Patent ID: 8344332

Claim:
An electron beam irradiation apparatus for sterilizing a sheet material comprising: a conveying path configured for transferring a sheet material continuously; an electron beam irradiation means arranged on the conveying path so as to face at least one surface of the sheet material and provide sterilizing radiation to the surface of the sheet material with an electron beam; a clean gas supply means, wherein the electron beam irradiation means is arranged on an electron beam irradiation area in a part of the conveying path, and a pressure reduction means configured to maintain the electron beam irradiation area in a reduced-pressure state from 10 Pa to 10,000 Pa, wherein the conveying path is given a hollow box-shape to enclose the sheet material, at least one sub-area is provided respectively on the carry-in side and the carry-out side of the sheet material on the hollow box-shaped conveying path adjacent to the electron beam irradiation area, the pressure reduction means reduces the internal pressure of the sub-area, and the clean gas supply means feeds clean gas to a gas area, the gas area being located at least on the outer side of the sub-area of the carry-out side of the hollow box-shaped carrying path at the farthest end from the electron beam irradiation area.