Patent ID: 8552400

Claim:
An electron beam cap-sterilizer which radiates an electron beam onto caps while the caps are continuously conveyed, to sterilize the insides and the outsides of the caps, said electron beam cap-sterilizer comprising: a chamber inside of which positive pressure is maintained; a conveying passage through which the caps are conveyed to pass through said chamber, said conveying passage having a restricting conveying section and a free conveying section connected to said restricting conveying section, the caps being conveyed in said restricting conveying section while the movement of the caps is restricted, the caps rolling down freely and separately from each other in said free conveying section, the caps being conveyed through said conveying passage with the inside of each cap facing a lateral direction; a conveying device provided in said restricting conveying section, said conveying device engaging with the caps to convey the caps at a speed lower than the downhill rolling speed in said free conveying section; an electron beam radiating device provided over said restricting conveying section and said free conveying section, said electron beam radiating device emitting electron beams onto the inside of the caps in the lateral direction while the caps are conveyed through said conveying passage; and a deflecting device provided in said free conveying section, said deflecting device being located at the opposite side of said electron beam radiating device to deflect the electron beams emitted by said electron beam radiating device onto the outside of the caps.