Patent ID: 8519356

Claim:
An apparatus for sterilizing an inside of a container comprising: a housing having a first part and a second part that define an interior, the first part being movable relative to the second part between an open position and a closed position in which the first and second parts are sealed, the housing including a first end portion that closes off a first end of the housing and is attached to the first part such that the first end portion and the first part move in unison between the open and closed positions, the housing also including a second end portion that closes off a second end of the housing and is attached to the second part and remains in a fixed position in the open and closed positions; a UV bulb disposed horizontally within the interior and spaced above a floor of the second part; a first retaining member for holding a neck portion of the container, the first retaining member being disposed about the UV bulb at one end thereof and having a plurality of concentric slots for accommodating different sized neck portions to permit the UV bulb to be received within an interior of the container; a support disposed along the second part, wherein the first retaining member and support are configured to hold the container in an least substantially horizontal orientation within the interior; and a power source operatively connected to the UV bulb and to a controller that provides control over the activation of the UV bulb.