Patent ID: 9108835
Filing Date: 2015-08-18
Classification: A61L,B65B,B67C

Abstract:
1. A beverage filling apparatus comprising: a molding section configured to mold a bottle from a heated preform through a blow molding process; a sterilization section configured to sterilize the bottle molded in the molding section with hydrogen peroxide mist or hydrogen peroxide gas; a filling section configured to fill the bottle sterilized in the sterilization section with beverage and then configured to seal the bottle, in which the molding section, the sterilization section and the filling section are coupled continuously with each other; and a bottle travelling section configured to continuously transport the bottle on a travelling path from the molding section to the filling section through the sterilization section, and a portion from the sterilization section to the filling section is covered by a chamber, wherein an inspection section configured to perform a predetermined inspection to the bottle molded in the molding section is disposed between the molding section and the sterilization section so as to be coupled therewith, wherein the inspection section comprises: a temperature inspection section configured to detect a temperature of the bottle; a discharging section configured to discharge, from the bottle travelling path, a bottle which does not reach a predetermined temperature necessary for appropriately sterilizing the bottle with hydrogen peroxide, and a positive pressure creating section configured to create positive pressure in the inspection section more than pressures in the molding section and the sterilization section, and wherein the bottle travelling section comprises: wheels disposed in a row from the molding section toward the filling section; and a gripper turning around the wheels while gripping a neck portion of the bottle and transferring the bottle from an upstream side wheel to a downstream side wheel, the gripper being controlled in a travelling speed such that a heat applied to the preform and remaining to the bottle is maintained to a temperature necessary for the sterilization of the bottle in the bottle sterilization section, wherein the temperature inspection section is configured to detect a temperature by temperature sensors disposed so as to oppose to a support ring of the neck portion of the bottle and a bottom portion thereof, respectively, and wherein in response to at least either one of the temperatures detected at the neck and bottom portions of the bottle by the temperature sensors not reaching the predetermined temperature, the temperature inspection section is configured to discriminate that the detected bottle is a defective bottle.