Patent ID: 8499801

Claim:
A method for filling liquids into foil bags comprising: a filling orifice; a spout of a foil bag, the spout being mounted on the filling orifice; providing a vacuum source for evacuating the foil bags; providing a sterile gas source; providing a source supply line, the source supply line being selectively connectable to the vacuum source or the sterile gas source; providing a cavity extending from the filling orifice to the source supply line to define a joint gas path; providing a selecting valve being disposed on the source supply line for selecting the vacuum source or the sterile gas source to which the source supply line is to be connected; providing a gas valve, wherein at least a portion of the gas valve is located within the cavity, on the joint gas path, and upstream from the filling orifice; and the gas valve including a displaceable plunger disposed in the joint gas path for selectively opening and closing the joint gas path and the cavity above the filing orifice in response to the plunger being displaced; evacuating the foil bag via the joint gas path; filling the foil bag, through the filling orifice and spout with the liquid; removing liquid from the filling orifice via the joint gas path; and discharging the sterile gas via the joint gas path.