 and a molding machine 53 provided inside the molding chamber 51. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the molding unit 50 includes an exhaust blower 55 for maintaining the inside of the molding chamber 51 at a pressure P5. By controlling the operation of the exhaust blower 55, the irradiation chamber 31 is The room is maintained at pressure P5.
The pressure P5 in the irradiation chamber 31 is higher than the pressure P4 in the upstream downstream negative pressure chamber 41.

  For example, the molding machine 53 inserts the preform 103 into a molding die arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and blows a blow molding gas into the preform 103 to perform stretch blow molding. This embodiment does not ask the specific structure of the shaping | molding part 50, The conventional rotary type stretch blow molding apparatus can be used.

Next, the filling unit 60 fills the plastic container 100 received from the upstream molding unit 50 with the product liquid.
The filling unit 60 includes a filling chamber 61 and a filling machine 63 provided inside the filling chamber 61. The filling unit 60 includes an exhaust blower 65 for maintaining the inside of the filling chamber 61 at the pressure P6. By controlling the operation of the exhaust blower 65, the interior of the filling chamber 61 is maintained at the pressure P6. The
The pressure P6 in the filling chamber 61 is higher than the pressure P4 in the upstream downstream negative pressure chamber 41.

  The filling machine 63 includes a star wheel as a rotating body, and a plurality of filling valves and a plurality of grippers (not shown) are paired on the periphery of the star wheel at equal intervals along the circumferential direction. Has been placed. The plastic container 100 held by the gripper is filled with the product liquid from the filling valve while being conveyed on the circumference along with the rotation of the star wheel.

Next, the stopper part 70 attaches a cap to the plastic container 100 filled with the product liquid.
The plugging unit 70 includes a plugging chamber 71 and a capper 73 provided inside the plugging chamber 71.
Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the plugging unit 70 includes an exhaust blower 75 for maintaining the inside of the plugging chamber 71 at the pressure P <b> 7, and by controlling the operation of the exhaust blower 75, the plugging unit 70 is plugged. The chamber 71 is maintained at the pressure P7.
The pressure P7 in the stoppering chamber 71 is lower than the pressure P6 in the upstream filling chamber 61.

  The capper 73 includes a star wheel as a rotating body, and the cap is attached to the plastic container 100 held by the gripper while being conveyed on the circumference along with the rotation of the star wheel.

The stopper part 70 includes a downstream positive pressure chamber 77 on the most downstream side.
The downstream positive pressure chamber 77 is maintained at the pressure P8 exceeding the atmospheric pressure P0, and the plastic container 100 received from the upstream side is conveyed by the star wheels SW5, SW6 and SW7 which are rotary type conveying devices.

The downstream positive pressure chamber 77 includes an intake blower 78 having a high collection rate filter 79 as shown in FIG. 2 in order to maintain the chamber at a pressure P8. By driving the intake blower 78, the downstream positive pressure chamber 77 is maintained at a pressure P8 that exceeds the atmospheric pressure P0 with air having a high cleanliness.
The downstream side of the downstream positive pressure chamber 77 is open to the atmosphere and is at the atmospheric pressure P0.

[Pressure control]
Control of the pressure in each room from the sterilization unit 10 to the plugging unit 70 in the beverage filling device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 3, the horizontal axis indicates the position in the beverage filling device 1, and the vertical axis indicates the pressure (zero is atmospheric pressure).
First, in the beverage filling device 1, the pressure P3 of the irradiation chamber 31 is less than the atmospheric pressure P0 and is the lowest in the system, and the pressure P6 of the filling unit 60 exceeds the atmospheric pressure and becomes the highest in the system. So that the pressure is controlled.
Further, the beverage filling device 1 is controlled in pressure so that the pressure P1 in the upstream positive pressure chamber 11 located at the most upstream and the pressure P8 in the downstream downstream positive pressure chamber 77 become positive. Moreover, the beverage filling device is controlled such that the pressure P6 of the filling unit 60 is higher than the pressure P1 and the pressure P8.
Also, the beverage filling device 1 has a pressure P4 in the downstream negative pressure chamber 41 after the irradiation chamber 31 higher than the pressure P2 in the upstream negative pressure chamber 21 in front of the irradiation chamber 31.
Further, the pressure P5 in the molding chamber 51 is controlled so as to be an intermediate pressure between the pressure P4 and the pressure P6, that is, the pressure P4 or more and less than the pressure P6 and exceeding the atmospheric pressure. Further, the pressure P7 in the stoppering chamber is controlled so as to be an intermediate pressure between the pressure P6 and the pressure P7, that is, the pressure P6 or higher, less than the pressure P7, and higher than the atmospheric pressure. That is, in the beverage filling apparatus 1, the pressure increases sequentially from the irradiation chamber 31 toward the filling chamber 61, and the pressure decreases sequentially toward the downstream positive pressure chamber 77 with the filling chamber 61 as a peak.
The beverage filling apparatus 1 is characterized in that the pressure control described above is performed even though the passage is provided with a gap with respect to the plastic container 100 and the preform 103 that pass therethrough.

[Operation of beverage filling device 1]
The beverage filling device 1 produces a beverage product as follows.
The preform 103 conveyed to the sterilization unit 10 from the upstream side of the beverage filling device 1 passes through the upstream positive pressure chamber 11 and the upstream negative pressure chamber 21 in order, and reaches the irradiation chamber 31. The preform 103 is sterilized by being irradiated with the electron beam EB from the electron beam irradiator 33 in the process of passing through the irradiation chamber 31.
The sterilized preform 103 passes through the downstream negative pressure chamber 41 and is carried into the molding unit 50, and sequentially becomes a plastic container 100 by stretch blow molding.

  Next, the plastic container 100 is sent from the molding unit 50 to the filling unit 60. The plastic container 100 filled with the product liquid in the filling unit 60 is sent to the plugging unit 70, and a cap is attached by the plugging unit 70. The plastic container 100 to which the cap is attached is conveyed toward a process downstream of the beverage filling device 1.

[Effect]
The beverage filling device 1 that is pressure-controlled as described above has the following effects.
In the beverage filling device 1, since the pressure P3 of the irradiation chamber 31 is less than the atmospheric pressure P0, the range of electrons irradiated from the electron beam irradiator 33 is extended, and therefore, an electron beam irradiator that irradiates a low energy electron beam. 33 can be applied. In addition, since the beverage filling device 1 is pressure-controlled so that the pressure P6 of the filling unit 60 becomes the highest, it is easy to ensure aseptic conditions in an area where the highest degree of cleanliness is required, that is, product liquid filling. Therefore, according to the beverage filling apparatus 1, it is possible to produce a beverage in which a desired aseptic condition is ensured with high energy efficiency, using the electron beam irradiator 33 that is simplified.

  In addition, the beverage filling device 1 is controlled so that the pressure P1 of the upstream positive pressure chamber 11 located at the most upstream and the pressure P8 of the downstream positive pressure chamber 77 located at the most downstream are positive. It is possible to prevent contaminated air from being mixed into the system downstream of the upstream positive pressure chamber 11 and upstream of the downstream positive pressure chamber 77.

Further, by providing an upstream negative pressure chamber 21 between the irradiation chamber 31 and the upstream positive pressure chamber 11 that is controlled to a pressure P2 that is an intermediate pressure between them and lower than the atmospheric pressure, the irradiation chamber 31 and the upstream positive pressure are provided. The chamber 11 suppresses the pressure from affecting each other. In other words, assuming that the irradiation chamber 31 and the upstream positive pressure chamber 11 are adjacent to each other, if the pressure difference between the two is large, the pressure of the irradiation chamber 31 is likely to fluctuate in a higher direction. However, by providing the upstream negative pressure chamber 21 having an intermediate pressure between the two, it is possible to prevent the pressures from affecting each other.
In addition, the beverage filling apparatus 1 is provided with a downstream negative pressure chamber 41 that is controlled between the irradiation chamber 31 and the molding unit 50 at a pressure P4 that is an intermediate pressure between them and lower than the atmospheric pressure. 31 and the molding part 50 can suppress mutual influence of pressure.
Therefore, according to the beverage filling device 1, it is easy to keep the irradiation chamber 31 in the decompressed pressure P3 and in a region with high cleanliness.

  Moreover, since the drink filling apparatus 1 is equipped with the air replacement device 15 that replaces the air inside the preform 103 with clean air in the upstream positive pressure chamber 11, the cleanliness of the irradiation chamber 31 can be reliably maintained.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. In addition to the above, the configurations described in the above embodiments may be selected or changed to other configurations as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Is possible.

  The beverage filling apparatus 1 has been described with respect to the production line in which the preform 103 is molded into the plastic container 100 and then filled with the product liquid, but the plastic container 100 molded in another production line is carried in until the product liquid is filled. The present invention can be applied to a production line that performs the above. As shown in FIG. 4A, the beverage filling device 2 has a configuration in which the molding unit 50 is removed from the beverage filling device 1, and the first pressure control, the second pressure control, and the third pressure control described above are performed. Follow. The irradiation target of the electron beam EB in the irradiation chamber 31 is the plastic container 100. The pressure distribution in the beverage filling device 2 is as shown in FIG.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Beverage filling apparatus 10 Sterilization part 11 Upstream positive pressure chamber 12 Intake blower 13 Filter 15 Air replacement device 16 Air supply source 17 Pipe 18 Supply nozzle 21 Upstream negative pressure chamber 23 Exhaust blower 25 Conveyance device 25A Outbound path 25B Return path 26 Sprocket 27 Sprocket 28 Chain belt 31 Irradiation chamber 33 Electron beam irradiator 35 Exhaust blower 41 Downstream negative pressure chamber 43 Exhaust blower 50 Molding part 51 Molding chamber 53 Molding machine 55 Exhaust blower 60 Filling part 61 Filling chamber 63 Filling machine 65 Exhaust blower 70 Plug part 71 Blowing chamber 73 Capper 75 Exhaust blower 77 Downstream positive pressure chamber 78 Intake blower 79 Filter 100 Plastic container 103 Preform

Claims (7)

A beverage filling device that fills the sterilized container with a product liquid after sterilizing the container transported from the upstream side toward the downstream side with an electron beam,
An upstream positive pressure chamber in which the internal pressure exceeds the atmospheric pressure, and
An upstream negative pressure chamber provided downstream from the upstream positive pressure chamber, the internal pressure being a negative pressure less than atmospheric pressure;
Provided on the downstream side of the upstream negative pressure chamber, and inside, an irradiation chamber in which the electron beam from the electron beam irradiator is irradiated to the container;
A downstream negative pressure chamber that is provided downstream from the irradiation chamber, and whose internal pressure is a negative pressure less than atmospheric pressure;
A filling chamber which is provided downstream from the downstream negative pressure chamber and fills the product liquid in the container to be conveyed;
A downstream positive pressure chamber provided downstream from the filling chamber and having a positive pressure in which the internal pressure exceeds atmospheric pressure, and a system comprising:
The pressure P3 in the irradiation chamber is less than atmospheric pressure and is the lowest in the pressure inside the system,
The pressure P6 in the filling chamber exceeds atmospheric pressure and is the highest in the pressure inside the system.
A beverage filling apparatus characterized by the above. In the upstream positive pressure chamber, the upstream negative pressure chamber, the irradiation chamber, the downstream negative pressure chamber, the filling chamber, and the downstream positive pressure chamber, the container is provided in a chamber adjacent on the upstream side and the downstream side. The passageway has an opening that creates a gap around the vessel through which it passes,
The beverage filling apparatus according to claim 1. The pressure in the downstream negative pressure chamber is higher than the pressure in the upstream negative pressure chamber,
The beverage filling apparatus according to claim 1 or 2. When the pressure of the upstream positive pressure chamber is P1, and the pressure of the downstream positive pressure chamber is P8,
The pressure P6 is higher than the pressure P1 and the pressure P8;
The beverage filling apparatus according to claim 3. A molding chamber (51) for molding the container is provided between the downstream negative pressure chamber and the filling chamber,
When the pressure in the molding chamber is P5,
The pressure P5 is equal to or higher than the pressure P4 and lower than the pressure P6 and exceeds atmospheric pressure.
The beverage filling device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. Between the filling chamber and the downstream positive pressure chamber, a stoppering chamber that covers the opening of the container is provided,
When the pressure in the stopper chamber is P7,
The pressure P7 is equal to or higher than the pressure P6 and lower than the pressure P7 and exceeds atmospheric pressure.
The beverage filling device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The upstream positive pressure chamber is:
An air replacement device that replaces the air staying inside the container to be transported with clean air;
The beverage filling device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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