Patent ID: 7836921

Claim:
A powder filling apparatus comprising: a filling container; a pressure hopper, 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 formed 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, formed 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; and a detecting unit for detecting the filled quantity of powder in the filling container and a control unit which, when the filled quantity detected by the detecting unit has reached a prescribed level, temporarily stops the discharge of powder from the pressure hopper and after the temporary stop causes the filling to be resumed, wherein the detecting unit detects the quantity of powder filled in the filling container by detection of a decrease in the mass of the pressure hopper.