Patent ID: 8205646

Claim:
A powder filling apparatus for filling a filling container with powder, the powder filling apparatus comprising: a pressure hopper and an auxiliary container, wherein: the pressure hopper includes a discharger for discharging powder and a gas inlet positioned above at least the surface of a powder layer formed by the powder in the pressure hopper, the powder layer is so formed as to blockade the discharger in the pressure hopper, and the inside of the pressure hopper is pressurized by leading in gas through the gas inlet in a state in which the discharger is closed, and the powder layer, so formed as to blockade the discharger, is discharged by opening the discharger after the pressurization thereby to utilize that pressure to fill the powder into the filling container; the auxiliary container communicates with the pressure hopper at a connecting part and increases the volume of the space which can be pressurized, the auxiliary container accepts gas, which is provided from the gas inlet to the pressure hopper, through the connecting part in a state in which the discharger is closed, and the auxiliary container shoves out pressurized gas in the auxiliary container to the pressure hopper in a state in which the discharger is opened.