Patent ID: 8517064

Claim:
A powder filling apparatus for filling a filling container with powder, the powder filling apparatus comprising: a pressure hopper, wherein: the pressure hopper includes a discharger for discharging powder into the filling container 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 the pressure to discharge the powder into the filling container; a detecting unit for detecting a 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 discharge of powder from the pressure hopper to be resumed, wherein the detecting unit detects the quantity of powder filled in the filling container by detection of a decrease in a mass of the pressure hopper.