Content filling system and sterilization method

Abstract

To provide a content filling system and a sterilization method that are capable of reducing the carbon dioxide emission.SOLUTION: A content filling system 10 comprises: a water sterilization line 50 for subjecting water to non-heat sterilization; a stock solution sterilization line 70 for subjecting a product stock solution to heat sterilization; and a filling device 20 connected to the water sterilization line 50 and the stock solution sterilization line 70, and configured to fill a bottle 100 with water and the product stock solution.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a content filling system and a sterilization method. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known an aseptic filling system in which a sterilized container (PET bottle) is filled with sterilized contents in a sterile environment and then the container is closed with a cap (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Specifically, in an aseptic filling system, the molded container is fed into the aseptic filling system, and the container is sprayed with an aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution as a sterilant in the aseptic filling system.The container is then sterilized by drying the aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution.Then, the container is aseptically filled with the contents.

[0004] Incidentally, in recent years, there has been a demand to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emissions in order to reduce the environmental load. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4526820 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of these points, and aims to provide a content filling system and a sterilization method that are capable of reducing carbon dioxide emissions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A first aspect of the present disclosure is a content filling system comprising a water sterilization line for sterilizing water without heating, a concentrate sterilization line for sterilizing a concentrate product by heating, and filling devices connected to the water sterilization line and the concentrate sterilization line, respectively, and for filling the water and the concentrate product into containers.

[0008] A second aspect of the present disclosure is the content filling system according to the first aspect described above, wherein the water sterilization line sterilizes the water by ultraviolet light.

[0009] A third aspect of the present disclosure is a content filling system according to the first aspect or the second aspect described above, wherein in the water sterilization line, the water may be sterilized by ultraviolet light from at least one of a low pressure mercury lamp and a medium pressure mercury lamp.

[0010] A fourth aspect of the present disclosure is a content filling system according to the second aspect or the third aspect described above, wherein the content filling system may further include a control unit that controls the water sterilization line, and the control unit may discharge the water outside the water sterilization line when the amount of irradiation or illuminance of the ultraviolet light falls below a predetermined value.

[0011] A fifth aspect of the present disclosure is a content filling system comprising a water sterilization line for sterilizing water, a concentrate sterilization line for heat sterilizing a product concentrate, and a filling device connected to the water sterilization line and the concentrate sterilization line, respectively, and for filling the water and the product concentrate into a container, wherein when a pH of a content produced by diluting the product concentrate with the water is less than 4.5, the water sterilization line sterilizes the water so that an F0 value is 0.00029 or more and less than 3.1, and when a pH of the content is 4.5 or more, the water sterilization line sterilizes the water so that an F0 value is 3.1 or more and 100 or less, the F0 value being an F value calculated by the following formula:

number

[0012] A sixth aspect of the present disclosure is a content filling system comprising a water sterilization line for sterilizing water, a concentrate sterilization line for heat sterilizing a product concentrate, and filling devices connected to the water sterilization line and the concentrate sterilization line, respectively, and filling the water and the concentrate product into containers, wherein the water sterilization line sterilizes the water so that the F0 value is 3.1 or more and 100 or less, and the F0 value is an F value calculated by the following formula:

number

[0013] A seventh aspect of the present disclosure is that in a content filling system according to each of the first aspect to the sixth aspect described above, the water sterilization line may sterilize the water by filtering the water through a sterile filter.

[0014] An eighth aspect of the present disclosure is a content filling system according to each of the first to seventh aspects described above, wherein the content filling system may further include a control unit that controls the water sterilization line, the water sterilization line may have at least a water sterilizer that sterilizes the water, the water sterilizer may include at least a sterile filter, and the control unit may discharge the water outside the water sterilization line when the pressure difference between the pressure upstream and downstream of the sterile filter becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

[0015] A ninth aspect of the present disclosure is a content filling system according to each of the first to eighth aspects described above, wherein the content filling system may further include a control unit that controls the water sterilization line, and the control unit may discharge the water outside the water sterilization line when at least one of the number of bacteria and particulates in the water sampled from the water sterilization line reaches or exceeds a predetermined value.

[0016] A tenth aspect of the present disclosure is a content filling system according to each of the first to ninth aspects described above, wherein the product concentrate may be diluted with the water by a ratio of 1.1 to 100.

[0017] An eleventh aspect of the present disclosure is a content filling system according to each of the first aspect to the tenth aspect described above, wherein the filling device may have a water filling device connected to the water sterilization line and a concentrate filling device connected to the concentrate sterilization line, and the water filling device may fill the container with sterilized water, and the concentrate filling device may fill the container with sterilized product concentrate.

[0018] A twelfth aspect of the present disclosure is that, in the content filling system according to the eleventh aspect described above, the water filling device may fill the water into the empty container, and the filling speed at which the water filling device fills the water into the container may be faster than the filling speed at which the concentrate filling device fills the product concentrate into the container.

[0019] A thirteenth aspect of the present disclosure is that, in a content filling system according to each of the first to ninth aspects described above, the filling device may have a water filling device connected to the water sterilization line and a concentrate filling device connected to the concentrate sterilization line, and the water or the product concentrate may be filled into the container using only one of the water filling device and the concentrate filling device.

[0020] A fourteenth aspect of the present disclosure is a content filling system according to each of the eleventh to thirteenth aspects described above, wherein the water filling device includes a plurality of water filling nozzles for filling the water, each of the water filling nozzles may be connected to a sniff line for discharging gas inside the container, and the water filling device may pressurize and fill the water in a state in which gas inside the container can be discharged via the sniff line.

[0021] A fifteenth aspect of the present disclosure is that, in the content filling system according to the fourteenth aspect described above, a sealing member may be provided at the tip of the water filling nozzle for preventing leakage of gas inside the container by tightly contacting the container, and the water filling device may pressurize and fill the water with the sealing member in close contact with the container.

[0022] A sixteenth aspect of the present disclosure is a content filling system according to the fourteenth aspect or the fifteenth aspect described above, wherein the concentrate filling device may include a plurality of concentrate filling nozzles for filling the product concentrate, and the diameter of the water filling nozzle may be larger than the diameter of the concentrate filling nozzle.

[0023] A seventeenth aspect of the present disclosure is that in the content filling system according to the sixteenth aspect described above, the diameter of the water filling nozzle may be 1.2 to 1.5 times the diameter of the concentrate filling nozzle.

[0024] An eighteenth aspect of the present disclosure is a content filling system according to each of the eleventh aspect to the seventeenth aspect described above, wherein the filling device may have a plurality of the concentrate filling devices.

[0025] A 19th aspect of the present disclosure is a content filling system according to the 18th aspect described above, wherein the content filling system may include a plurality of the concentrate sterilization lines, and a plurality of the concentrate filling devices may be connected to each of the concentrate sterilization lines.

[0026] A twentieth aspect of the present disclosure is a content filling system according to the 19th aspect described above, wherein the filling device may have a first concentrate filling device for filling the product concentrate not containing a flavor, and a second concentrate filling device for filling the product concentrate containing a flavor.

[0027] A 21st aspect of the present disclosure is that, in the content filling system according to the 20th aspect described above, the first concentrate filling device may be housed in a space partitioned by a chamber wall, a gap may be formed in the chamber wall through which the container can pass, a first wheel may be arranged outside the space and configured to be freely opened and closed, and including a first gripper for transporting the container, and a second wheel may be arranged inside the space and configured to be freely opened and closed, and including a second gripper for transporting the container, and when the first concentrate filling device fills the container with the product concentrate, the second gripper may receive the container from the first gripper, and when the first concentrate filling device does not fill the container with the product concentrate, the second gripper may take an open position so as not to interfere with the first gripper.

[0028] A 22nd aspect of the present disclosure is that, in the content filling system according to the 21st aspect described above, the chamber wall may be provided with a shutter for opening and closing the gap, and when the product concentrate is not filled into the container by the first concentrate filling device, the gap may be closed by the shutter, and the second gripper may take an open position so as not to interfere with the shutter closing the gap.

[0029] A 23rd aspect of the present disclosure is that in a content filling system according to each of the first aspect to the tenth aspect described above, a mixing tank for mixing the water and the product concentrate may be interposed between the water sterilization line and the concentrate sterilization line and the filling device.

[0030] A 24th aspect of the present disclosure is a content filling system according to each of the first aspect to the tenth aspect described above, wherein the filling device may include a plurality of filling nozzles for filling the water and the concentrate product, and the water sterilization line and the concentrate sterilization line may be connected to each of the filling nozzles, respectively.

[0031] A 25th aspect of the present disclosure is that, in a content filling system according to each of the first to 24th aspects described above, the water sterilization line may have a first water tank for storing the water, a water sterilizer for sterilizing the water stored in the first water tank, and a second water tank for storing the water sterilized by the water sterilizer, and the concentrate sterilization line may have a first concentrate tank for storing the product concentrate, a product concentrate sterilizer for heat sterilizing the product concentrate stored in the first concentrate tank, and a second concentrate tank for storing the product concentrate sterilized by the product concentrate sterilizer.

[0032] A twenty-sixth aspect of the present disclosure is the content filling system according to the twenty-fifth aspect described above, wherein the water sterilization line may have a plurality of the water sterilizers.

[0033] A 27th aspect of the present disclosure is a content filling system according to the 25th aspect or the 26th aspect described above, wherein the content filling system may further include a cap sterilizer that sterilizes a cap attached to the container filled with the water and the concentrate product, and a bypass line may be provided downstream of the second water tank to connect the water sterilization line and the cap sterilizer to each other.

[0034] A 28th aspect of the present disclosure is a content filling system according to each of the 25th to 27th aspects described above, wherein an addition unit for adding solids to the product concentrate is connected downstream of the second concentrate tank.

[0035] A 29th aspect of the present disclosure is that the content filling system according to each of the first aspect to the 28th aspect described above may further include a preform sterilization device for sterilizing a preform, a container molding device for molding the container from the preform, and a container sterilization device for sterilizing the container, and the container molding device may mold the container without adjusting the temperature of the container with hot water.

[0036] A 30th aspect of the present disclosure is that, in a content filling system according to each of the first to twenty-ninth aspects described above, the water sterilization line may be partitioned into a non-sterile zone under a non-sterile atmosphere, a first gray zone and a second gray zone which isolate the non-sterile atmosphere from the sterile atmosphere, and a sterile zone under a sterile atmosphere, and the non-sterile zone, the first gray zone, the second gray zone and the sterile zone may be provided in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side along the water transport direction, and in the first gray zone, bacteria in the water may be sterilized, and in the second gray zone, a state in which no bacteria are present in the water may be maintained.

[0037] A 31st aspect of the present disclosure is a sterilization method for sterilizing a content filling system according to each of the first aspect to the 30th aspect described above, wherein the water sterilization line at least comprises a water sterilizer, the water sterilizer having at least one sterile filter and at least one sterilizer, and the sterilization method comprises the steps of performing a first integrity test on at least one of the sterile filters, sterilizing the sterile filter, and performing a second integrity test on at least one of the sterile filters.

[0038] A thirty-second aspect of the present disclosure is a sterilization method according to the thirty-first aspect described above, which may further comprise the step of sterilizing the sterilizer.

[0039] A 33rd aspect of the present disclosure is a sterilization method according to the 31st aspect or the 32nd aspect, wherein the step of sterilizing the sterilizer may include a step of supplying hot water to the water sterilizer, a step of circulating the hot water in a circulation system including the sterilizer, and a step of cooling the circulation system.

[0040] A 34th aspect of the present disclosure is a sterilization method according to each of the 31st to 33rd aspects described above, wherein the step of sterilizing the sterilizer may include the steps of supplying an agent to the water sterilizer, circulating the agent in a circulatory system including the sterilizer, and rinsing the circulatory system.

[0041] A thirty-fifth aspect of the present disclosure is a sterilization method according to each of the thirty-first to thirty-fourth aspects described above, wherein the step of sterilizing the sterile filter may be performed during the step of sterilizing the sterilizer. Effect of the Invention

[0042] According to the present disclosure, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the content filling system can be reduced. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0043] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a content filling system according to one embodiment. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram illustrating a water disinfection line according to one embodiment. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a water disinfection line according to an embodiment. [Figure 2C] FIG. 2C is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a water disinfection line according to an embodiment. [Figure 2D] FIG. 2D is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a water disinfection line according to an embodiment. [Figure 2E1] FIG. 2E1 is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a water disinfection line according to an embodiment. [Figure 2E2]FIG. 2E2 is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a water disinfection line according to an embodiment. [Figure 2E3] FIG. 2E3 is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a water disinfection line according to an embodiment. [Figure 2F] FIG. 2F is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a water disinfection line according to an embodiment. [Figure 2G] FIG. 2G is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a water disinfection line according to an embodiment. [Figure 2H] FIG. 2H is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a water disinfection line according to an embodiment. [Figure 2I] FIG. 2I is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a water disinfection line according to an embodiment. [Figure 2J] FIG. 2J is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a water disinfection line according to an embodiment. [Figure 2K] FIG. 2K is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a water disinfection line according to an embodiment. [Figure 2L] FIG. 2L is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a water disinfection line according to an embodiment. [Figure 2M] FIG. 2M is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a water disinfection line according to an embodiment. [Figure 2N] FIG. 2N is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a water disinfection line according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a first sterilizer of a water sterilizer according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3) showing a first sterilizer of the water sterilizer according to one embodiment. [Figure 5A] FIG. 5A is a plan view showing another example of a first sterilizer of a water sterilizer according to an embodiment. [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view taken along line VB-VB in FIG. 5A) showing another example of a first sterilizer of a water sterilizer according to an embodiment. [Figure 6A] FIG. 6A is a front view showing another example of a first sterilizer of a water sterilizer according to an embodiment. [Figure 6B]FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view taken along line VIB-VIB in FIG. 6A) showing another example of a first sterilizer of a water sterilizer according to an embodiment. [Figure 6C] FIG. 6C is a cross-sectional view (enlarged view of portion VIC in FIG. 6B) showing another example of the first sterilizer of the water sterilizer according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a concentrate sterilization line according to one embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a content filling method using the content filling system according to one embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing a method for sterilizing a chamber in a content filling system according to one embodiment. [Figure 10A] FIG. 10A is a flow chart showing a sterilization method for a content filling system according to one embodiment, which is a sterilization method for a water sterilizer. [Figure 10B1] FIG. 10B1 is a flowchart showing a sterilization method for a content filling system according to one embodiment, which is a sterilization method for a water sterilizer. [Figure 10B2] FIG. 10B2 is a flow chart illustrating another example of a sterilization method for a content filling system according to an embodiment, which is a sterilization method for a water sterilizer. [Figure 10C] FIG. 10C is a flow chart illustrating yet another example of a sterilization method for a water sterilizer, which is a sterilization method for a content filling system according to an embodiment. [Figure 10D] FIG. 10D is a flow chart illustrating yet another example of a sterilization method for a water sterilizer, which is a sterilization method for a content filling system according to an embodiment. [Figure 10E] FIG. 10E is a flow chart illustrating yet another example of a sterilization method for a water sterilizer, which is a sterilization method for a content filling system according to an embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view showing a second modified example of the content filling system according to the embodiment. [Figure 12A] FIG. 12A is a schematic plan view showing a fourth modified example of the content filling system according to one embodiment. [Figure 12B] FIG. 12B is a schematic plan view showing an enlarged view of the second sterile chamber and the outlet chamber of the fourth modified example of the content filling system according to one embodiment. [Figure 12C] FIG. 12C is a schematic plan view showing a content filling method using a fourth modified example of the content filling system according to one embodiment. [Figure 12D] FIG. 12D is a schematic plan view showing a content filling method using a fourth modified example of the content filling system according to one embodiment. [Figure 12E] FIG. 12E is a schematic plan view showing another example (first example) of the fourth modified example of the content filling system according to one embodiment. [Figure 12F] FIG. 12F is a schematic plan view showing another example (second example) of the fourth modified example of the content filling system according to one embodiment. [Figure 12G] FIG. 12G is a schematic plan view showing another example (third example) of the fourth modified example of the content filling system according to one embodiment. [Figure 12H] FIG. 12H is a schematic plan view showing another example (fourth example) of the fourth modified example of the content filling system according to one embodiment. [Figure 12I] FIG. 12I is a schematic plan view showing another example (fifth example) of the fourth modified example of the content filling system according to one embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic plan view showing a fifth modified example of the content filling system according to the embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a schematic plan view showing another example of the fifth modified example of the content filling system according to the embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a filling nozzle of a filling device in another example of the fifth modified example of the content filling system according to the embodiment. [Figure 16A] FIG. 16A is a schematic plan view showing a sixth modified example of a content filling system according to one embodiment. [Figure 16B]FIG. 16B is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a water filling nozzle of a water filling device in a sixth modified example of a content filling system according to one embodiment. [Figure 16C] FIG. 16C is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a concentrate filling nozzle of a concentrate filling device in a content filling system according to one embodiment. [Figure 17A] FIG. 17A is a schematic diagram showing a water sterilization line in a seventh modified example of a content filling system according to one embodiment. [Figure 17B] FIG. 17B is a schematic diagram showing a water sterilization line in another example of the seventh modified example of the content filling system according to one embodiment. [Figure 17C] FIG. 17C is a schematic diagram showing a water sterilization line in an eighth modified example of a content filling system according to one embodiment. [Figure 18A] FIG. 18A is a schematic diagram showing a concentrate sterilization line in a tenth modified example of a content filling system according to one embodiment. [Figure 18B] FIG. 18B is a schematic plan view showing a twelfth modified example of the content filling system according to one embodiment. [Figure 18C] FIG. 18C is a schematic perspective view showing another example of the twelfth modified example of the content filling system according to one embodiment. [Figure 18D1] FIG. 18D1 is a schematic plan view showing a sixteenth modified example of a content filling system according to one embodiment. [Fig. 18D2] FIG. 18D2 is a schematic plan view showing another example of the sixteenth modified example of the content filling system according to one embodiment. [Figure 18E] FIG. 18E is a schematic diagram showing a water sterilization line in a seventeenth variant of a content filling system according to one embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing a first modified example of the sterilization method for the content filling system according to one embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing another example of the first modified example of the sterilization method for the content filling system according to one embodiment. [Figure 21]FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing a second modified example of the sterilization method for the content filling system according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0044] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 to 10E are diagrams showing one embodiment.

[0045] (Contents filling system) First, a content filling system (aseptic filling system) according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0046] The content filling system 10 shown in FIG. 1 is a system for filling a bottle (container) 100 with a content such as a beverage. The content can be prepared by diluting a product concentrate with water. In this case, the product concentrate may be diluted with water by 1.1 times to 100 times, preferably by 2 times to 10 times. The product concentrate may be diluted with water by 10 times to 80 times, 20 times to 70 times, or 30 times to 50 times. The bottle 100 can be produced by biaxially stretching and blow molding a preform 100a produced by injection molding a synthetic resin material. The bottle 100 may be produced by direct blow molding. The material of the bottle 100 is preferably a thermoplastic resin, particularly PE (polyethylene), PP (polypropylene), PET (polyethylene terephthalate), or PEN (polyethylene naphthalate). In addition, the container may be glass, a can, paper, a pouch, a cup, or a composite container of these. In this embodiment, a case where a synthetic resin bottle is used as a container will be described as an example.

[0047] As shown in Fig. 1, the content filling system 10 includes a water sterilization line 50 for sterilizing water, a concentrate sterilization line 70 for sterilizing a product concentrate, and a filling device (filler) 20 connected to the water sterilization line 50 and the concentrate sterilization line 70. The content filling system 10 also includes a control unit 90 for controlling the filling device 20. The content filling system 10 also includes a bottle forming unit 30, a sterilization device (container sterilization device) 11, an air-rinse device 14, the above-mentioned filling device 20, a capping device (capper, seaming and corking machine) 16, and a product bottle carrying-out unit 25. The bottle forming unit 30, the sterilization device 11, the air-rinse device 14, the filling device 20, the capping device 16, and the product bottle carrying-out unit 25 are arranged in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side along the conveying direction of the bottle 100. In addition, a plurality of conveyor wheels 12 are provided between the air-rinse device 14, the filling device 20, the capping device 16, etc., for conveying the bottles 100 between these devices. First, the bottle molding section 30, the sterilization device 11, the air-rinse device 14, the filling device 20, the capping device 16, and the product bottle carrying-out section 25 will be described.

[0048] The bottle molding section 30 is configured to receive preforms 100a from outside and mold the bottles 100. The bottle molding section 30 is configured to transport the molded bottles 100 toward the sterilizer 11. This allows the content filling system 10 to continuously carry out processes from supplying the preforms 100a through molding the bottles 100 to filling the bottles 100 with the contents and capping them. In this case, the small-volume preforms 100a are transported from outside to the content filling system 10, instead of the large-volume bottles 100. This allows transportation costs to be reduced.

[0049] The bottle molding section 30 has a preform conveying section 31 that conveys the preform 100a, a blow molding section (container molding device) 32 that molds the preform 100a into a bottle 100 by blow molding the preform 100a, and a bottle conveying section 33 that conveys the molded bottle 100.

[0050] Among these, the preform transport section 31 includes a receiving section 34, a heating section 35, and a delivery section 36. Among these, the receiving section 34 is configured to receive the preforms 100a supplied from the preform supplying device 1 via the preform supplying conveyor 2. The receiving section 34 is provided with a preform sterilizing device 34a for sterilizing the preforms 100a, and a preform air-rinsing device 34b for air-rinsing the preforms 100a. In the illustrated example, the receiving section 34 is provided with one preform sterilizing device 34a and one preform air-rinsing device 34b. The number of the preform sterilizing devices 34a and the preform air-rinsing devices 34b is not limited to this.

[0051] In the receiving section 34, a preform sterilizer 34a sprays gas or mist of an aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution onto the preforms 100a, sterilizing the preforms 100a (pre-sterilization).

[0052] The disinfectant for sterilizing the preform 100a may be any disinfectant having the property of inactivating microorganisms. For example, in addition to hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid, acetic acid, pernitric acid, nitric acid, chlorine-based chemicals, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, alcohols such as ethyl alcohol and isopropyl alcohol, chlorine dioxide, ozone water, acidic water, and surfactants may be used alone or in combination of two or more of these.

[0053] In this way, by sterilizing the preforms 100a in advance (pre-sterilization) using the preform sterilization device 34a, it is possible to reduce the amount of bacteria adhering to the bottles 100 produced from the preforms 100a. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of hydrogen peroxide used in the sterilization device 11 that sterilizes the bottles 100, and also shorten the sterilization time. Generally, the amount of sterilant used to sterilize the small-volume preforms 100a can be less than the amount of sterilant used to sterilize the bottles 100. This makes it possible to reduce the overall amount of sterilant used by pre-sterilizing the preforms 100a.

[0054] Furthermore, the amount of hydrogen peroxide used in the sterilizer 11 can be reduced, and the sterilization time can be shortened, thereby enabling the sterilizer 11 to be made more compact. Furthermore, the sterilization time for sterilizing the bottles 100 can be shortened, thereby reducing the thermal load on the bottles 100. Therefore, even in the case of a lightweight bottle 100 or a bottle 100 made using recycled PET, deformation of the bottle 100 due to the heat of the sterilizing agent can be suppressed.

[0055] Furthermore, since the pre-sterilization of the preform 100a can reduce bacteria adhering to the bottle 100, the sterilization conditions may be weakened in the sterilization device 11. Generally, in order to improve the sterilization effect in the sterilization device 11, the body of the bottle 100 is heat-set by supplying hot water from a mold temperature regulator (not shown) to the mold in the blow molding section 32. This improves the sterilization effect in the sterilization device 11 and reduces the shrinkage of the bottle 100 in the sterilization device 11. However, in this embodiment, as described above, the pre-sterilization of the preform 100a can reduce bacteria adhering to the bottle 100. Therefore, the blow molding section (container molding device) 32 may mold the bottle 100 without adjusting the temperature of the bottle 100 with hot water. That is, in the blow molding section 32, it is not necessary to supply hot water to the mold, which has been supplied to the mold to improve the sterilization effect. As a result, the amount of carbon dioxide discharged by the content filling system 10 can be reduced. Moreover, since there is no need to supply hot water to the metal mold of the blow molding section 32, it is possible to simplify the blow molding section 32. Moreover, since the blow molding section 32 can be simplified, it is possible to reduce the amount of heat applied to the bottles 100. Therefore, even if the above-mentioned hot water is not supplied to the metal mold, it is possible to reduce the shrinkage of the bottles 100 in the sterilization apparatus 11.

[0056] Such sterilization may be performed not only in receiving section 34, but also in heating section 35 or delivery section 36. Sterilization may be performed after bottle 100 is formed, between bottle conveying section 33 and filling device 20. Sterilization may be performed at a plurality of locations. In the sterilization, bacteria may be inactivated by ultraviolet light irradiation, electron beam irradiation, or the like, without using a germicide.

[0057] Referring to FIG. 1, the preform air-rinsing device 34b described above is provided downstream of the preform sterilizing device 34a. The preform 100a sprayed with the sterilizing agent is dried with hot air in the preform air-rinsing device 34b. At this time, it is preferable that hot air is supplied to the preform 100a with the mouth of the preform 100a facing downward. This makes it possible to effectively remove foreign matter from within the preform 100a. Therefore, the process of washing the preform 100a with sterile water can be omitted, and the amount of carbon dioxide discharged by the content filling system 10 can be reduced. Note that the preform air-rinsing device 34b does not have to be provided in the receiving section 34. Also, a foreign matter removal device (not shown) for removing foreign matter attached to the preform 100a may be provided upstream of the preform sterilizing device 34a in the receiving section 34.

[0058] The heating section 35 is configured to receive the preform 100a from the receiving section 34 and heat the preform 100a while transporting it. The heating section 35 is provided with a heater 35a for heating the preform 100a. The heater 35a may be, for example, an infrared heater. The heater 35a heats the preform 100a to, for example, about 90°C or higher and 130°C or lower. The temperature of the mouth of the preform 100a is kept at 70°C or lower to prevent deformation, etc.

[0059] The delivery section 36 is configured to receive the preform 100 a heated by the heating section 35 and deliver it to the blow molding section 32 .

[0060] The blow molding section 32 includes a metal mold (not shown). The preform 100a is blow molded using this metal mold to form a bottle 100. The molded bottle 100 is then transported downstream by the bottle transport section 33.

[0061] Here, between the bottle molding section 30 and the sterilization device 11, an adjustment and conveyance section 5 is provided which receives the bottles 100 from the bottle conveyance section 33 and delivers the bottles 100 to the sterilization device 11. At least a part of the conditioning and conveying section 5 is accommodated inside an atmosphere blocking chamber 70c (described later) provided upstream of a sterilant spray chamber 70d (described later). In the illustrated example, the conditioning and conveying section 5 is disposed so as to straddle the molding section chamber 70b (described later) that accommodates the bottle molding section 30 and the atmosphere blocking chamber 70c. In this way, by accommodating at least a part of the conditioning and conveying section 5 inside the atmosphere blocking chamber 70c, it is possible to prevent the sterilant gas or mist, or a mixture thereof, generated in the sterilant spray chamber 70d from flowing into the molding section chamber 70b.

[0062] In the illustrated example, a single conveying wheel 12 is provided between the adjustment conveying unit 5 and the bottle conveying unit 33 of the bottle molding unit 30. That is, between the blow molding unit 32 of the bottle molding unit 30 and the sterilization device 11, the bottle conveying unit 33 of the bottle molding unit 30, the single conveying wheel 12, and the adjustment conveying unit 5 are provided. This allows the content filling system 10 to be made more compact than when multiple conveying wheels 12 are provided between the adjustment conveying unit 5 and the bottle conveying unit 33 of the bottle molding unit 30. Although not shown, only the adjustment conveying unit 5 may be provided between the blow molding unit 32 of the bottle molding unit 30 and the sterilization device 11. In this case, the content filling system 10 can be made even more compact.

[0063] The sterilizer 11 is a device that sterilizes the bottle 100 by spraying a sterilizing agent onto the bottle 100. In this way, the bottle 100 is sterilized by the sterilizing agent before the content is filled into the bottle 100. As the sterilizing agent, for example, an aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution is used. In the sterilizer 11, gas or mist of the aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution is generated, and the gas or mist is sprayed onto the inner and outer surfaces of the bottle 100. Since the bottle 100 is sterilized by the gas or mist of the aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution in this way, the inner and outer surfaces of the bottle 100 are sterilized evenly.

[0064] The air rinse device 14 is a device that supplies sterile heated air or room temperature air to the bottle 100 to activate the hydrogen peroxide while removing foreign matter, hydrogen peroxide, etc. from the bottle 100. At this time, it is preferable that the sterile air is supplied to the bottle 100 with the mouth of the bottle 100 facing downward. This makes it possible to effectively remove foreign matter from the bottle 100. Therefore, the process of washing the bottle 100 with sterile water can be omitted, and the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the content filling system 10 can be reduced. If necessary, the sterilized air at room temperature may be mixed with a condensed mist of low concentration hydrogen peroxide to gasify the hydrogen peroxide and supply it to the bottle 100.

[0065] The filling device 20 is a device that fills water and a concentrate product into bottles 100. That is, the filling device 20 fills the bottles 100 from the mouths of the bottles 100 with water and a concentrate product that have been sterilized in advance. In this way, the filling device 20 fills the empty bottles 100 with the contents prepared by diluting the concentrate product. In this filling device 20, the contents are filled into the bottles 100 while a plurality of bottles 100 are rotated and transported.

[0066] The filling device 20 may include a water filling device 21 connected to the water sterilization line 50, and a concentrate filling device 22 connected to the concentrate sterilization line 70. The water filling device 21 and the concentrate filling device 22 are arranged in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side along the conveying direction of the bottles 100. The water filling device 21 is disposed inside a first sterile chamber 70f described later. The concentrate filling device 22 is disposed inside a second sterile chamber 70h described later. The water filling device 21 and the concentrate filling device 22 may each be a so-called rotary filler.

[0067] The water filling device 21 fills the bottles 100 with sterilized water. In this case, the water filling device 21 fills the empty bottles 100 with sterilized water. Meanwhile, the concentrate filling device 22 fills the bottles filled with water with sterilized concentrate product. In this way, since the filling device 20 has the water filling device 21 and the concentrate filling device 22, the size of the filling device that comes into contact with the concentrate product or the contents (i.e., concentrate filling device 22) can be made smaller than when the contents are filled by a single filling device. Therefore, as described below, the area in which the filling device 20 is washed and sterilized can be made narrower.

[0068] The speed at which the water filling device 21 fills the bottle 100 with water may be faster than the speed at which the concentrate filling device 22 fills the bottle 100 with the concentrate product. That is, the water filling device 21 fills the empty bottle 100 with water, thereby increasing the water filling speed. Here, when the contents are filled into the bottle 100 vigorously, for example, due to foaming in the bottle 100, some of the contents may splash out from the mouth of the bottle 100 to the outside. Then, due to the contents splashed to the outside, there is a possibility that the contents may cause dirt to adhere to the periphery of the bottle 100. In contrast, when filling the empty bottle 100 with water, even if the water splashes out from the mouth of the bottle 100, dirt will not adhere to the periphery of the bottle 100. Therefore, the water filling speed can be increased. As a result, the number of water filling nozzles (for example, see FIG. 16B described later) of the water filling device 21 can be reduced. Therefore, the size of the water filling device 21 can be reduced.

[0069] In the water filling device 21, the water filling speed may be 100 mL / sec or more and 500 mL / sec or less, and preferably 200 mL / sec or more and 400 mL / sec or less. When the water filling speed is 100 mL / sec or more, the number of water filling nozzles of the water filling device 21 can be reduced. Therefore, the size of the water filling device 21 can be reduced. In addition, when the water filling speed is 500 mL / sec or less, water can be prevented from splashing out from the mouth of the bottle 100 when filling the bottle 100 with water. Therefore, it is possible to prevent variations in the volume of the contents and the dilution ratio of the product concentrate between the product bottles 101. In addition, in the concentrate filling device 22, the filling speed of the product concentrate may be 30 mL / sec or more and 200 mL / sec or less.

[0070] The capping device 16 is a device for closing the bottles 100 by attaching caps 88 to the bottles 100. In the capping device 16, the bottles 100 filled with water and undiluted product liquid (contents) are closed with the caps 88, and the bottles 100 are sealed to prevent outside air and microorganisms from entering the bottles 100. In the capping device 16, the caps 88 are attached to the mouths of a plurality of bottles 100 filled with the contents while they are rotated (revolved). In this manner, the caps 88 are attached to the bottles 100, thereby obtaining product bottles 101.

[0071] The caps 88 are sterilized in advance by the cap sterilizer 18. The cap sterilizer 18 is disposed, for example, outside the second aseptic chamber 70h (described later) or the like and in the vicinity of the cap fitting device 16. In the cap sterilizer 18, a large number of caps 88 brought in from outside the content filling system 10 are collected in advance and transported in a line toward the cap fitting device 16. On the way to the cap fitting device 16, hydrogen peroxide gas or mist is sprayed against the inner and outer surfaces of the caps 88, and then the caps are dried and sterilized with hot air.

[0072] The product bottle unloading section 25 continuously unloads the product bottles 101 to which the caps 88 have been attached by the capping device 16 toward the outside of the content filling system 10 .

[0073] The content filling system 10 includes a preform sterilization chamber 70a, a molding section chamber 70b, an atmosphere blocking chamber 70c, a sterilant spray chamber 70d, an air rinse chamber (fourth sterile chamber) 70e, a first sterile chamber 70f, an intermediate area chamber (third sterile chamber) 70g, a second sterile chamber 70h, and an outlet chamber 70i. Between the first sterile chamber 70f and the second sterile chamber 70h, an intermediate area chamber (third sterile chamber) 70g is provided to connect the first sterile chamber 70f and the second sterile chamber 70h to each other. An air rinse chamber (fourth sterile chamber) 70e is provided upstream of the first sterile chamber 70f. That is, the preform sterilization chamber 70a, the molding section chamber 70b, the atmospheric barrier chamber 70c, the sterilant spray chamber 70d, the air rinse chamber 70e, the first sterile chamber 70f, the intermediate area chamber 70g, the second sterile chamber 70h, and the outlet chamber 70i are arranged in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side along the transport direction of the preforms 100a and the bottles 100.

[0074] Each of the chambers 70a to 70i is separated by a partition wall. The partition wall prevents the sterilant or the like from flowing in an unintended direction between the chambers 70a to 70i, and serves to stabilize the pressure in each of the chambers 70a to 70i. The partition wall has a gap that allows the preform 100a or the bottle 100 to pass through. The gap is formed to a minimum size, for example, about one preform 100a or bottle 100, so that the pressure in each of the chambers 70a to 70i does not change. The partition wall may also be provided with a shutter that closes the above-mentioned gap. The shutter may be configured to automatically open and close in response to a signal from the control unit 90, for example.

[0075] Among the chambers 70a to 70i, the preform sterilization chamber 70a houses the preform sterilization device 34a and the like.

[0076] The blow molding section 32 of the bottle molding section 30 and the like are housed inside the molding section chamber 70b.

[0077] At least a part of the adjustment conveying unit 5 is accommodated inside the atmosphere blocking chamber 70c. A camera may be provided inside the atmosphere blocking chamber 70c. The camera may be used to inspect whether the bottle 100 has any molding problems. A thermometer may be provided inside the atmosphere blocking chamber 70c. The temperature of the bottle 100 before sterilization may be measured by this thermometer. Here, the temperature of the bottle 100 is one of the important factors that affect the sterilization efficiency of the bottle 100. That is, by keeping the temperature of the bottle 100 at an appropriate temperature, the sterilization efficiency of the bottle 100 can be improved. Therefore, by measuring the temperature of the bottle 100 before sterilization with a thermometer, the temperature of the bottle 100 during sterilization can be kept at an appropriate temperature, and the sterilization efficiency of the bottle 100 can be improved.

[0078] The sterilizer spray chamber 70d accommodates the sterilizer 11. The air-rinse chamber 70e accommodates the air-rinse device 14.

[0079] The first sterile chamber 70f contains the water filling device 21 of the filling device 20. The second sterile chamber 70h contains the concentrate filling device 22 and the capping device 16 of the filling device 20. The outlet chamber 70i contains the product bottle discharge section 25. The intermediate area chamber 70g may contain only the transport wheel 12.

[0080] Pressure gauges (not shown) for measuring the pressure in each chamber are attached inside the above-mentioned preform sterilization chamber 70a, sterilant spray chamber 70d, air rinse chamber 70e, first sterile chamber 70f, intermediate area chamber 70g, second sterile chamber 70h and exit chamber 70i. A pressure gauge for measuring the pressure in each chamber may also be attached to the molding section chamber 70b and / or atmosphere cutoff chamber 70c.

[0081] Here, as described above, the content filling system 10 includes a control unit 90 that controls the filling device 20. This control unit 90 is electrically connected to the filling device 20, and controls the water filling device 21 and concentrate filling device 22 of the filling device 20. In addition, the control unit 90 may be electrically connected to the water sterilization line 50, concentrate sterilization line 70, bottle molding unit 30, sterilization device 11, air rinse device 14, cap attachment device 16, product bottle conveying unit 25, and cap sterilization device 18, and the control unit 90 may control the water sterilization line 50, etc.

[0082] The control unit 90 may clean and sterilize the inside of each chamber, or may clean and sterilize the water sterilizer 60 (described later) of the water sterilization line 50. In this embodiment, the control unit 90 cleans the inside of the second sterile chamber 70h while maintaining the inside of the first sterile chamber 70f in a sterile state (hereinafter, cleaning of the inside of each chamber is also referred to as COP). The control unit 90 also cleans the concentrate filling device 22 while maintaining the inside of the first sterile chamber 70f in a sterile state (hereinafter, cleaning of the inside of the filling device 20 such as the concentrate filling device 22 is also referred to as CIP (Cleaning in Place)). That is, when cleaning the inside of the second sterile chamber 70h and the concentrate filling device 22, the control unit 90 maintains the inside of the first sterile chamber 70f in a sterile state without cleaning (COP) the inside of the first sterile chamber 70f. Furthermore, when cleaning the second sterile chamber 70h and the concentrate filling device 22, the control unit 90 maintains the inside of the first sterile chamber 70f in a sterile state without cleaning the water filling device 21 (CIP).

[0083] As described above, the first sterile chamber 70f contains the water filling device 21 for filling sterilized water. The surroundings of the water filling device 21 and the water flow path in the water filling device 21 are not soiled by the contents. Therefore, even if cleaning (COP) or sterilization (hereinafter, sterilization in each chamber is also referred to as SOP) in the first sterile chamber 70f is not performed when switching the type of contents, the hygiene in the first sterile chamber 70f can be maintained. In addition, even if cleaning (CIP) or sterilization (SIP (Sterilization in Place)) of the water filling device 21 contained in the first sterile chamber 70f is not performed at this time, the hygiene of the water filling device 21 can be maintained and the mixing of the previous contents with the next contents can be suppressed. In this way, if the first sterile chamber 70f is not washed when the second sterile chamber 70h is washed, the number of times the first sterile chamber 70f is washed can be reduced and the area to be washed in the content filling system 10 can be narrowed. This allows for a reduction in the amount of water, steam, electricity, and cleaning agent used. In addition, the area to be cleaned can be narrowed, shortening the cleaning time. This allows for a reduction in the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the content filling system 10.

[0084] The control unit 90 also sterilizes (SOP) the second sterile chamber 70h while maintaining the inside of the first sterile chamber 70f in a sterile state. The control unit 90 also sterilizes (SIP) the concentrate filling device 22 while maintaining the inside of the first sterile chamber 70f in a sterile state. That is, when sterilizing the second sterile chamber 70h and the concentrate filling device 22, the control unit 90 does not sterilize (SOP) the first sterile chamber 70f, and maintains the inside of the first sterile chamber 70f in a sterile state. Also, when sterilizing the second sterile chamber 70h and the concentrate filling device 22, the control unit 90 does not sterilize (SIP) the water filling device 21, and maintains the inside of the first sterile chamber 70f in a sterile state. This makes it possible to narrow the sterilization area. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of steam used. Also, this makes it possible to shorten the sterilization time. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide discharged by the content filling system 10.

[0085] The pressure in the first sterile chamber 70f is preferably higher than the pressure in the second sterile chamber 70h. This prevents air in the second sterile chamber 70h from entering the first sterile chamber 70f. This allows the sterility of the inside of the first sterile chamber 70f to be well maintained.

[0086] When cleaning and sterilizing the second sterile chamber 70h, the pressure in the first sterile chamber 70f is preferably 40 Pa or more and 100 Pa or less, and the pressure in the second sterile chamber 70h is preferably 0 Pa or more and 20 Pa or less. When cleaning and sterilizing the concentrate filling device 22, the pressure in the first sterile chamber 70f is preferably 40 Pa or more and 100 Pa or less, and the pressure in the second sterile chamber 70h is preferably 0 Pa or more and 20 Pa or less. This effectively prevents the air in the second sterile chamber 70h from entering the first sterile chamber 70f, and the sterility state inside the first sterile chamber 70f can be further maintained. When producing the product bottle 101, the pressure in the first sterile chamber 70f is preferably 30 Pa or more and 60 Pa or less, and the pressure in the second sterile chamber 70h is preferably 10 Pa or more and 40 Pa or less.

[0087] Moreover, it is preferable that the pressure in the intermediate area chamber (third sterile chamber) 70g is lower than the pressure in the first sterile chamber 70f and equal to or higher than the pressure in the second sterile chamber 70h. By making the pressure in the intermediate area chamber 70g lower than the pressure in the first sterile chamber 70f, the air in the intermediate area chamber 70g can be prevented from entering the first sterile chamber 70f. By making the pressure in the intermediate area chamber 70g equal to or higher than the pressure in the second sterile chamber 70h, the air in the second sterile chamber 70h can be prevented from entering the intermediate area chamber 70g. Therefore, the air in the second sterile chamber 70h can be prevented from entering the first sterile chamber 70f via the intermediate area chamber 70g. As a result, the sterility inside the first sterile chamber 70f can be maintained well.

[0088] When cleaning and sterilizing the second sterile chamber 70h, the pressure in the intermediate area chamber 70g is preferably 10 Pa or more and 40 Pa or less. When cleaning and sterilizing the concentrate filling device 22, the pressure in the intermediate area chamber 70g is preferably 10 Pa or more and 40 Pa or less. This makes it possible to prevent air in the second sterile chamber 70h from entering the intermediate area chamber 70g, and the sterility inside the first sterile chamber 70f can be maintained even better. When producing the product bottles 101, the pressure in the intermediate area chamber 70g is preferably 20 Pa or more and 50 Pa or less.

[0089] In addition, the pressure in the air-rinse chamber (fourth sterile chamber) 70e is preferably equal to or lower than the pressure in the first sterile chamber 70f. This prevents the air in the air-rinse chamber 70e from entering the first sterile chamber 70f. This allows the sterility of the inside of the first sterile chamber 70f to be well maintained.

[0090] When cleaning and sterilizing the second sterile chamber 70h, the pressure in the air rinse chamber 70e is preferably 10 Pa or more and 40 Pa or less. When cleaning and sterilizing the concentrate filling device 22, the pressure in the air rinse chamber 70e is preferably 10 Pa or more and 40 Pa or less. This makes it possible to prevent air in the air rinse chamber 70e from entering the first sterile chamber 70f, and the sterile state inside the first sterile chamber 70f can be maintained even better. When producing the product bottles 101, the pressure in the air rinse chamber 70e is preferably 10 Pa or more and 30 Pa or less.

[0091] In addition, the pressure in the sterilant spray chamber 70d is preferably equal to or lower than the pressure in the atmosphere blocking chamber 70c. This can prevent the air in the sterilant spray chamber 70d from entering the atmosphere blocking chamber 70c and the molding section chamber 70b. Here, by preventing the air in the sterilant spray chamber 70d from entering the molding section chamber 70b, the increase in humidity in the molding section chamber 70b can be prevented. As described above, the blow molding section 32 of the bottle molding section 30 is housed inside the molding section chamber 70b. Therefore, by preventing the increase in humidity in the molding section chamber 70b, corrosion of the machine constituting the blow molding section 32 can be prevented.

[0092] When cleaning and sterilizing the second aseptic chamber 70h, the pressure in the sterilant spray chamber 70d is preferably 0 Pa or more and 20 Pa or less. When cleaning and sterilizing the concentrate filling device 22, the pressure in the sterilant spray chamber 70d is preferably 0 Pa or more and 20 Pa or less. This makes it possible to prevent the air in the sterilant spray chamber 70d from entering the atmosphere blockage chamber 70c and the molding section chamber 70b, and to prevent an increase in humidity in the molding section chamber 70b. When producing the finished bottles 101, the pressure in the sterilant spray chamber 70d is preferably -10 Pa or more and 10 Pa or less.

[0093] When cleaning and sterilizing the second aseptic chamber 70h, the pressure in the outlet chamber 70i is preferably 0 Pa or more and 20 Pa or less. Also, when cleaning and sterilizing the concentrate filling device 22, the pressure in the outlet chamber 70i is preferably 0 Pa or more and 20 Pa or less. This makes it possible to prevent air in the outlet chamber 70i from entering the first sterile chamber 70f via the second sterile chamber 70h, etc., and to more effectively maintain the sterility inside the first sterile chamber 70f. When producing the product bottles 101, the pressure inside the outlet chamber 70i is preferably 10 Pa or more and 20 Pa or less.

[0094] In summary, the pressures in the sterilant spray chamber 70d through the exit chamber 70i may be as shown in Table 1 below.

[0095] [Table 1]

[0096] At this time, the pressures in the preform sterilization chamber 70a to the atmosphere cutoff chamber 70c may be set as shown in Table 2 below.

[0097] [Table 2]

[0098] Such a content filling system 10 may be, for example, a sterile filling system. In this case, the insides of the sterilant spray chamber 70d, the air rinse chamber 70e, the first sterile chamber 70f, the intermediate area chamber 70g, the second sterile chamber 70h and the outlet chamber 70i are kept in a sterile state. Note that a chamber (not shown) may be provided downstream of the outlet chamber 70i to connect the sterile zone in a sterile state with the non-sterile zone in a non-sterile state.

[0099] Next, a description will be given of the water sterilization line 50 and the concentrate sterilization line 70 of the content filling system 10. First, the water sterilization line 50 will be described.

[0100] Water sterilization line The water sterilization line 50 is a sterilization line that sterilizes water without heating. This water sterilization line 50 may sterilize water with ultraviolet light. In this case, in the water sterilization line 50, the water may be sterilized with ultraviolet light from at least one of a low-pressure mercury lamp and a medium-pressure mercury lamp. In addition, the water sterilization line 50 may sterilize water by filtering the water with a sterile filter (such as a first sterile filter 63 described later). In this specification, "non-thermal sterilization" refers to sterilizing water without using thermal energy from an electric heater, steam, or the like.

[0101] As shown in Fig. 2A, the water sterilization line 50 has at least a water sterilizer 60 that sterilizes water. In the example shown in Fig. 2A, the water sterilization line 50 has a first water tank 51, a water sterilizer 60, and a second water tank 52. The water sterilization line 50 may further have a pure water production device 50a that is provided upstream of the first water tank 51 and produces water (pure water), and a pure water tank 50c that stores the water (pure water) supplied from the pure water production device 50a. The pure water production device 50a, the pure water tank 50c, the first water tank 51, the water sterilizer 60, and the second water tank 52 are arranged in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side along the water transport direction.

[0102] Among these, the pure water tank 50c is a tank for storing water (pure water) supplied from the pure water production apparatus 50a, which is a water supply source. Here, it is mandatory to use water for food production, as specified by the Food Sanitation Act, as raw water for soft drinks. The water for food production is pure water (RO water, ion-exchanged water, distilled water, etc.) produced by the pure water production apparatus 50a equipped with activated carbon, reverse osmosis membrane, ion exchange resin (including EDI), etc. Pure water is water from which impurities such as calcium, magnesium, chlorine, iron, and minerals have been removed. In this case, the evaporation residue of the pure water is 20 mg / L or less. Furthermore, the electrical conductivity of the pure water is 0.1 μS / cm or more and 20 μS / cm or less. As described later, in this embodiment, the water is sterilized by ultraviolet rays. Therefore, since the electrical conductivity of the sterilized water is 20 μS / cm or less, it is possible to suppress the adhesion of inorganic substances (oxides such as calcium) to the surfaces of the first ultraviolet lamp 67a, etc., which will be described later. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a decrease in ultraviolet transmittance. Moreover, the water supplied from the pure water production system 50a is not limited to pure water, and may be ultrapure water.

[0103] The pure water tank 50c serves to smooth the flow of water by storing water. The volume of the pure water tank 50c is 50 m 3 More than 100m 3 It may be less than 50m. 3 It may be.

[0104] The number of bacteria in the pure water tank 50c is preferably 0.001 CFU / mL or more and 20 CFU / mL or less. The pure water supplied to the pure water tank 50c is produced by removing chlorine in tap water with activated carbon or the like. As a result, bacteria are likely to grow in the pure water supplied to the pure water tank 50c. For this reason, it is advisable to install a UV lamp in the pure water tank 50c to suppress the growth of bacteria. If the number of bacteria in the pure water tank 50c is more than 20 CFU / mL, it is preferable to sterilize the pure water tank 50c with chlorine, hot water, steam, or the like. The number of bacteria in the pure water tank 50c may be constantly monitored and controlled to be within the above range. This allows water that maintains sterility to be produced without providing additional equipment. This allows the emission of carbon dioxide emitted by the water sterilizer 60 to be reduced without making the water sterilizer 60 a high-cost specification.

[0105] A pre-sterilizer 62A and a first water tank 51 are provided downstream of the pure water tank 50c.

[0106] Here, when the concentration of bacteria supplied from the pure water production apparatus 50a is high (for example, 1 CFU / ml or more) and the foreign matter removal filter 61 described later has a pore size of a sterilization filter (0.1 μm or more and 10 μm or less), the foreign matter removal filter 61 may be contaminated with bacteria in a short period of time. If a large amount of bacteria is captured in the foreign matter removal filter 61 and the bacteria multiply, the quality of the water may be affected. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 2A, it is preferable that a pre-stage sterilizer 62A is installed upstream of the foreign matter removal filter 61. This makes it possible to produce high-quality sterile water for a long period of time. In the example shown in FIG. 2A, two pre-stage sterilizers 62A are installed upstream of the foreign matter removal filter 61. Specifically, the pre-stage sterilizers 62A are installed upstream of the foreign matter removal filter 61, one each on the upstream side and downstream side of the first water tank 51. The number of the pre-stage sterilizer 62A may be one, and may be provided only on either the upstream side or the downstream side of the first water tank 51. In this case, the cost of sterilizing water can be reduced. The configuration of the pre-stage sterilizer 62A may be substantially the same as that of the first sterilizer 62 shown in Figs. 3 to 6B described later.

[0107] The first water tank 51 is a so-called balance tank, and by storing water, it plays a role in smoothing the flow of water. The capacity of the first water tank 51 is 30 m 3 More than 100m 3 It may be less than 50m. 3 It may be.

[0108] A pump P1 for transporting water and a flowmeter F for measuring the flow rate of water may be provided downstream of the first water tank 51. The pump P1 and the flowmeter F may be provided in this order from upstream to downstream along the water transport direction. The location of the flowmeter F may be changed as appropriate as long as it is downstream of the pump P1 and upstream of a valve V1 described below. In addition, the above-mentioned water sterilizer 60 is provided downstream of the flowmeter F.

[0109] The water sterilizer 60 is a sterilizer that sterilizes the water stored in the first water tank 51. The water sterilizer 60 will be described in detail later.

[0110] The second water tank 52 is a tank (so-called aseptic tank) that stores water sterilized by the water sterilizer 60. The second water tank 52 serves to smooth the flow of water by storing sterilized water. The volume of the second water tank 52 is 5 m 3 More than 50m 3 It may be less than 10m. 3 It may be.

[0111] Further, an auxiliary filter 53 for filtering the sterilized water and a third water tank 54 for storing the water that has passed through the auxiliary filter 53 may be provided downstream of the second water tank 52. In this case, the third water tank 54 may be a so-called filling machine tank, and may be installed vertically above the water filling device 21 in order to improve the filling accuracy of the water filling device 21. The third water tank 54 may function as a so-called cushion tank to ensure a smooth flow of water even if the amount of water used downstream of the third water tank 54 changes. The volume of the third water tank 54 is 0.1 m 3 More than 1m 3 It may be less than 0.3m, for example. 3 It may be.

[0112] Further, a first bypass line (bypass line) 55 (see FIG. 1, FIG. 2A, etc.) that connects the water sterilization line 50 and the cap sterilizer 18 to each other may be provided downstream of the second water tank 52. This allows the water sterilized by the water sterilizer 60 to be used for washing the cap 88. Here, the cap 88 can be washed with sterile water after being sterilized with a sterilizing agent. This allows the cap 88 to be cooled and foreign matter attached to the cap 88 to be removed. Furthermore, by washing the cap 88 with sterile water, friction between the cap 88 and a conveying chute (not shown) that conveys the cap 88 can be reduced by the sterile water attached to the cap 88. This allows the cap 88 to be prevented from being scraped by the conveying chute when the cap 88 is conveyed.

[0113] As described above, by providing the first bypass line 55 downstream of the second water tank 52, the water sterilized by the water sterilizer 60 can be used to wash the cap 88. Therefore, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the content filling system 10 can be further reduced compared to when the cap 88 is washed with sterile water prepared using a sterilizer that heats water to sterilize it. By appropriately setting the sterilization conditions, conveying speed and / or material of the cap 88, the cap 88 can be conveyed without being scraped. In this way, when the cap 88 is not scraped, the cap 88 does not need to be washed with sterile water.

[0114] Further, a second bypass line 56 may be provided downstream of the second water tank 52 to connect the water sterilization line 50 and the second sterile chamber 70h to each other. When cleaning the inside of the second sterile chamber 70h, the control unit 90 may supply the water sterilized in the water sterilization line 50 to the second sterile chamber 70h through the second bypass line 56. When cleaning the concentrate filling device 22, the control unit 90 may supply the water sterilized in the water sterilization line 50 to the second sterile chamber 70h through the second bypass line 56. This further reduces the amount of carbon dioxide discharged by the content filling system 10 compared to the case where the inside of the second sterile chamber 70h is cleaned with sterile water prepared using a sterilizer that heats and sterilizes water.

[0115] In addition, in the second sterile chamber 70h, the concentrate filling device 22 fills the bottle 100 with the concentrate product. Here, after the concentrate product (contents) is filled into the bottle 100, the mouth of the bottle 100 may be washed. When washing the mouth of the bottle 100 in this manner, water supplied to the second sterile chamber 70h via the second bypass line 56 may be used. This can further reduce the amount of carbon dioxide discharged by the content filling system 10 compared to washing the mouth of the bottle 100 with sterile water produced using a sterilizer that heats and sterilizes water. Note that if the concentrate product (contents) does not adhere to the mouth of the bottle 100, the mouth of the bottle 100 does not need to be washed. Also, even if the concentrate product adheres to the mouth of the bottle 100, if there is no possibility of bacteria growing, the mouth of the bottle 100 does not need to be washed.

[0116] The second bypass line 56 may connect the water sterilization line 50 and each of the chambers 70a to 70i to each other. When cleaning the insides of each of the chambers 70a to 70i, water sterilized in the water sterilization line 50 may be supplied to each of the chambers 70a to 70i via the second bypass line 56. When cleaning a machine disposed in each of the chambers 70a to 70i, water sterilized in the water sterilization line 50 may be supplied to each of the chambers 70a to 70i via the second bypass line 56.

[0117] 2A, a circulation line (first circulation line) 59 may be connected to the water sterilization line 50 upstream of the second water tank 52. One end of the circulation line 59 may be connected to the water sterilization line 50 via a valve V1 provided in the water sterilization line 50. The other end of the circulation line 59 may be connected to the first water tank 51 of the water sterilization line 50. As a result, a circulation system (first circulation system) 59A for circulating water may be configured by a foreign matter removal filter 61, a first sterilizer 62, a first sterile filter 63, a second sterilizer 64, a second sterile filter 65, the circulation line 59, and the first water tank 51, which will be described later. A thermometer T may be provided in the circulation line 59. A concentration meter 59c for measuring the concentration of a sterilizing agent or a cleaning agent when sterilizing the water sterilizer 60 may be provided in the circulation line 59. Furthermore, the circulation line 59 may be provided with a heating device (heat exchanger, heater, etc.) for heating a disinfectant or the like when cleaning and / or sterilizing the circulation line 59. The heating device may be used to adjust the water supplied to the first sterile filter 63, etc., to a constant temperature (e.g., 25°C) during the integrity test described below. In this case, the water adjusted to a constant temperature may be used to wet the membrane of the first sterile filter 63, etc. described below. This allows data to be obtained in the integrity test that is not affected by water temperature throughout the year. The heating device may be provided anywhere between the first water tank 51 and the valve V1, other than the circulation line 59. The number of heating devices provided may be one or more. The valve V1 may be electrically connected to the control unit 90 and may be controlled by the control unit 90.

[0118] 2B, a circulation line (second circulation line) 95 may be connected between the first water tank 51 and the water sterilizer 60 of the water sterilization line 50. One end of the circulation line 95 may be connected to a sampling line SL connected to a sampling point SP5 described later. The other end of the circulation line 95 may be connected, for example, between a pump P1 provided downstream of the first water tank 51 and the pre-stage sterilizer 62A. The other end of the circulation line 95 may be connected, for example, to the upstream side of the pump P1 (for example, between the first water tank 51 and the pump P1). As a result, a circulation system (second circulation system) 95A for circulating water and the like may be configured by the pre-stage sterilizer 62A, a third bypass line 95a described later, the first sterilizer 62, a fourth bypass line 95b described later, the second sterilizer 64, and the circulation line 95. The circulation line 95 may be provided with a sterilant supply unit 96 including a tank, a pump, a heater, a concentration meter, and the like (not shown). The circulation line 95 may also be provided with a heat exchanger 97. Furthermore, the circulation line 95 may also be provided with a pump (not shown). The circulation system 95A including such a circulation line 95 may be used to circulate a disinfectant or a cleaning agent when sterilizing the water sterilizer 60, as described below.

[0119] 2C, one end of the circulation line 95 may be connected, for example, between the second sterilizer 64 and the first sterile filter 63. As a result, a circulation system (second circulation system) 95A may be composed of the pre-stage sterilizer 62A, a third bypass line 95a described below, the first sterilizer 62, the second sterilizer 64 and the circulation line 95.

[0120] <Water sterilizer> Next, the water sterilizer 60 will be described. This water sterilizer 60 is a sterilizer that sterilizes water used in the content filling system 10. In the present embodiment, the water sterilizer 60 sterilizes water without heating. As described above, the water sterilizer 60 sterilizes the water (pure water) stored in the first water tank 51. For this reason, the water sterilizer 60 sterilizes water with an electrical conductivity of 0.1 μS / cm or more and 20 μS / cm or less.

[0121] 2A and 2B, the water sterilizer 60 comprises at least one sterile filter (first sterile filter 63 and second sterile filter 65). The water sterilizer 60 also comprises at least one sterilizer (first sterilizer 62 and second sterilizer 64). Since the water sterilizer 60 comprises at least one sterile filter and at least one sterilizer, even if one of the sterile filter and the sterilizer stops, the sterility of the water can be guaranteed by the other of the sterile filter and the sterilizer.

[0122] In the example shown in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, the water sterilizer 60 includes a foreign matter removal filter 61, a first sterilizer 62, a first sterile filter 63, a second sterilizer 64, and a second sterile filter 65. The foreign matter removal filter 61, the first sterilizer 62, the first sterile filter 63, the second sterilizer 64, and the second sterile filter 65 are arranged in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side along the water conveyance direction. In this way, by arranging the sterilizer (in this case, the second sterilizer 64) downstream of the sterile filter (in this case, the first sterile filter 63), even if bacteria pass through the sterile filter, the bacteria can be sterilized by the sterilizer. In this case, as shown in FIG. 2C, the foreign matter removal filter 61, the first sterilizer 62, the second sterilizer 64, the first sterile filter 63, and the second sterile filter 65 may be arranged in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side along the water conveyance direction. 2A to 2C, the water sterilizer 60 is provided with a plurality of sterile filters (first sterile filter 63 and second sterile filter 65), so that even if one of the sterile filters stops working, the sterility of the water can be guaranteed by the other sterile filter. Also, the water sterilizer 60 is provided with a plurality of sterilizers (first sterilizer 62 and second sterilizer 64), so that even if one of the sterilizers stops working, the sterility of the water can be guaranteed by the other sterilizer.

[0123] 2D, the water sterilizer 60 may comprise a foreign matter removal filter 61, a first sterilizer 62, a first sterile filter 63 and a second sterile filter 65. The foreign matter removal filter 61, the first sterilizer 62, the first sterile filter 63 and the second sterile filter 65 may be arranged in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side along the water transport direction. In this case, the water sterilizer 60 may further comprise a second sterilizer 64 provided between the first sterile filter 63 and the second sterile filter 65.

[0124] As shown in FIG. 2E1, the water sterilizer 60 may include a first sterilizer 62, a first sterile filter 63, and a second sterile filter 65. The first sterilizer 62, the first sterile filter 63, and the second sterile filter 65 may be arranged in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side along the water transport direction. In this case, the water sterilizer 60 may further include a second sterilizer 64 provided between the first sterile filter 63 and the second sterile filter 65. As shown in FIG. 2E2, the first sterile filter 63, the first sterilizer 62, the second sterile filter 65, and the second sterilizer 64 may be arranged in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side along the water transport direction. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2E3, the first sterilizer 62, the first sterile filter 63, the second sterile filter 65, and the second sterilizer 64 may be arranged in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side along the water transport direction.

[0125] As shown in Fig. 2F, the water sterilizer 60 may comprise a first sterilizer 62 and a first sterile filter 63. The first sterilizer 62 and the first sterile filter 63 may be arranged in this order from upstream to downstream along the water transport direction. As shown in Fig. 2G, the first sterile filter 63 and the first sterilizer 62 may be arranged in this order from upstream to downstream along the water transport direction. In these cases, the water sterilizer 60 may further comprise a second sterilizer 64 provided between the first sterile filter 63 and a valve V1 described later.

[0126] 2H, the water sterilizer 60 may comprise a first sterilizer 62, a second sterilizer 64 and a first sterile filter 63. The first sterilizer 62, the second sterilizer 64 and the first sterile filter 63 may be arranged in this order from upstream to downstream along the water transport direction. In this case, the water sterilizer 60 may further comprise a second sterile filter 65 provided downstream of the first sterile filter 63.

[0127] 2I, the water sterilizer 60 may comprise a first sterile filter 63, a second sterile filter 65 and a first sterilizer 62. The first sterile filter 63, the second sterile filter 65 and the first sterilizer 62 may be arranged in this order from upstream to downstream along the water transport direction. In this case, the water sterilizer 60 may further comprise a second sterilizer 64 provided downstream of the first sterilizer 62.

[0128] Also, the water sterilizer 60 may not have a sterile filter. That is, depending on the sterilization quality level of the contents prepared by diluting the product stock solution with water and / or the growth characteristics of bacteria in the contents, the water sterilizer 60 may not have a sterile filter. Also, when sterilized water is used for cleaning (COP) and / or sterilization (SOP) in each chamber, the water does not directly contact the contents. Even in such a case, the water sterilizer 60 may not have a sterile filter. In these cases, for example, as shown in FIG. 2J, the water sterilizer 60 may have only the first sterilizer 62. Also, as shown in FIG. 2K, the water sterilizer 60 may have the first sterilizer 62 and the second sterilizer 64. In this way, when the water sterilizer 60 does not have a sterile filter, the manufacturing cost of the water sterilizer 60 can be reduced.

[0129] Furthermore, the water sterilizer 60 may not have a sterilizer. That is, depending on the sterilization quality level of the contents produced by diluting the undiluted product with water and / or the growth characteristics of bacteria in the contents, the water sterilizer 60 may not have a sterilizer. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 2L, the water sterilizer 60 may have only a first sterile filter 63. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 2M, the water sterilizer 60 may have a first sterile filter 63 and a second sterile filter 65. In this way, even if the water sterilizer 60 does not have a sterilizer, the manufacturing cost of the water sterilizer 60 can be reduced.

[0130] Next, the foreign matter removal filter 61, the first sterilizer 62, the first sterile filter 63, the second sterilizer 64 and the second sterile filter 65 will be described. In the following explanation, the foreign matter removal filter 61, the first sterilizer 62, the first sterile filter 63, the second sterilizer 64 and the second sterile filter 65 will be described mainly using the water sterilizer 60 shown in Figure 2A as an example. Here, first, the foreign matter removal filter 61 will be described.

[0131] The foreign matter removal filter 61 is a filter that removes foreign matter from water. In the illustrated example, the water sterilizer 60 includes a single foreign matter removal filter 61. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the water sterilizer 60 may include a plurality of foreign matter removal filters 61. The mesh size (filtration accuracy) of the foreign matter removal filter 61 may be, for example, 0.20 μm or more and 10 μm or less, or 0.45 μm or more and 10 μm or less. In addition, the mesh size of the foreign matter removal filter 61 is preferably large enough to remove fungi (mold, yeast, etc.). As described later, in the first sterilizer 62 and the like provided downstream of the foreign matter removal filter 61, ultraviolet rays are irradiated onto the water. For this reason, the mesh size of the foreign matter removal filter 61 is preferably large enough to remove molds that are resistant to ultraviolet rays, and is preferably 0.45 μm or more and 1.2 μm or less. In order to increase the sterility of the water that has passed through the foreign matter removal filter 61, the mesh size of the foreign matter removal filter 61 may be 0.2 μm or more and 1.2 μm or less. This makes it possible to capture almost all bacteria remaining in the water. In addition, in order to increase the sterility of the water that has passed through the foreign matter removal filter 61, a sterile grade filter with a mesh size of 0.1 μm or more and 0.22 μm or less may be used as the foreign matter removal filter 61.

[0132] The first sterilizer 62 is provided downstream of the foreign matter removal filter 61. The first sterilizer 62 is provided upstream of the first sterile filter 63. The first sterilizer 62 is a sterilizer that sterilizes water by ultraviolet light. This can sterilize bacteria (bacteria other than mold and yeast) that have passed through the foreign matter removal filter 61. In addition, the first sterilizer 62 sterilizes water by ultraviolet light, which can reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the content filling system compared to when water is sterilized by heating it. In particular, as described above, when preparing the content, the product concentrate can be diluted with water by 1.1 times to 100 times, preferably 2 times to 10 times. When the product concentrate is diluted with water by 2 times to 10 times, 50% to 90% of the content is water. Therefore, by sterilizing water without heating it, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted when preparing the content can be significantly reduced.

[0133] As described above, in this embodiment, the first sterilizer 62 sterilizes water by ultraviolet rays. In this case, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the first sterilizer 62 may have a main body 66 and an ultraviolet ray irradiation unit 67 provided in the main body 66.

[0134] Of these, the main body 66 is formed to be hollow. The shape of the main body 66 is a truncated cone. Specifically, the main body 66 has an inner surface in a truncated cone shape, and the end on the small diameter side is oriented so as to be located above the end on the large diameter side. An inlet 68 for introducing water into the main body 66 may be formed at the lower part of the main body 66, and an outlet 69 for discharging sterilized water from the main body 66 may be formed at the upper part of the main body 66. An inlet pipe 68a may be connected to the inlet 68 formed in the main body 66, and the inlet pipe 68a may be provided so as to extend in a tangential direction of the inner surface of the main body 66 in a plan view. In this case, the tangential direction of the inner surface is the tangential direction of the part where the introduced water collides with the inner surface of the main body 66, among the tangents of the circle formed by the inner surface of the main body 66 in a horizontal cross section including the inlet 68.

[0135] The water introduced into the main body 66 through the introduction portion 68 is guided along the inner surface of the main body 66, and swirls in the circumferential direction. The water then moves upward while swirling, and is discharged from the discharge portion 69. This makes it possible to suppress unevenness in the flow of the water introduced into the main body 66. This makes it possible to prevent a portion of the water introduced into the main body 66 from being discharged from the discharge portion 69 in a short time (so-called short pass).

[0136] As shown in FIG. 4, a baffle plate 66a for regulating the flow of water may be provided in the main body 66. The baffle plate 66a may protrude radially from the inner surface of the main body 66 so as to spirally circulate. By providing such a baffle plate 66a in the main body 66, the water introduced into the inside of the main body 66 through the introduction portion 68 can be prevented from moving upward without circulating in the circumferential direction. Therefore, so-called short pass can be more reliably prevented. Although not shown, the baffle plate 66a does not have to spirally circulate in the main body 66. In this case, for example, a plurality of baffles 66a each having a circular shape in a plan view may be provided in the main body 66, and may be configured so that water passes through a central opening.

[0137] Furthermore, a fixing member 66b for fixing a first ultraviolet lamp 67a and a second ultraviolet lamp 67b (described later) of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 67 may be provided in the main body 66. The shape of the fixing member 66b may be, for example, a cross shape in a plan view. This can prevent the fixing member 66b from hindering the upward movement of the water. Alternatively, the shape of the fixing member 66b may be, for example, a disk shape, or may be a circle shape in a plan view. In this case, the fixing member 66b may be formed with a through hole (not shown) and may be configured to allow the water to pass through the through hole.

[0138] Furthermore, the main body 66 may be provided with an illuminance meter (intensity meter) 66c for measuring the illuminance of the ultraviolet light irradiated from the ultraviolet light irradiating section 67. It is desirable to provide at least one illuminance meter 66c in the vicinity of the ultraviolet light irradiating section 67. Note that a power meter for measuring the output of a first ultraviolet lamp 67a and a second ultraviolet lamp 67b (described later) of the ultraviolet light irradiating section 67 may be provided. In addition, the above-mentioned flow meter F may be used to constantly monitor the time (retention time) that the water takes to pass through the inside of the main body 66. Furthermore, the temperature, transmittance (turbidity) and / or chromaticity of the water passing through the main body 66 may be constantly or appropriately measured to constantly check that there is no abnormality in the amount of ultraviolet light irradiation.

[0139] Next, the ultraviolet irradiation unit 67 will be described. The ultraviolet irradiation unit 67 may include a first ultraviolet lamp 67a provided at the radial center of the main body 66, and a plurality of second ultraviolet lamps 67b provided around the first ultraviolet lamp 67a. In the illustrated example, four second ultraviolet lamps 67b are provided around one first ultraviolet lamp 67a.

[0140] Each of the second ultraviolet lamps 67b is disposed along the inner surface of the main body 66. That is, each of the second ultraviolet lamps 67b is provided so as to be inclined radially inward as it goes upward. In this case, it is preferable that the second ultraviolet lamps 67b are disposed at equal intervals along the circumferential direction. This allows the integrated irradiation amount of ultraviolet light (mJ / cm 2 The first ultraviolet lamp 67a and the second ultraviolet lamp 67b may each be an ultraviolet lamp that irradiates ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 200 nm or more and 450 nm or less.

[0141] The first ultraviolet lamp 67a and the second ultraviolet lamp 67b may be a low pressure mercury lamp, a medium pressure mercury lamp, or a UV-LED. In this case, the first ultraviolet lamp 67a and the second ultraviolet lamp 67b are preferably a low pressure mercury lamp or a medium pressure mercury lamp.

[0142] The first ultraviolet lamp 67a and the second ultraviolet lamp 67b may have different wavelengths and / or outputs of the ultraviolet light they irradiate. That is, the first ultraviolet lamp 67a and the second ultraviolet lamp 67b may be different ultraviolet lamps. As an example, when the first ultraviolet lamp 67a is a low pressure mercury lamp, the second ultraviolet lamp 67b may be a medium pressure mercury lamp (or UV-LED). Furthermore, the second ultraviolet lamps 67b may have different wavelengths and / or outputs of the ultraviolet light they irradiate. That is, the second ultraviolet lamps 67b may be different ultraviolet lamps. For example, when one second ultraviolet lamp 67b is a low pressure mercury lamp, the other second ultraviolet lamps 67b may be a medium pressure mercury lamp (or UV-LED). As described later, the low pressure mercury lamp can efficiently irradiate ultraviolet light with a wavelength (253.7 nm) that has a high sterilization effect. As described later, the medium pressure mercury lamp is a mercury lamp with a higher output than the low pressure mercury lamp. Therefore, when the first ultraviolet lamp 67a and the second ultraviolet lamp 67b are different ultraviolet lamps, the sterilization effect of the first sterilizer 62 can be improved and the first sterilizer 62 can sterilize a large amount of water. Also, as described above, even when the multiple second ultraviolet lamps 67b are different ultraviolet lamps, the sterilization effect of the first sterilizer 62 can be improved and the first sterilizer 62 can sterilize a large amount of water.

[0143] The low-pressure mercury lamp is a mercury lamp with a mercury vapor pressure of less than 10 Pa during lighting. This low-pressure mercury lamp can efficiently irradiate ultraviolet light with a wavelength (253.7 nm) that has a high sterilizing effect. Therefore, when the first ultraviolet lamp 67a and the second ultraviolet lamp 67b are each low-pressure mercury lamps, the sterilizing effect in the first sterilizer 62 (and the second sterilizer 64) can be improved. The low-pressure mercury lamp may be an amalgam lamp (low-pressure high-output amalgam lamp) in which amalgam, an alloy of mercury and other metals, is enclosed in the light emitting tube.

[0144] The medium pressure mercury lamp is a mercury lamp with a mercury vapor pressure of 40 kPa or more during lighting. The wavelength of the ultraviolet light emitted by the medium pressure mercury lamp is a wavelength with a main wavelength of 365 nm, and also has peaks at 254 nm, 302 nm, 313 nm, 405 nm, 436 nm, etc. In general, the medium pressure mercury lamp is a high-output mercury lamp compared to the low pressure mercury lamp. Therefore, when the first ultraviolet lamp 67a and the second ultraviolet lamp 67b are medium pressure mercury lamps, the first sterilizer 62 (and the second sterilizer 64) can sterilize a large amount of water. In addition, since the medium pressure mercury lamp is a high-output mercury lamp, when the first ultraviolet lamp 67a and the second ultraviolet lamp 67b are medium pressure mercury lamps, the first sterilizer 62 (and the second sterilizer 64) can be made smaller.

[0145] In addition, the ultraviolet irradiating section 67 of the first sterilizer 62 may be composed of only a low-pressure mercury lamp (including a low-pressure high-output amalgam lamp), and the ultraviolet irradiating section 67 of the second sterilizer 64 may be composed of only a medium-pressure mercury lamp. In this way, when the water sterilization line 50 has multiple sterilizers (for example, the first sterilizer 62 and the second sterilizer 64), it is preferable to use a low-pressure mercury lamp (including a low-pressure high-output amalgam lamp) and a medium-pressure mercury lamp in combination. The low-pressure mercury lamp (including a low-pressure high-output amalgam lamp) and the medium-pressure mercury lamp have different sterilization wavelengths. Therefore, a high sterilization effect can be obtained by using a low-pressure mercury lamp (including a low-pressure high-output amalgam lamp) and a medium-pressure mercury lamp in combination.

[0146] In addition, since the medium pressure mercury lamp has higher heat resistance than the low pressure mercury lamp, it can be turned on at high temperatures. Therefore, as described later, when sterilizing the first sterilizer 62 and the second sterilizer 64 by circulating hot water or a sterilizing agent in the circulation system 95A (see Figs. 2B and 2C), the first sterilizer 62 and the like can be sterilized with the first ultraviolet lamp 67a and the like turned on. When a low pressure mercury lamp (including a low pressure high output amalgam lamp) and an ultraviolet lamp that irradiates ultraviolet rays with a wavelength different from that of the low pressure mercury lamp are installed in series, the low pressure mercury lamp may be used in the pre-stage sterilizer 62A between the pure water tank 50c where sterilization is not performed and the first water tank 51.

[0147] Here, the sterilization effect of ultraviolet light is calculated based on the cumulative dose of ultraviolet light (mJ / cm 2 ) changes depending on the illuminance (mW / cm2). In other words, the greater the cumulative dose of ultraviolet light, the greater the sterilizing effect of ultraviolet light. This cumulative dose is determined by the illuminance (mW / cm2). 2 ) and the irradiation time (s). Therefore, in order to enhance the germ sterilizing effect of ultraviolet light, it is necessary to shorten the distance between the light source (the first ultraviolet lamp 67a and the second ultraviolet lamp 67b) and the water, and to extend the irradiation time of ultraviolet light. In particular, the illuminance is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the light source that irradiates ultraviolet light. For example, if the distance from the light source is doubled, the illuminance becomes 1 / 4, and if the distance from the light source is tripled, the illuminance becomes 1 / 9. Therefore, by having the water pass close to the light source, the germ sterilizing effect of ultraviolet light can be enhanced.

[0148] As described above, in this embodiment, the introduction section 68 for introducing water into the main body section 66 is formed at the bottom of the main body section 66, and the discharge section 69 for discharging sterilized water from the main body section 66 is formed at the top of the main body section 66. This makes it possible to prevent short-pass and lengthen the time that water stays inside the main body section 66. This makes it possible to lengthen the time that water is irradiated with ultraviolet rays, and to increase the cumulative amount of ultraviolet irradiation. In addition, by introducing water from the bottom of the main body section 66, even when the water is introduced into the main body section 66 in the early stages of operation of the first sterilizer 62, that is, when the water is introduced into the main body section 66 in an empty state, it is possible to ensure that the water stays inside the main body section 66 for a sufficient period of time. This makes it possible to lengthen the time that water is irradiated with ultraviolet rays.

[0149] The main body 66 has a truncated cone shape, which can shorten the distance between the water and the first and second ultraviolet lamps 67a and 67b at the top of the main body 66. This enhances the sterilization effect of the ultraviolet rays on bacteria. The ultraviolet ray irradiation unit 67 includes a first ultraviolet ray lamp 67a provided at the center of the main body 66 in the radial direction, and a plurality of second ultraviolet ray lamps 67b provided around the first ultraviolet ray lamp 67a. This allows the ultraviolet ray to be irradiated evenly onto the water moving upward while swirling in the circumferential direction. This makes it possible to suppress variations in the cumulative amount of ultraviolet ray irradiation.

[0150] Here, the cumulative dose of ultraviolet light on water is 10 mJ / cm 2 More than 10000mJ / cm 2 It is preferable that the concentration is less than 100 mJ / cm 2 More than 1000mJ / cm 2 More preferably, the integrated dose of ultraviolet light on water when passing through the main body 66 is 10 mJ / cm2 or less. 2 More than 10000mJ / cm 2 It is preferable that the concentration is less than 100 mJ / cm 2 More than 1000mJ / cm 2 In this case, the integrated dose of ultraviolet light on water is 10 mJ / cm at a wavelength of 254 nm. 2More than 10000mJ / cm 2 It is preferable that the concentration is less than 100 mJ / cm 2 More than 1000mJ / cm 2 It is more preferable that the cumulative dose of ultraviolet light is 10 mJ / cm or less. 2 As a result, the aquatic bacteria (those capable of growing in water in a nutrient-poor environment) that may pass through the second sterilization filter 65 are eliminated. Pseudomonas Genus or Methylobacterium It can effectively kill gram-negative bacteria such as gram-negative bacteria. In addition, the cumulative dose of ultraviolet light is 100 mJ / cm 2 By setting the cumulative dose of ultraviolet light at 10,000 mJ / cm2 or more, bacterial spores can also be sterilized. 2 By keeping the wavelength of ultraviolet light at or below 250 nm, it is possible to reduce electricity consumption and the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the content filling system 10. Here, the wavelength of the ultraviolet light may be 250 nm or more and 260 nm or less, and may be 253.7 nm (254 nm) as an example. By setting the wavelength of ultraviolet light at 250 nm or more and 260 nm or less, and particularly at 253.7 nm, it is possible to enhance the germ killing effect of the ultraviolet light. Here, in this specification, "aquatic bacteria" refers to bacteria that can pass through a sterilizing filter with an opening of 0.2 μm.

[0151] It is preferable that such a first sterilizer 62 is capable of sterilization (SIP). This allows the first sterilizer 62 to be sterilized periodically. When sterilizing the first sterilizer 62, the above-mentioned control unit 90 may sterilize the first sterilizer 62 with steam or hot water. Alternatively, when the first sterilizer 62 is sensitive to heat, the control unit 90 may sterilize the first sterilizer 62 by circulating a sterilizing agent containing, for example, peracetic acid in the circulation system 59A including the water sterilizer 60. In this case, the control unit 90 may circulate the germicide in the circulation system 59A for at least 10 seconds to 60 minutes.

[0152] As shown in Figs. 5A and 5B, the main body 66 of the first sterilizer 62 may have a cylindrical shape. In this case, the discharge pipe 69a may be connected to the discharge part 69 formed in the main body 66, and the discharge pipe 69a may be provided so as to extend in a tangential direction of the inner surface of the main body 66 in a plan view. In this case, the tangential direction of the inner surface is the tangential direction of the part of the tangent of the circle formed by the inner surface of the main body 66 in a horizontal cross section including the discharge part 69, where the water that has circulated while contacting the inner surface leaves the inner surface of the main body 66. When the main body 66 has a cylindrical shape, the time that the water stays inside the main body 66 can be extended. Therefore, the irradiation time of the ultraviolet light on the water can be extended, and the cumulative irradiation amount of the ultraviolet light can be increased. In this case, although not shown, the second ultraviolet lamps 67b may be provided so as to be inclined radially inward as they move upward.

[0153] Also, as shown in FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B, the shape of the main body 66 may be an elongated, generally cylindrical shape. In this case, an inlet 68 for introducing water into the inside of the main body 66 may be formed at one end of the main body 66. Also, an outlet 69 for discharging sterilized water from the main body 66 may be formed at the other end of the main body 66. In this case, the main body 66 may be arranged so that the longitudinal direction (the direction of water flow) of the main body 66 is parallel to the horizontal direction, or the main body 66 may be arranged so that the longitudinal direction (the direction of water flow) of the main body 66 is parallel to the up-down direction. In the illustrated example, the shape of the main body 66 is a so-called reducer shape in which the diameter decreases toward one end and the diameter decreases toward the other end. However, the shape is not limited to this, and the shape of the main body 66 may be a cylindrical shape having a generally uniform diameter from the inlet 68 to the outlet 69.

[0154] In this modification, the ultraviolet irradiation unit 67 may include a plurality of third ultraviolet lamps 67c arranged along the water flow direction. This allows the water to be irradiated with ultraviolet light evenly. This makes it possible to suppress variations in the cumulative amount of ultraviolet light irradiation. In the illustrated example, the ultraviolet irradiation unit 67 includes eight third ultraviolet lamps 67c.

[0155] In addition, the third ultraviolet lamps 67c adjacent to each other in the water flow direction may extend in different directions when viewed from the water flow direction. This makes it possible to more effectively suppress variations in the cumulative amount of ultraviolet irradiation. In the illustrated example, each of the third ultraviolet lamps 67c is regularly arranged. That is, when viewed from the upstream side of the water flow direction (the left side of FIG. 6B), each of the third ultraviolet lamps 67c rotates clockwise by 45° around the central axis X of the main body 66 as it moves toward the downstream side of the water flow direction (the right side of FIG. 6B). The rotation angle of each of the third ultraviolet lamps 67c may be changed as appropriate. For example, when viewed from the upstream side of the water flow direction, each of the third ultraviolet lamps 67c may rotate clockwise by 90° around the central axis X as it moves toward the downstream side of the water flow direction. Furthermore, when the ultraviolet irradiation unit 67 includes three or more third ultraviolet lamps 67c, each of the third ultraviolet lamps 67c may be rotated clockwise by 60° around the central axis X as it moves downstream in the water flow direction when viewed from the upstream side in the water flow direction. Note that each of the third ultraviolet lamps 67c may be arranged irregularly.

[0156] The third ultraviolet lamp 67c may be an ultraviolet lamp similar to the first ultraviolet lamp 67a and the second ultraviolet lamp 67b. That is, the third ultraviolet lamp 67c may be an ultraviolet lamp that irradiates ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 200 nm or more and 450 nm or less. The third ultraviolet lamp 67c may be a low-pressure mercury lamp (including a low-pressure high-output amalgam lamp), a medium-pressure mercury lamp, or a UV-LED. The third ultraviolet lamps 67c may irradiate ultraviolet light with different wavelengths and / or different outputs. That is, the third ultraviolet lamps 67c may be different ultraviolet lamps. For example, when one third ultraviolet lamp 67c is a low-pressure mercury lamp, the other third ultraviolet lamps 67c may be medium-pressure mercury lamps (or UV-LEDs). In this case, the sterilization effect in the first sterilizer 62 can be improved, and the first sterilizer 62 can sterilize a large amount of water. Although not shown, a baffle plate 66a for regulating the flow of water may be provided inside the main body 66.

[0157] In addition, in the first sterilizer 62 shown in Figs. 3 to 6B, ultraviolet light may be reflected within the main body 66 in order to increase the sterilization efficiency of the first sterilizer 62. For example, in the first sterilizer 62 shown in Figs. 6A and 6B, the main body 66 may include an outer member 660 and an inner member 661 provided inside the outer member 660, as shown in Fig. 6C. The outer member 660 may be made of a stainless steel tube that has been mirror-finished by electrolytic polishing or the like. The inner member 661 may be made of a glass tube. An air layer 662 may be interposed between the outer member 660 and the inner member 661. In this case, when glass with high ultraviolet light transmittance (e.g., quartz glass or fluoride glass) is used as the glass of the glass tube of the inner member 661, ultraviolet light UV can be reflected at the interface between the inner member 661 and the air layer 662, as shown in Fig. 6C. As the material of the inner member 661, a material having a high transmittance of ultraviolet light may be appropriately selected according to the wavelength of the ultraviolet light irradiated by the third ultraviolet lamp 67c and the like. As the material of the inner member 661, a material other than glass may be used, for example, a plastic having the same properties as glass may be used. Furthermore, the inner surface of the outer member 660 and / or the outer surface of the inner member 661 may be coated with a material having a high reflectivity. In particular, when the main body 66 is elongated as in the first sterilizer 62 shown in FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B, by coating the inner surface of the outer member 660 and the like with a material having a high reflectivity, the ultraviolet light UV can be repeatedly reflected while suppressing attenuation of the ultraviolet light UV. For this reason, water can be efficiently sterilized. It is preferable that the ultraviolet light UV is reflected one or more times inside the main body 66. In this case, it is more preferable to make the number of reflections of the ultraviolet light UV two or more times by shortening the distance between the outer member 660 and the like and the third ultraviolet lamp 67c and the like. Here, the ultraviolet light irradiated from the medium pressure mercury lamp can maintain its illuminance for a longer distance than the ultraviolet light irradiated from the low pressure mercury lamp. Therefore, when the third ultraviolet lamp 67c etc. is a medium pressure mercury lamp, even if the ultraviolet light UV is reflected multiple times inside the main body 66, the sterilization effect of the ultraviolet light UV can be effectively prevented from decreasing.

[0158] The time taken for the water to pass through the first sterilizer 62 may be 0.1 seconds or more and less than 10 seconds, and is preferably 0.5 seconds or more and less than 5 seconds. The time taken for the water to pass through the first sterilizer 62 is the time taken for the water introduced into the main body 66 from the introduction section 68 to be discharged from the discharge section 69. By making the time taken for the water to pass through the first sterilizer 62 0.1 seconds or more, it is possible to suppress variations in the sterilization effect of the water. As a result, a sufficient sterilization effect can be obtained. By making the time taken for the water to pass through the first sterilizer 62 less than 10 seconds, it is possible to reduce the size of the first sterilizer 62. The time taken for the water to pass through the first sterilizer 62 may be changed as appropriate based on the flow rate of the water to be treated (sterilized) by the first sterilizer 62.

[0159] Referring again to Figure 2A, the first sterile filter 63 is provided downstream of the first sterilizer 62. This first sterile filter 63 is a micro-filtration filter (MF) that sterilizes the water by collecting bacteria remaining in the water. The mesh size of the first sterile filter 63 may be 0.1 µm or more and 0.45 µm or less, and preferably 0.1 µm or more and 0.22 µm or less. By having the mesh size of the first sterile filter 63 be 0.1 µm or more, a decrease in the sterilization efficiency of the water can be suppressed. Also, by having the mesh size of the first sterile filter 63 be 0.45 µm or less, bacteria remaining in the water can be easily collected by the first sterile filter 63. Therefore, it can be effectively captured. A filter with an opening size of 0.02 μm or more and 0.1 μm or less, which can also remove some viruses, may be used as the first sterile filter 63. The material of the filtration membrane of the first sterile filter 63 may be polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polyethersulfone (PES), mixed cellulose (SCWP), polycarbonate (PC), polypropylene (PP), polyamide, or the like. The filtration membrane of the first sterile filter 63 may be, for example, a reverse osmosis membrane (RO (Reverse Osmosis) membrane) or an ultrafiltration membrane (UF (Ultra-Filtration) membrane) depending on the suitability of the contents.

[0160] The first sterile filter 63 is preferably capable of sterilization (SIP). This allows the first sterile filter 63 to be sterilized periodically. Here, as described above, the first sterile filter 63 passes through the first sterilizer 62 and captures bacteria remaining in the water. For this reason, if water sterilization is continued for a long period of time in the water sterilizer 60, the captured bacteria may grow in the first sterile filter 63. In addition, if the remains of organic bacteria are attached to the first sterile filter 63, the remains of the bacteria may become a substrate. In this case, the bacteria may further grow in the first sterile filter 63. In this way, if bacteria grow in the first sterile filter 63, they may enter the water passing through the first sterile filter 63. In contrast, since the first sterile filter 63 is capable of sterilization, it is possible to prevent the bacteria attached to the first sterile filter 63 from entering the water passing through the first sterile filter 63. As a result, it is possible to prevent the filtration performance of the first sterile filter 63 from decreasing. When sterilizing the first sterile filter 63, sterilizing steam or the like may be supplied to the first sterile filter 63 from a sterile air supply port 60a, which will be described later.

[0161] Here, the degree of sterilization of the first sterile filter 63 may be managed by the F value. In other words, when sterilizing the water sterilizer 60 having the first sterile filter 63, the degree of sterilization of the water sterilizer 60 may be managed by the F value. In this case, for example, the control unit 90 may measure the temperature of the heated steam (fluid) or hot water (fluid) flowing through the flow path of the first sterile filter 63 and calculate the F value based on the measured temperature. Then, when the F value becomes equal to or greater than a target value, the control unit 90 may end the sterilization of the first sterile filter 63. When measuring the temperature of the heated steam or hot water, the control unit 90 may measure the temperature with temperature sensors arranged at various locations in the flow path where the temperature is unlikely to rise, while flowing the heated steam or hot water through the flow path of the first sterile filter 63. Then, the control unit 90 may end the heating of the flow path with the heated steam or the like when the time during which the temperature from each temperature sensor reaches a predetermined temperature becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined time. This makes it possible to sterilize the first sterile filter 63 without applying more heat than necessary to the first sterile filter 63. Here, the F value is the heating time required to kill all bacteria when the bacteria are heated for a certain period of time, and is expressed as the lethal time of bacteria at 121.1°C and is calculated by the following formula.

[0162]

number

[0163] It is also preferable that the first sterile filter 63 is capable of carrying out an integrity test on the mesh size of the first sterile filter 63. Here, the integrity test may be carried out by, for example, a bubble point test. The bubble point test can be carried out as follows. For example, first, water is supplied to a housing (not shown) in the first sterile filter 63 to cover the filter (not shown) of the first sterile filter 63 with water. Next, the supply of water is stopped and the water in the first sterile filter 63 is drained. Then, sterile air is injected into the first sterile filter 63 with the filter covered with water, for example, from the sterile air supply port 60a. Next, the pressure of the sterile air is increased until the sterile air is released from the first sterile filter 63. Then, the size of the mesh size of the first sterile filter 63 is determined based on the pressure of the sterile air when the sterile air is released from the first sterile filter 63 (bubble point). In this way, it is possible to easily determine the degree of deterioration of the first sterile filter 63 by performing an integrity test on the mesh size of the first sterile filter 63. A pressure gauge P2 may be provided near the sterile air supply port 60a to measure the pressure inside the first sterile filter 63. The integrity test may be performed by a diffusion flow test, a pressure hold test, or the like, other than the above-mentioned bubble point test.

[0164] The second sterilizer 64 is provided downstream of the first sterile filter 63. The configuration of the second sterilizer 64 may be substantially the same as the configuration of the first sterilizer 62 shown in Figures 3 to 6B. That is, the second sterilizer 64 may be a sterilizer that sterilizes water by ultraviolet light.

[0165] The second sterile filter 65 is provided downstream of the second sterilizer 64. This second sterile filter 65 is a filter that sterilizes water by passing through the second sterilizer 64 and collecting bacteria remaining in the water. The mesh size of the second sterile filter 65 is preferably equal to or smaller than that of the first sterile filter 63. In this way, even if bacteria in the water pass through the first sterile filter 63, the bacteria can be collected by the second sterile filter 65. This ensures sufficient sterility of the water. In addition, if the mesh size of the second sterile filter 65 is equal to that of the first sterile filter 63, two sterilization sets each composed of a sterilizer and a sterile filter can be arranged along the water conveying direction. That is, a first sterilization set composed of the first sterilizer 62 and the first sterile filter 63 and a second sterilization set composed of the second sterilizer 64 and the second sterile filter 65 can be arranged in series along the water conveying direction. Therefore, even if some abnormality occurs in one of the sterilization sets, the sterility of the water can be guaranteed. Note that a plurality of sterilization sets may be provided in accordance with the Sterility Assurance Level (SAL) of the water or the final product (contents) (see Figs. 2A, 2B, 2D to 2E3). Also, as shown in Fig. 2F etc., the number of sterilization sets may be one, or, although not shown, the number of sterilization sets may be three or more.

[0166] The mesh size of the second sterile filter 65 may be 0.1 μm or more and 0.45 μm or less, and preferably 0.1 μm or more and 0.22 μm or less. When the mesh size of the second sterile filter 65 is 0.1 μm or more, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the sterilization efficiency of the water. Furthermore, when the mesh size of the second sterile filter 65 is 0.45 μm or less, it is possible to more effectively capture bacteria remaining in the water by the second sterile filter 65. The filtration membrane of the second sterile filter 65 may be, for example, a reverse osmosis membrane (RO (Reverse Osmosis) membrane) or an ultrafiltration membrane (UF (Ultra-Filtration) membrane).

[0167] Other configurations of the second sterile filter 65 may be substantially the same as those of the first sterile filter 63. That is, the second sterile filter 65 may be capable of being sterilized (SIP). Also, the second sterile filter 65 may be capable of carrying out an integrity test on the mesh size of the second sterile filter 65.

[0168] Here, in the water sterilizer 60, the sterilization strength of the water may be adjusted based on the target value of the bacteria count level (FSO (Food Safety Objective / ISO13409-1996) (=logN)).

[0169] In this case, for example, the initial bacteria count level in the water before it enters a filter (e.g., the first sterile filter 63) is taken as H0 (=logN0). In this case, the initial bacteria count level H0 of the filter is reduced by the sterilization effect of the filter (e.g., the first sterile filter 63) (the level of bacteria reduction in the water: ΣR1 (=log(N0 / NR1)>0). Note that "N0" refers to the initial bacteria count in the water, and "NR1" refers to the number of bacteria in the water after it has been sterilized by the filter (e.g., the first sterile filter 63).

[0170] On the other hand, it is also possible that the bacteria in the water increase at a certain rate while passing through the filter (bacteria increase level in the water: ΣI(=log(N I )≧0)). Note that "N I " means the increase in the number of bacteria while passing through the filter.

[0171] In addition, the bacteria in the water are reduced by the sterilization effect of the sterilizer (e.g., the second sterilizer 64) (the level of reduction in the number of bacteria in the water: ΣR2(=log(N I / NR2)>0)). If the bacteria count level in the water after passing through the water sterilizer 60 is equal to or lower than the target value (FSO (Food Safety Objective / ISO13409-1996) (=logN)), it can be considered that there is no problem with the sterility of the water sterilized by the water sterilization line 50. Note that "NR2" refers to the number of bacteria in the water after it has been sterilized by a sterilizer (e.g., the second sterilizer 64), and "N" refers to the target value for the number of bacteria in the water after it has been sterilized by a sterilizer (e.g., the second sterilizer 64).

[0172] The relationship between H0, ΣR1, ΣI, ΣR2 and FSO described above can be expressed as the following equation. H0-ΣR1+ΣI-ΣR2≦FSO (Formula 1) Therefore, by setting the sterilization capacity of the sterilizer (e.g., the second sterilizer 64) so ​​that the value of ΣR2 is equal to or greater than (H0-ΣR1+ΣI)-FSO, it is possible to keep the sterility of the water below the target value (FSO).

[0173] As shown in Figs. 2A to 2M, sampling points SP1 to SP6 (SP) for sampling water in a sterile manner may be provided at the inlet of the water sterilizer 60, the outlet of the water sterilizer 60, and between the foreign matter removal filter 61 and the first sterilizer 62. A sampling line SL may be connected to at least some of the sampling points SP1 to SP6 via a valve (not shown). As a result, by sampling water in a sterile manner from the sampling points SP1 to SP6 or the sampling line SL, the number of bacteria or the number of particles in the water can be easily measured, and changes in the state of the water, such as bacterial proliferation, can be easily confirmed. When measuring the number of bacteria in the water and / or confirming changes in the state, such as bacterial proliferation, the number of bacteria may be counted using, for example, a plate medium. Also, for example, the number of bacteria in the water and / or changes in the state of bacteria may be measured and / or confirmed using a microorganism measuring instrument or a particle measuring instrument (liquid particle counter). Here, the microorganism measuring instrument is an instrument that counts microorganisms by detecting the fluorescence emitted when a laser beam is applied to the particles and distinguishing whether the particles are non-living or microorganisms based on the MIE scattering theory. Examples of such microorganism measuring instruments include the biological particle measuring instrument manufactured by Rion Co., Ltd., the Microorganism Detection Analyzer 7000RMS manufactured by Mettler Toledo K.K., and the real-time microorganism detector, IMD-W (registered trademark) manufactured by Azbil Corporation. When sampling water from the sampling line SL in a sterile manner, it is preferable that the sampling line SL is sterilized in advance. In this case, the sampling line SL may be sterilized with a disinfectant such as peracetic acid or hot water. The sampling line SL sterilized with a disinfectant may be rinsed with pure water that has been sterilized by the first and second sterile filters 63 and 65.

[0174] A thermometer T may be provided in the sampling line SL, and the temperature of the steam may be monitored by the thermometer T when the first sterile filter 63 and the second sterile filter 65 are sterilized with steam.

[0175] 2B and 2C, a third bypass line 95a may be provided between the front-stage sterilizer 62A and the first sterilizer 62. This can prevent the sterilizer or cleaner from passing through the foreign matter removal filter 61 when the water sterilization line 50 is sterilized with the sterilizer or cleaner. A first drain pipe 95c may be connected to the upstream side of the foreign matter removal filter 61, and rinsing water or the like, which will be described later, may be discharged from the first drain pipe 95c. The first drain pipe 95c may be connected to the third bypass line 95a.

[0176] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2B, a fourth bypass line 95b may be provided between the first sterilizer 62 and the second sterilizer 64. This makes it possible to prevent the sterilizer or cleaner from passing through the first sterile filter 63 when the water sterilization line 50 is sterilized with the sterilizer or cleaner. Also, as shown in FIG. 2B and FIG. 2C, a second drain pipe 95d may be connected to the upstream side of the first sterile filter 63, and rinsing water or the like described later may be discharged from the second drain pipe 95d. The second drain pipe 95d may be connected to the fourth bypass line 95b.

[0177] The processing capacity of such a water sterilizer 60 is preferably 105% or more of the maximum processing capacity required for the production of the product bottles 101, and more preferably 110% or more of the maximum processing capacity required for the production of the product bottles 101. For example, the processing capacity of the water sterilizer 60 is 5 m 3 / h or more 50m 3 / h or less, for example, 24m 3 / h. In addition, when the processing capacity of the water sterilizer 60 is 105% or more of the maximum processing capacity required for the production of the product bottles 101, a predetermined amount of water can be stored in the second water tank 52 during the production of the product bottles 101. In this case, by appropriately designing the volume of the second water tank 52, the production of the product bottles 101 and the sterilization (SIP) or integrity test of the first sterile filter 63, etc. can be performed without water shortage even during the above-mentioned sterilization (SIP) or integrity test of the first sterile filter 63, etc. The time required for the sterilization (SIP) of the first sterile filter 63, etc. and the time required for the integrity test are approximately 30 minutes or more and approximately 1 hour or less, respectively. For this reason, the volume of the second water tank 52 may be set to be equal to or more than the amount of water used in the content filling system 10 when the product bottles 101 are produced for one hour.

[0178] The processing capacity of the water sterilizer 60 may be controlled by the control unit 90. For example, the control unit 90 may determine the amount of water to be used for cleaning and sterilizing the content filling system 10, and may determine the amount of water to be sterilized by the water sterilizer 60 of the water sterilization line 50 during the production of the product bottles 101 based on the determined amount of water. Here, the amount of sterile water required for cleaning and / or sterilizing the inside of each chamber after the production of the product bottles 101 can be grasped for each chamber. For this reason, the processing capacity of the water sterilizer 60 may be controlled by the control unit 90 so that the sterile water to be used after the production of the product bottles 101 can be stored during the production of one lot of the product bottles 101. As a result, the inside of each chamber can be cleaned and / or sterilized immediately after the production of the product bottles 101. This allows the downtime to be reduced.

[0179] Furthermore, the control unit 90 may discharge the water outside the water sterilization line 50 when the amount of irradiation or illuminance of ultraviolet light falls below a predetermined value. Here, the predetermined value is a reference value (threshold value) for determining whether or not the water should be discharged outside the water sterilization line 50. Such a predetermined value can be set arbitrarily depending on the volume of the main body 66 or the flow rate of the water. For example, the predetermined value may be an irradiation amount or illuminance that does not fall below the sterility assurance level of the water or the final product (contents). The predetermined value may be, for example, 10 mJ / cm, depending on the volume of the main body 66, etc. 2 More than 10000mJ / cm 2 It may be less than or equal to 100 mJ / cm. 2 The dose of ultraviolet light irradiated by the ultraviolet irradiating unit 67 may be set based on RED (Reduction Equivalent UV Dose) calculated by an actual chemical dosimeter or biological dosimeter. For details, see "ULTRAVIOLET DISINFECTION GUIDANCE MANUAL FOR THE FINAL LONG TERM 2 ENHANCED SURFACE WATER TREATMENT RULE, United States Environmental Protection Agency, EPA 815-R-06-007, November 2006."

[0180] When the control unit 90 discharges water to the outside of the water sterilization line 50, the control unit 90 may discharge water to the outside of the water sterilization line 50 via the circulation line 59. In this case, the control unit 90 may switch the valve V1 when the value of the illuminometer 66c becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value while the water sterilizer 60 is sterilizing water with ultraviolet light. Then, the control unit 90 may switch the valve V1 to supply water to the circulation line 59. This makes it possible to maintain sterility downstream of the valve V1. Note that the water supplied to the circulation line 59 may be discharged from the circulation line 59 without being supplied to the first water tank 51. Alternatively, the water supplied to the circulation line 59 may be supplied to the first water tank 51. In this case, the water may be circulated in the circulation system 59A until the value of the illuminometer 66c becomes a sufficient value. Then, after the value of the illuminometer 66c reaches a sufficient value, the water in the circulation system 59A may be supplied to the second water tank 52 by the control unit 90 switching the valve V1.

[0181] Furthermore, the control unit 90 may discharge the water to the outside of the water sterilization line 50 when the pressure difference (differential pressure) between the pressure on the upstream side and the pressure on the downstream side of the sterile filter (first sterile filter 63 or second sterile filter 65) becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value. That is, the control unit 90 may also discharge the water to the outside of the water sterilization line 50 when an abnormality is found in the pressure difference (differential pressure) between the pressure on the upstream side and the pressure on the downstream side of the first sterile filter 63 (or the second sterile filter 65). Even in this case, sterility can be maintained downstream of, for example, valve V1.

[0182] Furthermore, the control unit 90 may discharge the water to the outside of the water sterilization line 50 when at least one of the number of bacteria and the number of particles in the water sampled from the water sterilization line 50 reaches or exceeds a predetermined value. That is, the control unit 90 may also discharge the water to the outside of the water sterilization line 50 when there is an abnormality in the number of bacteria and / or the number of particles in the water sampled from the sampling line SL. Even in this case, sterility can be maintained downstream of the valve V1, for example.

[0183] In these cases, after the malfunction of the water sterilizer 60 is eliminated, the water sterilizer 60 is sterilized with a sterilizing agent such as peracetic acid, or with hot water or steam, as described below. Thereafter, the sterilization of water by the water sterilizer 60 is resumed.

[0184] The water sterilizer 60 of the water sterilization line 50 preferably continues sterilizing water without stopping the sterilization of water while the product bottles 101 are being produced by filling the bottles 100 with the contents in the content filling system 10. This can suppress the proliferation of bacteria in the first sterile filter 63 and the second sterile filter 65. In other words, when the flow of water stops in the water sterilizer 60, bacteria may grow in the first sterile filter 63 and the second sterile filter 65. In contrast, by continuing to sterilize water without stopping the pump P1 while the product bottles 101 are being produced in the content filling system 10, the proliferation of bacteria in the first sterile filter 63 and the second sterile filter 65 can be suppressed. Note that, when the second water tank 52 becomes full while the product bottles 101 are being produced in the content filling system 10, the sterilized water may be circulated in the circulation system 59A (see FIG. 2A, etc.). This prevents the water flow from stopping in the water sterilizer 60 even when the second water tank 52 is full. This prevents bacteria from multiplying in the first sterilizing filter 63 and the second sterilizing filter 65. If the circulation time of the sterilized water is long, the temperature of the sterilized water may increase due to the irradiation energy of the ultraviolet light irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiator 67. In this case, the water flowing through the circulation line 59 may be discharged from the circulation line 59 without being supplied to the first water tank 51. Then, the pure water production device 50a may supply new pure water to the first water tank 51 to prevent the temperature of the circulating water from increasing. For example, when the sterilized water is circulated in the circulation system 59A, about 3% to 30% of the water remaining inside the circulation line 59 may be discharged once an hour, and new pure water may be supplied from the pure water production device 50a to the first water tank 51. This makes it possible to constantly supply water at a constant temperature to the second water tank 52. The ratio of the water to be discharged may be appropriately changed depending on the irradiation dose or the number of the first ultraviolet lamps 67a and the like.

[0185] 2N, the water disinfection line 50 is divided into a non-sterile zone Z1, a first gray zone Z2, a second gray zone Z3, and a sterile zone Z4. The non-sterile zone Z1, the first gray zone Z2, the second gray zone Z3, and the sterile zone Z4 are provided in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side along the water transport direction.

[0186] Among these, the non-sterile zone Z1 is a zone under a non-sterile atmosphere and is a zone where bacteria may exist. In the illustrated example, the non-sterile zone Z1 is an area upstream of the pre-stage sterilizer 62A. In the non-sterile zone Z1, the first water tank 51 and the flow path downstream of the first water tank 51 are sterilized before the production of the product bottles 101. On the other hand, in the non-sterile zone Z1, after the start of production of the product bottles 101, bacteria may be brought in from the upstream side of the first water tank 51, and the first water tank 51 and the like may become contaminated by bacteria.

[0187] The first gray zone Z2 and the second gray zone Z3 are zones for isolating a non-sterile atmosphere from a sterile atmosphere. The first gray zone Z2 is a zone for sterilizing bacteria in water. The second gray zone Z3 is a zone for maintaining a state in which bacteria are not present in water during the manufacturing of the product bottle 101. In the illustrated example, the first gray zone Z2 is a region from the pre-stage sterilizer 62A to the outlet of the second sterilizer 64. The second gray zone Z3 is a region from the outlet of the second sterilizer 64 to the inlet of the first sterile filter 63. Here, the pure water production device 50a that supplies water to the water sterilization line 50 is sterilized (SIP) before sterilizing the water to the water sterilization line 50. At this time, sterilization is performed under conditions that can sterilize at least aquatic bacteria. The temperature and sterilization time of the steam or hot water used for sterilization may be at least 60°C or higher and 5 minutes or more, and are preferably 85°C and 30 minutes or more. The temperature of the steam or hot water used for sterilization and the sterilization time may be 90°C and 3 minutes, which are conditions equivalent to a sterilization value of Z value = 5°C. The sterilization conditions may also be high temperature and short time conditions of the temperature of the steam or hot water used for sterilization and the sterilization time of 95°C and 0.3 minutes. On the other hand, the sterilization value under these sterilization conditions generally cannot sterilize bacterial spores. Therefore, bacterial spores may be present in the area up to the first sterile filter 63. For this reason, the area from the pre-stage sterilizer 62A to the first sterile filter 63 is called the gray zone. After sterilization of the pure water production device 50a, the second gray zone Z3 is maintained in a positive pressure state by continuously supplying water to the second gray zone Z3. As a result, a state in which no aquatic bacteria exist in the second gray zone Z3 is maintained. The positive pressure state of the second gray zone Z3 is managed by a pressure gauge (not shown). Sterilization (SIP) of the pure water production system 50a may be performed using a chemical that inactivates water-borne bacteria instead of steam or hot water.

[0188] The sterile zone Z4 is a zone under a sterile atmosphere. That is, the sterile zone Z4 is a zone maintained in a sterile state. In the illustrated example, the sterile zone Z4 is an area downstream of the first sterile filter 63. Sterile air or sterile water is supplied to the sterile zone Z4 after all bacteria, including bacterial spores, are sterilized by sterilizing each device with steam or hot water (SIP (F0 value 3 or more, Z value = 10 ° C.)). This maintains the sterile zone Z4 in a positive pressure state and maintains the sterile zone Z4 in a sterile state. When sterilizing the sterile zone Z4 (SIP), it is preferable to sterilize at least up to the boundary with the second gray zone Z3. When sterilizing the sterile zone Z4, the piping in the second gray zone Z3 may be sterilized together with the sterile zone Z4.

[0189] Among the non-sterile zone Z1, the first gray zone Z2, the second gray zone Z3, and the sterile zone Z4, the first gray zone Z2 can irradiate water with ultraviolet light. In the first gray zone Z2, the cumulative irradiation amount of ultraviolet light by the pre-stage sterilizer 62A on water at a wavelength of 254 nm is at least 10 mJ / cm2. 2 or more, preferably 100 mJ / cm 2 In this case, the pre-stage sterilizer 62A may include a low-pressure mercury lamp. In addition, in the first gray zone Z2, the total integrated dose of ultraviolet light irradiated onto the water by the first sterilizer 62 and the second sterilizer 64 is 100 mJ / cm2 at a wavelength of 254 nm. 2 In this way, the total integrated irradiation amount of ultraviolet light to the water by the first sterilizer 62 and the second sterilizer 64 is 100 mJ / cm 2 or more. 2 As a result, water-borne bacteria can be sterilized in the first gray zone Z2. Therefore, the sterility of the water in the second gray zone Z3 can be guaranteed. In this case, the first sterilizer 62 and the second sterilizer 64 may each include a medium pressure mercury lamp.

[0190] In the first gray zone Z2, the total cumulative irradiation amount of ultraviolet light on water by the first sterilizer 62 and the second sterilizer 64 is 100 mJ / cm at a wavelength of 254 nm. 2If the concentration is less than this, the water before being supplied to the first sterile filter 63 may be circulated by the circulation line 95. This makes it possible to prevent water in which water-borne bacteria may be present from being supplied to the first sterile filter 63. This makes it possible to guarantee the sterility of the water in the sterile zone Z4. Also, in this case, the pre-stage sterilizer 62A, the foreign matter removal filter 61, the first sterilizer 62 and the second sterilizer 64 may be sterilized (SIP) before the water is supplied to the sterile zone Z4 (first sterile filter 63).

[0191] In addition, it is preferable that at least one of the first sterile filter 63 and the second sterile filter 65 pass the test results of the integrity test (first integrity test and second integrity test) before and after production described later. As a result, at least one of the first sterile filter 63 and the second sterile filter 65 can filter sterilize bacteria other than aquatic bacteria. Therefore, the sterility of the water in the sterile zone Z4 can be guaranteed. If the integrity test results before and after production of the first sterile filter 63 and the second sterile filter 65 are unsuccessful, a sterile grade filter having a mesh size of 0.1 μm or more and 0.22 μm or less may be used as the foreign matter removal filter 61. In this case, it is preferable that the integrity test results before and after production of the foreign matter removal filter 61 pass. As a result, the foreign matter removal filter 61 can filter sterilize bacteria other than aquatic bacteria, and the sterility of the water in the sterile zone Z4 can be guaranteed.

[0192] Thus, in water sterilizer 60 of water sterilization line 50 according to this embodiment, the sterility of the water is guaranteed by ensuring that the amount of ultraviolet light irradiation is above a specified value or within a specified range during production, and by passing the integrity test results before and after the start of production.

[0193] Next, a description will be given of the concentrate sterilization line 70. The concentrate sterilization line 70 is a sterilization line for heat sterilizing the concentrate product.

[0194] 7, the concentrate sterilization line 70 has a first concentrate tank 71, a product concentrate sterilizer 80, and a second concentrate tank 72. The first concentrate tank 71, the product concentrate sterilizer 80, and the second concentrate tank 72 are arranged in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side along the conveyance direction of the product concentrate. Note that a circulation line (third circulation line) 89 may be connected to the concentrate sterilization line 70 between a third stage cooling section 86 (described later) and the second concentrate tank 72. The product concentrate that has passed through the third-stage cooling section 86 may be configured to be returned to the first concentrate tank 71 via a circulation line 89.

[0195] The first concentrate tank 71 is a tank for storing the concentrate product supplied from a supply source (not shown). The first concentrate tank 71 serves to smooth the flow of the concentrate product by storing the concentrate product. The capacity of the first concentrate tank 71 is 0.3 m 3 More than 3m 3 It may be less than 1m, for example. 3 It may be.

[0196] A pump P3 for transporting the product stock may be provided downstream of the first stock solution tank 71. In addition, the above-mentioned product stock solution sterilizer 80 is provided downstream of the pump P3.

[0197] The product stock solution sterilizer 80 is a sterilizer that heats and sterilizes the product stock solution stored in the first stock solution tank 71. In this embodiment, the product stock solution sterilizer 80 may be a sterilizer (Ultra High-temperature, hereinafter simply referred to as UHT) that sterilizes the product stock solution by an ultra-high temperature heat treatment method. This UHT 80 has a first stage heating section 81, a second stage heating section 82, a holding tube 83, a first stage cooling section 84, a second stage cooling section 85, and a third stage cooling section 86. The product stock solution supplied to the UHT 80 is gradually heated by the first stage heating section 81 and the second stage heating section 82, and is heated to a target temperature in the holding tube 83. In this case, for example, the product stock solution may be heated to 60°C or more and 80°C or less by the first stage heating section 81, and 80°C or more and 150°C or less by the second stage heating section 82. In addition, the temperature of the product stock solution is maintained for a certain period of time in the holding tube 83. The product stock solution that has passed through the holding tube 83 is gradually cooled by the first-stage cooling section 84, the second-stage cooling section 85, and the third-stage cooling section 86. The number of heating sections and cooling sections may be increased or decreased as necessary. In addition, the pressure loss of the product stock solution may be high between the first-stage heating section 81 and the second-stage heating section 82. For this reason, an additional pump (not shown) may be provided between the first-stage heating section 81 and the second-stage heating section 82. In addition, a homogenizer for homogenizing the product stock solution may be provided between the first-stage heating section 81 and the second-stage heating section 82, or between the first-stage cooling section 84 and the second-stage cooling section 85, etc.

[0198] The processing capacity of such a UHT80 is 3m 3 / h or more 30m 3 / h or less, for example, 6m 3 / h may also be used.

[0199] Furthermore, the temperature of the hottest location (e.g., the second stage heating section 82) of the UHT 80 may be monitored to monitor scale (deposits of calcium and the like) adhering to the UHT 80. Then, when cleaning (CIP) the UHT 80, the state of scale removal may be monitored. This makes it possible to optimize the cleaning process for cleaning the UHT 80. This makes it possible to shorten the cleaning time and reduce the amounts of water, steam, and cleaning agent used for cleaning. As a result, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the content filling system 10 can be reduced.

[0200] The UHT80 may be of the injection type or the infusion type. The heat exchanger used for heat exchange in the content filling system 10, such as the heat exchanger of the UHT80, may be of the plate type, shell and tube type, or scraped surface type.

[0201] The second stock solution tank 72 is a tank (so-called aseptic tank) that stores the stock solution sterilized by the stock solution sterilizer 80. The second stock solution tank 72 serves to smooth the flow of the stock solution by storing the sterilized stock solution. The volume of the second stock solution tank 72 is 1 m 3 More than 20m 3 It may be less than 2m. For example, 3 It may be.

[0202] Further, an auxiliary filter 73 for filtering the sterilized product concentrate and a third concentrate tank 74 for storing the product concentrate that has passed through the auxiliary filter 73 may be provided downstream of the second concentrate tank 72. In this case, the third concentrate tank 74 may be a so-called filling machine tank, and may be installed vertically above the concentrate filling device 22 in order to improve the filling accuracy of the concentrate filling device 22. The third concentrate tank 74 may also serve as a so-called cushion tank that ensures a smooth flow of the product concentrate even when the amount of product concentrate used downstream of the third concentrate tank 74 changes. The volume of the third concentrate tank 74 is 0.1 m 3 More than 1m 3It may be less than 0.3m, for example. 3 The auxiliary filter 73 may be provided inside or at the tip of all concentrate filling nozzles of the concentrate filling device 22 (for example, see FIG. 16C described later).

[0203] Furthermore, an addition unit 75 that adds solids to the product concentrate may be connected downstream of the second concentrate tank 72. This allows the content filling system 10 to fill the bottle 100 with content containing solids. In this case, the solids added by the addition unit 75 to the product concentrate may be, for example, sansho, nata de coco, tapioca, aloe, etc. Also, the solids may be sterile solids that have been sterilized in advance.

[0204] (Content filling method) Next, a content filling method using the above-mentioned content filling system 10 (FIG. 1) will be described with reference to FIG.

[0205] First, a plurality of preforms 100a are sequentially supplied to the receiving section 34 of the preform transport section 31 by the preform supplying device 1 via the preform supplying conveyor 2 (preform supplying step, reference symbol S1 in FIG. 8). At this time, the preforms 100a are sterilized in the preform sterilizing device 34a by spraying hydrogen peroxide gas or mist onto the preforms 100a, and then dried with hot air.

[0206] Next, the preform 100a is sent to the heating section 35, and is heated by the heater 35a, for example, to about 90° C. to 130° C. Next, the preform 100a heated by the heating section 35 is sent to the delivery section 36. Then, the preform 100a is sent from the delivery section 36 to the blow molding section 32.

[0207] Next, the preform 100a sent to the blow molding section 32 is blow molded using a metal mold (not shown) to form a bottle 100 (bottle molding step, reference symbol S2 in FIG. 8). The blow-molded bottle 100 is then sent to the bottle conveying section 33.

[0208] Next, in the sterilization device 11, the bottle 100 is sterilized using a hydrogen peroxide aqueous solution as a sterilizing agent (container sterilization step, reference symbol S3 in FIG. 8). At this time, the sterilizing agent may be a gas or mist obtained by vaporizing a hydrogen peroxide aqueous solution at or above its boiling point. The hydrogen peroxide aqueous solution gas or mist adheres to the inner and outer surfaces of the bottle 100, sterilizing the inner and outer surfaces of the bottle 100.

[0209] Next, the bottle 100 is sent to the air rinse device 14. In the air rinse device 14, sterile heated air or room temperature air is supplied to the bottle 100 to activate the hydrogen peroxide and remove foreign matter, hydrogen peroxide, and the like from the bottle 100 (air rinse process, reference symbol S4 in FIG. 8). In the air rinse process, if necessary, the sterile heated air or the sterilized air at room temperature may be mixed with a condensed mist of low-concentration hydrogen peroxide. In this case, the hydrogen peroxide is gasified by the sterile air. Then, in the air rinse process, the gasified hydrogen peroxide may be supplied to the bottle 100.

[0210] Next, bottle 100 is transported to filling device 20. At this time, first, water is filled into bottle 100 in water filling device 21 of filling device 20 (water filling step, reference symbol S5 in FIG. 8). In this water filling device 21, water is filled into bottle 100 from its mouth while bottle 100 is rotated (revolved). Before water is filled into bottle 100 by water filling device 21, the water is sterilized in water sterilization line 50 in advance.

[0211] In the water filling device 21, the sterilized bottles 100 are filled with sterilized water at room temperature. The temperature of the water during filling is, for example, about 3° C. or higher and 40° C. or lower. The filling speed at which the water filling device 21 fills the bottles 100 with water may be faster than the filling speed at which the concentrate filling device 22 fills the bottles 100 with the product concentrate. In the water filling device 21, the filling speed of the water may be 100 mL / sec or higher and 500 mL / sec or lower.

[0212] Next, in the concentrate filling device 22 of the filling device 20, the product concentrate is filled into the bottle 100 filled with water (product concentrate filling step, reference symbol S6 in FIG. 8). In this concentrate filling device 22, the bottle 100 is rotated (revolved) while the product concentrate is filled into the bottle 100 from its mouth. The product concentrate is heat sterilized in the concentrate sterilization line 70 before being filled into the bottle 100 by the concentrate filling device 22. The heating temperature for heating the product concentrate may generally be about 60° C. or higher and 120° C. or lower when the acidity of the contents is less than pH 4.5, and the heating time may be about 30 seconds or higher and 120 seconds or lower. In addition, when the acidity of the contents is pH 4.5 or higher, the heating temperature for heating the product concentrate may be about 115° C. or higher and 150° C. or lower. In addition, the heating time may be about 30 seconds or higher and 120 seconds or lower. This sterilizes all of the microorganisms in the undiluted product liquid before filling that may grow inside the product bottle 101. The undiluted product liquid that has been heat sterilized is cooled to a temperature of about 3°C ​​or higher and 40°C or lower.

[0213] In the concentrate filling device 22, the product concentrate that has been sterilized and cooled to room temperature is filled at room temperature into the bottles 100 filled with water. The temperature of the product concentrate during filling is, for example, about 3° C. or higher and 40° C. or lower. In the concentrate filling device 22, the filling speed of the product concentrate may be 30 mL / sec or higher and 200 mL / sec or lower.

[0214] The filled bottles 100 are then transported by the transport wheel 12 to a capping device 16 .

[0215] Meanwhile, the cap 88 is sterilized in advance by the cap sterilizer 18 (cap sterilization step, reference symbol S7 in FIG. 8). During this process, the cap 88 is first carried into the cap sterilizer 18 from outside the content filling system 10. Next, in the cap sterilizer 18, hydrogen peroxide gas or mist is sprayed onto the cap 88 to sterilize its inner and outer surfaces. After that, the cap 88 is dried with hot air and sent to the cap mounting device 16.

[0216] Next, in the capping device 16, a sterilized cap 88 is attached to the mouth of the bottle 100 transported from the filling device 20, thereby closing the bottle 100 and obtaining a product bottle 101 (capping process, symbol S8 in Figure 8).

[0217] Thereafter, the product bottle 101 is transported from the capping device 16 to the product bottle discharge section 25 and discharged to the outside of the content filling system 10 (bottle discharge process, reference symbol S9 in FIG. 8). Then, the product bottle 101 is transported to a packaging line (not shown) and packaged.

[0218] The container sterilization process, air rinse process, water filling process, product concentrate filling process, capping process, and bottle discharging process are performed in a sterile atmosphere surrounded by the sterilant spray chamber 70d, air rinse chamber 70e, first sterile chamber 70f, intermediate area chamber 70g, second sterile chamber 70h, and outlet chamber 70i, i.e., in a sterile environment. The cap sterilization process is performed by cap sterilizer 18. In this case, sterilant spray chamber 70d, air rinse chamber 70e, first sterile chamber 70f, intermediate area chamber 70g, second sterile chamber 70h, outlet chamber 70i, and cap sterilizer 18 have been sterilized in advance by spraying hydrogen peroxide or peracetic acid, emitting hot water, or the like.

[0219] After the sterilization process of each chamber, positive pressure sterile air is supplied to the sterilant spray chamber 70d, the air rinse chamber 70e, the first sterile chamber 70f, the intermediate area chamber 70g, the second sterile chamber 70h and the exit chamber 70i so that the sterile air is constantly blown out of the sterilant spray chamber 70d, the air rinse chamber 70e, the first sterile chamber 70f, the intermediate area chamber 70g, the second sterile chamber 70h and the exit chamber 70i. In addition, positive pressure sterile air is constantly supplied to the cap sterilizer 18 so that the sterile air is constantly blown out of the cap sterilizer 18.

[0220] In this way, when the sterile air at positive pressure is supplied to each of the chambers 70d to 70i, the sterile air in each chamber and the sterilant used in the bottle sterilization are exhausted in the atmosphere blocking chamber 70c, the sterilant spray chamber 70d, and the exit chamber 70i. At that time, the pressure in each chamber may be adjusted so that the pressure in the sterilant spray chamber 70d, the air rinse chamber 70e, the first sterilant chamber 70f, the intermediate area chamber 70g, the second sterilant chamber 70h, and the exit chamber 70i becomes a positive pressure. In this case, as described above, the pressure in the sterilant spray chamber 70d may be -10 Pa or more and 10 Pa or less. The pressure in the air rinse chamber 70e may be 10 Pa or more and 30 Pa or less. The pressure in the first sterilant chamber 70f may be 30 Pa or more and 60 Pa or less. The pressure in the intermediate area chamber 70g may be 20 Pa or more and 50 Pa or less. The pressure in the second sterilant chamber 70h may be 10 Pa or more and 40 Pa or less. The pressure in the outlet chamber 70i may be 10 Pa or more and 20 Pa or less.

[0221] The production (conveyance) speed of the bottles 100 in the content filling system 10 is preferably 100 bpm or more and 1500 bpm or less. Here, bpm (bottle per minute) refers to the conveyance speed of the bottles 100 per minute.

[0222] (Sterilization method for content filling system) Next, a sterilization method for the above-mentioned content filling system 10 (FIG. 1) will be described. First, the sterilization method for the first sterile chamber 70f, the intermediate area chamber 70g, and the second sterile chamber 70h (hereinafter simply referred to as the chamber sterilization method) will be described with reference to FIG.

[0223] Chamber sterilization method First, after the beverage filling in the content filling system 10 is completed, for example, an operation button of the control unit 90 is operated. As a result, a CIP cup (not shown) is placed over the water filling nozzle of the water filling device 21. In this manner, a sterile state in the water filling device 21 is maintained by placing the CIP cup (not shown) over the water filling nozzle of the water filling device 21. That is, the water filling device 21 is physically protected so that bacteria do not enter the water filling device 21 from the tip of the water filling nozzle. In addition, by operating the operation button of the control unit 90, the gaps formed in the partition walls separating the sterilant spray chamber 70d, the air rinse chamber 70e, the first sterile chamber 70f, the intermediate area chamber 70g, and the second sterile chamber 70h are closed by shutters (not shown).

[0224] Next, the pressure in the first sterile chamber 70f is increased. At this time, the pressure in the first sterile chamber 70f is increased by supplying sterile air from a sterile air supply device (not shown) into the first sterile chamber 70f. Also, at this time, the amount of air supplied and / or exhausted in each chamber is adjusted so that the pressure in the first sterile chamber 70f becomes a predetermined pressure. At this time, the pressure in the first sterile chamber 70f, which was, for example, 30 Pa, is increased to, for example, 40 Pa. This prevents the air in the sterilant spray chamber 70d and the air in the intermediate area chamber 70g from flowing into the first sterile chamber 70f.

[0225] In this case, as mentioned above, the pressure in the sterilant spray chamber 70d may be 0 Pa or more and 20 Pa or less. The pressure in the air rinse chamber 70e may be 10 Pa or more and 40 Pa or less. The pressure in the first sterile chamber 70f may be 40 Pa or more and 100 Pa or less. The pressure in the intermediate area chamber 70g may be 10 Pa or more and 40 Pa or less. The pressure in the second sterile chamber 70h may be 0 Pa or more and 20 Pa or less. The pressure in the exit chamber 70i may be 0 Pa or more and 20 Pa or less.

[0226] Next, sterile water is supplied into the intermediate area chamber 70g and the second sterile chamber 70h (rinsing step, reference symbol S11 in FIG. 9). As a result, the contents adhering to the intermediate area chamber 70g and the second sterile chamber 70h are washed away by the sterile water. At this time, the sterile water may be water sterilized by the water sterilizer 60. Note that the contents may have flowed from the second sterile chamber 70h into the first sterile chamber 70f via the intermediate area chamber 70g. For this reason, the contents adhering to the first sterile chamber 70f may be washed away by supplying sterile water into the first sterile chamber 70f. Also, any caps 88 or bottles 100 that have fallen into the second sterile chamber 70h are collected. The type of the conveying wheel 12 provided downstream of the capping device 16 may be changed depending on the shape of the next bottle 100 to be used. Furthermore, the chuck (not shown) of the capper head may be replaced in the capping device 16 depending on the size of the next cap 88 to be used.

[0227] Next, while the inside of the first sterile chamber 70f is maintained in a sterile state, the inside of the second sterile chamber 70h is washed. At this time, the inside of the intermediate area chamber 70g and the inside of the second sterile chamber 70h are first washed (COP) (COP step, reference symbol S12 in FIG. 9). At this time, a cleaning agent such as an alkaline agent, water, etc. are sprayed into the intermediate area chamber 70g and the second sterile chamber 70h from spray nozzles (not shown) arranged in the intermediate area chamber 70g and the second sterile chamber 70h. As a result, the inner wall surfaces of the intermediate area chamber 70g, etc. and the surfaces of the equipment such as the filling device 20 are purified. At this time, the water may be sterile water sterilized by the water sterilizer 60.

[0228] Here, when cleaning (COP) the inside of the second sterile chamber 70h, it is preferable that at least the second bypass line 56 of the first bypass line 55 and the second bypass line 56 is cleaned (CIP) and sterilized (SIP). When cleaning (CIP) or sterilizing (SIP) the second bypass line 56, for example, a cleaning agent or a sterilizing agent may be supplied to the second bypass line 56 from a connection point CP1 (see FIG. 1 and FIG. 2A, etc.) that connects the second bypass line 56 to the water sterilization line 50. The cleaning agent and the sterilizing agent may be, for example, peracetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, an alkaline agent, an acidic agent, sodium hypochlorite, etc. Thereafter, the second bypass line 56 may be rinsed with the sterile water by supplying the sterile water to the second bypass line 56 from the second water tank 52 in which the sterile water is stored in advance. In addition, when cleaning (CIP) or sterilizing (SIP) the first bypass line 55, a cleaning agent or sterilizing agent may be supplied to the first bypass line 55, for example, from a connection point CP2 (see Figures 1 and 2A, etc.) that connects the first bypass line 55 to the water sterilization line 50.

[0229] Next, while the inside of the first sterile chamber 70f is maintained in a sterile state, the concentrate filling device 22 is cleaned (CIP) (CIP step, reference symbol S13 in FIG. 9). At this time, first, a CIP cup (not shown) is placed over the concentrate filling nozzle of the concentrate filling device 22. Next, the flow path of the contents in the concentrate filling device 22 is rinsed with water, and a cleaning agent, for example, water to which an alkaline agent such as caustic soda or an acidic agent such as nitric acid has been added, is supplied to the flow path. This removes residues of the previous beverage adhering to the flow path of the contents in the concentrate filling device 22. At this time, the water may be sterile water sterilized by the water sterilizer 60.

[0230] Next, while the inside of the first sterile chamber 70f is maintained in a sterile state, the inside of the second sterile chamber 70h is sterilized. At this time, the concentrate filling device 22 is first sterilized (SIP) (SIP process, reference numeral S14 in FIG. 9). At this time, heated steam or hot water is supplied to the flow path of the contents in the concentrate filling device 22. As a result, the flow path of the contents in the concentrate filling device 22 is sterilized. At this time, the water may be sterile water sterilized by the water sterilizer 60.

[0231] Next, the intermediate area chamber 70g and the second sterile chamber 70h are sterilized (SOP) (SOP step, reference symbol S15 in FIG. 9). At this time, a sterilizing agent such as peracetic acid or hydrogen peroxide solution is sprayed into the intermediate area chamber 70g and the second sterile chamber 70h from a spray nozzle (not shown) disposed in the intermediate area chamber 70g and the second sterile chamber 70h. Then, sterile water is sprayed into the intermediate area chamber 70g and the second sterile chamber 70h from the spray nozzle (not shown). As a result, the inner wall surface of the intermediate area chamber 70g and the like and the surface of the equipment such as the filling device 20 are sterilized. At this time, the sterile water may be sterile water sterilized by the water sterilizer 60. As a result, the amount of carbon dioxide discharged by the content filling system 10 can be reduced. Furthermore, before, after, or at the same time as sterilizing the inside of the second sterile chamber 70h with a germicide, at least the inside of the first sterile chamber 70f, the inside of the air rinse chamber 70e, and the inside of the germicide spray chamber 70d may also be cleaned with a peracetic acid cleaning agent and rinsed with germfree water sterilized by the water sterilizer 60. This makes it possible to maintain stable sterility for a long period of time and to increase the sterility level.

[0232] Also, while the second sterile chamber 70h is being sterilized, the corners of the first sterile chamber 70f may be sterilized again by, for example, injecting a sterilizing agent such as hydrogen peroxide into the first sterile chamber 70f and then drying the first sterile chamber 70f with hot air.

[0233] In this manner, the content filling system 10 is sterilized.

[0234] Next, the CIP cup (not shown) covering the water filling nozzle of the water filling device 21 is removed. Then, the water held in a sterile state in the water filling nozzle of the water filling device 21 is discharged into the first sterile chamber 70f. This makes it possible to prevent the sterilant from being filled into the bottle 100 in the unlikely event that a sterilant or the like gets mixed into the water filling nozzle from outside the CIP cup. Also, as described above, when the first sterile chamber 70f is re-sterilized, even if the sterilant is not completely removed from the CIP cup covering the water filling nozzle and the sterilant is attached to the CIP cup, it is possible to prevent the sterilant or the like from being filled into the bottle 100. The amount of water discharged into the first sterile chamber 70f is preferably equal to or more than the amount of one bottle 100 to be used in the next production. After that, the gap closed by the shutter is opened, and the filling of the next content begins.

[0235] Next, the sterilization method of the water sterilizer 60 will be described with reference to Figs. 10A to 10E.

[0236] Sterilization method of water sterilizer First, after filling of the beverage in the content filling system 10 is completed, for example, an operation button of the control unit 90 is operated. This starts sterilization (SIP) by the water sterilizer 60. Sterilization by the water sterilizer 60 may be performed during production of the product bottles 101. In this case, even if the sterilization of water by the water sterilizer 60 is stopped, the product bottles 101 can be produced by using the sterile water stored in the second water tank 52.

[0237] When sterilizing with the water sterilizer 60, first, filling (production) of the contents by the contents filling system 10 ends ("End of production" in FIG. 10A).

[0238] Thereafter, a post-production integrity test (first integrity test) is performed on at least one of the sterile filters (first sterile filter 63 and second sterile filter 65) of the water sterilizer 60 (reference symbol S20A in FIG. 10A). That is, a post-production integrity test is performed on at least one of the first sterile filter 63 and second sterile filter 65 of the water sterilizer 60. If the foreign matter removal filter 61 is also a sterile filter, an integrity test is performed on at least one of the three filters. The sterility of the water is guaranteed when the integrity test results before and after the start of production are pass (no leaks are observed) and the amount of ultraviolet light irradiation during production is equal to or greater than a specified value or within a specified range.

[0239] Next, the sterilizer (first sterilizer 62 and / or second sterilizer 64 (hereinafter, also simply referred to as first sterilizer 62, etc.)) is washed and / or sterilized (sterilizer washing and sterilization process, reference symbol S20 in FIG. 10A). At this time, first, the first sterilizer 62, etc. are washed (CIP treatment). The CIP treatment is performed by flowing an acidic cleaning solution, in which a nitric acid-based or phosphoric acid-based acidic agent is added to water, into the flow path after flowing an alkaline cleaning solution into the flow path, or before flowing the alkaline cleaning solution into the flow path. The alkaline cleaning solution is a cleaning solution in which an alkaline agent, in which caustic soda (sodium hydroxide), potassium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, sodium silicate, sodium phosphate, sodium hypochlorite, a surfactant, a chelating agent, etc., is added to water. The alkaline cleaning process using the alkaline cleaning solution and the acid cleaning process using the acid cleaning solution may be freely combined and performed. As a result, residues and the like attached to the flow path through which the water passes are removed. Also, CIP treatment using only warm or hot water without adding a cleaning agent may be used. Note that no contents will adhere to the water sterilization line 50. In addition, in the first sterilizer 62 etc. of the water sterilization line 50, ultraviolet rays are irradiated by the first ultraviolet lamp 67a etc. when the product bottles 101 are produced. This reduces the possibility that the water sterilization line 50 will be contaminated by bacteria. For this reason, the CIP treatment of the water sterilization line 50 may be omitted.

[0240] Next, the first sterilizer 62 and the like are sterilized (SIP process). In the SIP step, first, steam or hot water is supplied to the water sterilizer 60 (hot water supply step, reference symbol S201a in FIG. 10B1). In this case, for example, steam or hot water is supplied to the circulation system 59A including the water sterilizer 60. As a result, the first ultraviolet lamp 67a, the second ultraviolet lamp 67b, and the third ultraviolet lamp 67c (hereinafter also simply referred to as the first ultraviolet lamp 67a, etc.) of the first sterilizer 62 and the like are each heat-sterilized with steam or hot water. In addition, every corner of the inside of the piping of the first sterilizer 62 and the inside of the piping of the second sterilizer 64 are each heat-sterilized with steam or hot water. When the first sterilizer 62 and the second sterilizer 64 are sterilized, the foreign matter removal filter 61, the first sterile filter 63, and the second sterile filter 65 may be sterilized at the same time. In addition, by adjusting the temperature, concentration and / or time of the cleaning agent used in the CIP process, bacteria can be inactivated (SIP process) at the same time, and subsequent SIP process need not be performed (CSIP process). After the CIP process and SIP process or CSIP process are completed, the cleaning agent is discharged from the circulation system 59A. Then, the process proceeds to a rinsing process to completely remove the cleaning agent. The rinsing process is performed by supplying pure water from the pure water tank 50a. In the rinsing process, it is advisable to turn on the first ultraviolet lamp 67a, etc., to confirm that the ultraviolet irradiation amount or illuminance is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

[0241] In addition, when the first sterilizer 62 and the like are sensitive to heat, the first sterilizer 62 and the like may be sterilized with a sterilizing agent (chemical agent) or a cleaning agent (chemical agent). In this case, the sterilizing agent is first supplied to the water sterilizer 60 (sterilizing agent supply step, reference symbol S201b in FIG. 10B2). In this case, for example, the sterilizing agent is supplied to the circulation system 59A including the water sterilizer 60. The sterilizing agent or cleaning agent may be supplied from the sterilizing agent supply unit 96 (see FIG. 2B and FIG. 2C) to the pre-stage sterilizer 62A, the first sterilizer 62, the second sterilizer 64, and the like provided in the water sterilization line 50. In this case, it is preferable that the sterilizing agent or cleaning agent does not pass through the foreign matter removal filter 61 and the first sterilizing filter 63. In other words, it is preferable that the sterilizing agent or cleaning agent is circulated in the circulation system 95A. Specifically, for example, as shown by the bold lines in Figures 2B and 2C, the disinfectant or cleaner preferably passes through a third bypass line 95a provided between the front-stage sterilizer 62A and the first sterilizer 62. Also, as shown by the bold line in Figure 2B, the disinfectant or cleaner preferably passes through a fourth bypass line 95b provided between the first sterilizer 62 and the second sterilizer 64. This makes it possible to prevent the disinfectant or cleaner from passing through the foreign matter removal filter 61 and the first sterilization filter 63 when the water disinfection line 50 is disinfected with the disinfectant or cleaner. The disinfectant or cleaner may be supplied from sampling points SP2 to SP4.

[0242] The sterilizing agent may contain peracetic acid. When the sterilizing agent contains peracetic acid, the concentration of the sterilizing agent may be 1000 ppm or more and 3000 ppm or less. When the concentration of the sterilizing agent is 1000 ppm or more, the sterilizing effect of the sterilizing agent on the first sterilizer 62 and the like can be enhanced. When the concentration of the sterilizing agent is 3000 ppm or less, the amount of peracetic acid used can be reduced, and the cost of sterilizing the water sterilizer 60 can be reduced.

[0243] The temperature of the hot water, sterilant or cleaning agent supplied to the circulation system 59A may be 50° C. or higher and 150° C. or lower. By setting the temperature of the hot water, sterilant or cleaning agent to 50° C. or higher, the sterilization effect and cleaning effect of the first sterilizer 62, etc. by the sterilant can be improved. Furthermore, by setting the temperature of the hot water, sterilant or cleaning agent to 150° C. or lower, the first sterilizer 62, etc. can be manufactured at low cost without using special heat-resistant materials.

[0244] Next, hot water, a disinfectant, or a cleaning agent is circulated in the circulation system 95A including the disinfectors (the first disinfector 62 and / or the second disinfector 64) (hot water circulation step, reference symbol S202a in FIG. 10B1; disinfectant circulation step, reference symbol S202b in FIG. 10B2). For example, hot water, a disinfectant, or a cleaning agent is circulated in the circulation system 95A including the front-stage disinfector 62A, the first disinfector 62, and the second disinfector 64 provided in the water disinfection line 50. In this case, the front-stage disinfector 62A, the first disinfector 62, and the second disinfector 64 may be disinfected by circulating the disinfectant, etc. for at least 10 seconds to 60 minutes in the circulation system 95A including the front-stage disinfector 62A, the first disinfector 62, and the second disinfector 64. By setting the circulation time to 10 seconds or more, the disinfection effect of the first disinfector 62, etc. by the disinfectant, etc. can be improved. In addition, since the circulation time is 60 minutes or less, the sterilization time of the first sterilizer 62, etc. can be shortened. Therefore, downtime can be shortened. In the sterilizing agent circulation step, hot water, sterilizing agent, or cleaning agent may be circulated in the circulation system 59A, not in the circulation system 95A.

[0245] The circulation of hot water, sterilizing agent, or cleaning agent may be performed with the first ultraviolet lamp 67a, etc., turned on. If the first ultraviolet lamp 67a, etc. is not heat resistant, it is preferable to cool the first ultraviolet lamp 67a, etc. to a temperature at which the first ultraviolet lamp 67a, etc. can be turned on while circulating the hot water, sterilizing agent, or cleaning agent. At this time, it is preferable that heat exchange is performed between the first ultraviolet lamp 67a, etc., and the sterilizing agent or cleaning agent by the heat exchanger 97 provided in the circulation system 95A.

[0246] Thereafter, the disinfectant, etc. are discharged from one of the sampling points SP2 to SP5 (hot water discharge step, S203a in FIG. 10B1; disinfectant discharge step, S203b in FIG. 10B2), and then the circulation system 95A is cooled or rinsed (cooling step, S204a in FIG. 10B1; rinsing step, S204b in FIG. 10B2). That is, when hot water is supplied to the circulation system 59A including the water sterilizer 60 (hot water supply step described above, S201a in FIG. 10B1), the circulation system 59A is cooled (cooling step, S204a in FIG. 10B1). On the other hand, when the disinfectant, etc. is supplied to the circulation system 59A including the water sterilizer 60 (disinfectant supply step described above, S201b in FIG. 10B2), the circulation system 95A is rinsed (rinsing step, S204b in FIG. 10B2). When discharging the disinfectant, etc., in order to prevent bacterial contamination in the sterilized piping, the disinfectant may be discharged in a short time while supplying sterile air into the piping. Note that the process may proceed to the rinsing process without performing the disinfectant discharge process.

[0247] In the rinsing step, first, the front-stage sterilizer 62A is sufficiently rinsed with rinsing water so that the sterilizing agent does not adhere to the foreign matter removal filter 61. At this time, the rinsing water may be discharged from the first drain pipe 95c provided upstream of the foreign matter removal filter 61. At this time, it is preferable to discharge water from the first drain pipe 95c while maintaining a positive pressure in the pipe that supplies water to the foreign matter removal filter 61. In this case, it is preferable to confirm that the pressure in the first drain pipe 95c is positive while the water is being discharged from the first drain pipe 95c. Then, the rinsing water is passed through the foreign matter removal filter 61.

[0248] Next, the sterilizing agent remaining in the first sterilizer 62 is sufficiently rinsed with rinsing water. At this time, the rinsing water may be discharged from the second drain pipe 95d provided on the upstream side of the first sterile filter 63. In this case, it is preferable to discharge water from the second drain pipe 95d while maintaining a positive pressure in the pipe supplying water to the first sterile filter 63. In this case, it is preferable to confirm that the pressure in the second drain pipe 95d is positive while discharging water from the second drain pipe 95d. Then, the rinsing water is passed through the first sterile filter 63. Thereafter, the same operation is performed in order toward the downstream side. Before discharging water from the first drain pipe 95c or the second drain pipe 95d, the first drain pipe 95c, etc. may be sterilized in advance with steam or hot water.

[0249] Next, the sterile filters (first sterile filter 63 and second sterile filter 65 (hereinafter also simply referred to as first sterile filter 63 etc.)) are sterilized (filter cleaning and sterilization step, reference symbol S21 in FIG. 10A). At this time, first, heated steam (fluid) or hot water (fluid) is supplied to the flow paths of the first sterile filter 63 etc. (fluid supply step, reference symbol S211 in FIG. 10A). At this time, for example, steam for sterilization is supplied to the first sterile filter 63 etc. from the sterile air supply port 60a.

[0250] Next, the temperature of the heated steam or hot water supplied to the flow path of the first sterile filter 63 etc. is measured, and the F value is calculated based on the measured temperature (F value calculation step, reference numeral S212 in FIG. 10A).

[0251] Thereafter, when the F value becomes equal to or greater than the target value, the sterilization of the first sterile filter 63 and the like is terminated. In this way, the first sterile filter 63 and the like are sterilized. In this way, by performing heat sterilization of the first sterile filter 63 and the like using the F value, the first sterile filter 63 and the like can be sterilized without applying more heat than necessary to the first sterile filter 63 and the like. Therefore, the amount of carbon dioxide discharged from the content filling system 10 can be reduced. In addition, since the first sterile filter 63 and the like can be sterilized without applying more heat than necessary to the first sterile filter 63 and the like, damage to the membrane of the first sterile filter 63 and the like can be suppressed. Therefore, the life of the first sterile filter 63 and the like can be extended, and the first sterile filter 63 and the like can be used for a long period of time without replacement. The first sterile filter 63 and the like may be sterilized, for example, at 121°C or higher for 20 minutes (timer method) without calculating the F value.

[0252] When sterilizing the first sterile filter 63 etc., the area to be sterilized by steam may be partitioned by opening and closing valves (not shown) provided at the sampling points SP1 to SP6. For example, the steam for sterilizing the first sterile filter 63 may be supplied to the area between sampling points SP3 and SP4 to sterilize this area. The steam for sterilizing the second sterile filter 65 may be supplied to the area between sampling points SP5 and SP6 to sterilize this area. The foreign matter removal filter 61 may be sterilized together with the first sterile filter 63 and the second sterile filter 65.

[0253] In this manner, the SIP process is performed on the first sterile filter 63 and the second sterile filter 65. Thereafter, the first sterile filter 63 and the second sterile filter 65 are cooled (reference numeral S213 in FIG. 10A).

[0254] Next, an integrity test (second integrity test) is performed on at least one of the sterile filters (first sterile filter 63 and second sterile filter 65) of the water sterilizer 60 (reference S22 in FIG. 10A). That is, a pre-production integrity test is performed on at least one of the first sterile filter 63 and the second sterile filter 65 of the water sterilizer 60 (reference S22 in FIG. 10A). In the integrity test, first, water is supplied to a housing (not shown) in the first sterile filter 63, etc. (wetting process (not shown)). The wetting process is performed with the first ultraviolet lamp 67a, etc. turned on. As a result, the water irradiated with ultraviolet light passes through the first sterile filter. Next, a valve (not shown) near the first sterile filter 63, etc. is closed, and the water in the first sterile filter 63, etc. is discharged, and then sterile air is supplied to the first sterile filter 63, etc. At this time, sterile air is injected into the first sterile filter 63 etc. filled with water, for example from the sterile air supply port 60a. The sterile air supplied to the first sterile filter 63 etc. is then gradually pressurized and the bubble point value of the first sterile filter 63 etc. is measured. Thereafter, based on the results of the bubble point values ​​measured multiple times (for example, three times), it is confirmed whether the first sterile filter 63 etc. is complete (whether sterile air is leaking at a specified pressure).

[0255] Here, for example, while an integrity test is being performed on the first sterile filter 63, water cannot be supplied to the first sterile filter 63. On the other hand, if water is allowed to remain in the main body 66 (see Figs. 3 to 6B) of the first sterilizer 62, etc., the temperature of the water in the main body 66 will rise due to the heat of the first ultraviolet lamp 67a, etc. In particular, when the first ultraviolet lamp 67a, etc. is a medium pressure mercury lamp, the operating temperature of the medium pressure mercury lamp is high (approximately 600°C or higher and 900°C or lower), so the temperature of the water in the main body 66 can easily rise. For this reason, for example, while an integrity test is being performed on the first sterile filter 63, it is preferable to circulate the water irradiated with ultraviolet light by the first ultraviolet lamp 67a, etc. in the circulation system 95A, as shown by the bold line in Fig. 2C. This makes it possible to prevent the first ultraviolet lamp 67a, etc. from overheating, and thus to prevent damage to the first ultraviolet lamp 67a, etc.

[0256] Thereafter, filling (production) of the contents is started again by the contents filling system 10. The water used in the integrity test is preferably sterilized by the first sterilizer 62. The air used in the integrity test is preferably sterile air.

[0257] As shown in FIG. 10C, the order of the sterilizer washing and sterilizing step (S20 in FIG. 10A) and the filter washing and sterilizing step (S21 in FIG. 10A) may be reversed. Also, as shown in FIG. 10D, during SIP of the foreign matter removal filter 61, the first sterile filter 63 and the second sterile filter 65 (for example, during cooling of the first sterile filter 63, etc.), the washing and sterilizing steps of the first sterilizer 62 and the second sterilizer 64 may be performed in parallel. In this case, the piping or valve located on the upstream or downstream side of the first sterile filter 63, etc. comes into contact with the sterilizing agent. Therefore, the cooling time can be shortened. Specifically, the sterilizing agent may be supplied to the first sterilizer 62 and the second sterilizer 64 from the point when the foreign matter removal filter 61, the first sterile filter 63 and the second sterile filter 65 are cooled to less than 110° C., respectively. This makes it possible to end the sterilizer cleaning and sterilizing process while the foreign matter removing filter 61, the first sterilizing filter 63 and the second sterilizing filter 65 are being cooled.

[0258] Furthermore, in the first sterilizer 62 etc., ultraviolet light is irradiated by the first ultraviolet lamp 67a etc. when the product bottles 101 are produced. This reduces the possibility that the first sterilizer 62 etc. will be contaminated by bacteria. Therefore, when the water sterilizer 60 is sterilized, the first sterilizer 62 etc. do not need to be sterilized.

[0259] In another embodiment, as shown in Figure 10E, the step of sterilizing the sterile filters (first sterile filter 63 and second sterile filter 65) of the water sterilizer 60 may be carried out while the step of cleaning the sterilizers (first sterilizer 62 and second sterilizer 64) or the step of sterilizing the sterilizers (first sterilizer 62 and second sterilizer 64) is being carried out. In other words, the first sterile filter 63 and second sterile filter 65 of the water sterilizer 60 and the first sterilizer 62 and second sterilizer 64 may be washed and sterilized simultaneously.

[0260] In this case, as shown in Fig. 10E, first, filling (production) is completed, and then a post-production integrity test (first integrity test) is performed on at least one of the first sterile filter 63 and the second sterile filter 65 (reference number S30 in Fig. 10E).

[0261] Next, a cleaning (CIP) process is performed on the first sterile filter 63, the second sterile filter 65, the first sterilizer 62 and the second sterilizer 64 (reference symbol S31 in FIG. 10E). At this time, a cleaning agent and a disinfectant are supplied from before (upstream of) the foreign matter removal filter 61, and the cleaning agent and the disinfectant are circulated for a predetermined time in the circulation system 59A using the circulation line 59.

[0262] After the CIP treatment, a sterilization (SIP) treatment may be performed on the first sterile filter 63, the second sterile filter 65, the first sterilizer 62 and the second sterilizer 64 (reference numeral S32 in FIG. 10E). Alternatively, instead of the CIP treatment and the SIP treatment, the first sterile filter 63, the second sterile filter 65, the first sterilizer 62 and the second sterilizer 64 may be cleaned and sterilized simultaneously (CSIP treatment) (symbol S33 in FIG. 10E).

[0263] Examples of cleaning agents and disinfectants used in the CIP and SIP treatments, or CSIP treatments, include acidic agents such as peracetic acid, acetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, pernitric acid, nitric acid, and phosphoric acid, alkaline agents such as sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide, chlorine-based agents such as sodium hypochlorite and chlorine dioxide, alcohols such as ethyl alcohol and isopropyl alcohol, ozone water, acidic water, and surfactants, which may be used alone or in combination of two or more of them. The temperature of the cleaning agent and the disinfectant may be increased by a heater (not shown). The CIP treatment, SIP treatment, or CSIP treatment may be performed under predetermined conditions (temperature, concentration, time) based on the values ​​of the thermometer T and the concentration meter 59c installed in the water sterilizer 60 and the circulation line 59.

[0264] The cleaning agent and the germicide may be discharged from the circulation system 59A while replacing the germicide with the pure water by supplying the pure water from the pure water tank 50c to the circulation system 59A and conveying the pure water by the pump P1. Alternatively, water may be supplied to the circulation system 59A from another device (not shown) and the germicide may be discharged. The germicide may be discharged while monitoring the value of the concentration meter 59c provided downstream of the circulation line 59. In this case, it is preferable to rinse the circulation system 59A with the rinse water until the value of the concentration meter 59c becomes the same as the value of the concentration meter (not shown) provided in the pure water production device 50a, for example. In addition, in the rinsing process, the rinsing time may be managed by a timer. Also, the rinsing process may be set to be completed when a predetermined time has elapsed. During the CIP process, the SIP process, or the CSIP process, the first ultraviolet lamp 67a, etc. may be turned on or off. Also, the first ultraviolet lamp 67a, etc. may be turned on only during the rinsing process. After the CIP and SIP or CSIP processes are completed, a pre-production integrity test (second integrity test) is performed on at least one of the first sterile filter 63 and the second sterile filter 65 (reference number S34 in FIG. 10E). That is, a pre-production integrity test is performed on one or both of the first sterile filter 63 and the second sterile filter 65.

[0265] Next, if the result of the integrity test before the start of production is a pass (if no leaks are found), the process moves to the production preparation process (reference symbol S35 in FIG. 10E). In the production preparation process, while circulating pure water in the circulation system 59A, it is confirmed that the illuminance of the ultraviolet light emitted from the first ultraviolet lamp 67a, etc. is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. In this case, in each sterilizer (first sterilizer 62 or second sterilizer 64), the total irradiation amount of the first ultraviolet lamp 67a, etc. is, for example, 10 mJ / cm. 2 or more, 100 mJ / cm 2 More preferably, it is equal to or greater than this.

[0266] Then production will begin.

[0267] Note that the contents do not adhere to the water sterilizer 60. Furthermore, in the first sterilizer 62 etc., ultraviolet light is irradiated by the first ultraviolet lamp 67a etc. when the product bottles 101 are produced. This reduces the possibility that the first sterilizer 62 etc. will be contaminated by bacteria. For this reason, when the water sterilizer 60 is sterilized, the first sterilizer 62 etc. do not need to be sterilized.

[0268] As described above, according to this embodiment, the content filling system 10 includes a water sterilization line 50 that sterilizes water without heating, a concentrate sterilization line 70 that sterilizes a product concentrate with heat, and a filling device 20 that is connected to the water sterilization line 50 and the concentrate sterilization line 70, respectively, and fills water and the product concentrate into bottles 100. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted when preparing the content, compared to the case where the product concentrate is diluted with sterile water prepared using a sterilizer that sterilizes water by heating. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the content filling system 10.

[0269] Moreover, according to this embodiment, the content filling system 10 further includes a control unit 90 that controls the water sterilization line 50. When the amount of ultraviolet radiation or illuminance falls below a predetermined value, the control unit 90 discharges water to the outside of the water sterilization line 50. This makes it possible to maintain the sterility of the second water tank 52, etc.

[0270] Also, according to this embodiment, the filling device 20 has a water filling device 21 connected to the water sterilization line 50, and a concentrate filling device 22 connected to the concentrate sterilization line 70. Moreover, the water filling device 21 fills the bottle 100 with sterilized water, and the concentrate filling device 22 fills the bottle 100 with sterilized product concentrate. This makes it possible to narrow the area where dirt from the contents adheres. Therefore, the area to be washed and sterilized can be narrowed. As a result, the amount of steam and the like used can be reduced. Also, the washing time and sterilization time can be shortened. Therefore, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the content filling system 10 can be reduced.

[0271] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the water filling device 21 fills the empty bottles 100 with water. The filling speed at which the water filling device 21 fills the bottles 100 with water is faster than the filling speed at which the concentrate filling device 22 fills the bottles 100 with the concentrate product. This allows the number of water filling nozzles of the water filling device 21 to be reduced without causing dirt to adhere to the periphery of the bottles 100. This allows the size of the water filling device 21 to be reduced without causing dirt to adhere to the periphery of the bottles 100.

[0272] Moreover, according to this embodiment, the water sterilization line 50 has a first water tank 51 for storing water, a water sterilizer 60 for non-heat sterilizing the water stored in the first water tank 51, and a second water tank 52 for storing the water sterilized by the water sterilizer 60. Moreover, the concentrate sterilization line 70 has a first concentrate tank 71 for storing the product concentrate, a product concentrate sterilizer 80 for heat sterilizing the product concentrate stored in the first concentrate tank 71, and a second concentrate tank 72 for storing the product concentrate sterilized by the product concentrate sterilizer 80. This allows the water and the concentrate product to flow smoothly.

[0273] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, a first bypass line 55 that connects the water sterilization line 50 and the cap sterilizer 18 to each other is provided downstream of the second water tank 52. This allows the water sterilized by the water sterilizer 60 to be used to wash the caps 88. This further reduces the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the content filling system 10.

[0274] According to the present embodiment, an addition unit 75 that adds solids to the product concentrate is connected downstream of the second concentrate tank 72. This allows the content filling system 10 to fill the bottle 100 with the content containing solids.

[0275] According to this embodiment, the content filling system 10 further includes a preform sterilizer 34a for sterilizing the preform 100a, a blow molding section (container molding device) 32 for molding the bottle 100 from the preform 100a, and a sterilizer (container sterilizer) 11 for sterilizing the bottle 100. The blow molding section (container molding device) 32 molds the bottle 100 without adjusting the temperature of the bottle 100 with hot water from a mold temperature regulator. This reduces the number of bacteria adhering to the bottle 100 and reduces the amount of carbon dioxide discharged by the content filling system 10. In addition, since there is no need to supply hot water to the mold of the blow molding section 32, the blow molding section 32 can be simplified.

[0276] (Modification of content filling system) Next, a modified example of the content filling system will be described.

[0277] (First Modification) In the above-mentioned embodiment, the water sterilization line 50 (water sterilizer 60) sterilizes water without heating, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the water sterilization line 50 (water sterilizer 60) may sterilize water by heating the water to a predetermined temperature. The number of bacteria in the pure water produced by the pure water production device 50a is generally smaller than that in the product stock solution, if the pure water production device 50a is appropriately managed. Therefore, when the pH of the contents after filling or after the cap 88 is attached to the bottle 100 is less than 4.5, the water sterilization line 50 (first sterilizer 62 and second sterilizer 64) may sterilize the water so that the F0 value is 0.00029 or more and less than 3.1. Also, when the pH of the contents is 4.5 or more, the water sterilization line 50 (first sterilizer 62 and second sterilizer 64) may sterilize the water so that the F0 value is 3.1 or more and 100 or less. When filling the water with different pH contents, the water sterilization line 50 (the first sterilizer 62 and the second sterilizer 64) may sterilize water so that the F0 value is uniformly set to 3.1 or more and 100 or less in order to reduce the number of times the water sterilization line 50 is cleaned and / or sterilized when the contents are switched between different pH contents. Here, the F0 value is calculated by the following formula:

number

[0278] According to this modified example, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted during sterilization of water can be reduced compared to using a sterilizer that sterilizes water at a high temperature at the same sterilization strength as the product concentrate at the same time as the product concentrate (usually with an F0 value of about 30 to 80). This reduces the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the content filling system 10. In addition, when the water sterilization line 50 (first sterilizer 62 and second sterilizer 64) changes the sterilization conditions based on the pH of the contents, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted during sterilization of water can be further reduced, and the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the content filling system 10 can be further reduced.

[0279] (Second Modification) In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the water filling device 21 fills the bottles 100 with sterilized water, and the concentrate filling device 22 fills the bottles 100 filled with water with sterilized concentrate product, but this is not limiting. For example, the concentrate filling device 22 may fill the bottles 100 with sterilized concentrate product, and the water filling device 21 may fill the bottles 100 filled with concentrate product with sterilized water.

[0280] 11, the concentrate filling device 22 may be disposed upstream of the water filling device 21 in the conveying direction of the bottles 100. The concentrate filling device 22 may be housed inside the first sterile chamber 70f, and the water filling device 21 may be housed inside the second sterile chamber 70h.

[0281] (Third Modification) In the above embodiment, the example in which the product concentrate is diluted with water has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the bottle 100 may be filled with water or the product concentrate by using only one of the water filling device 21 and the concentrate filling device 22. Specifically, the bottle 100 may be filled with only water by using only the water filling device 21. That is, in the content filling system 10, mineral water may be produced by using only the water filling device 21. Alternatively, the bottle 100 may be filled with only the product concentrate by using only the concentrate filling device 22. That is, in the content filling system 10, a so-called concentrated product may be produced by using only the concentrate filling device 22. When only the product concentrate that does not require sterilization is filled into the bottle 100, the bottle 100 may be supplied to the conveying wheel 12 housed inside the intermediate area chamber 70g.

[0282] According to this modification, water or concentrate product is filled into the bottles 100 using only one of the water filling device 21 and concentrate filling device 22. This allows mineral water and so-called concentrated products to be produced in the contents filling system 10. This allows the variety of product bottles 101 produced in the contents filling system 10 to be increased.

[0283] (Fourth Modification) In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the filling device 20 has the water filling device 21 connected to the water sterilization line 50 and the concentrate filling device 22 connected to the concentrate sterilization line 70. In this case, the filling device 20 may have a plurality of concentrate filling devices 22. Also, for example, as shown in FIG. 12A, the content filling system 10 may be equipped with a plurality (e.g., two) concentrate sterilization lines 70. And the filling device 20 may have a plurality (e.g., two) concentrate filling devices 22 connected to each concentrate sterilization line 70.

[0284] In this case, the filling device 20 may have a first concentrate filling device 22a for filling a product concentrate not containing a flavor, and a second concentrate filling device 22b for filling a product concentrate containing a flavor. In other words, one of the two concentrate filling devices 22 may be a filling device (first concentrate filling device 22a) for filling a product concentrate not containing a flavor, such as a tea-based beverage. The other concentrate filling device 22 may be a filling device (second concentrate filling device 22b) for filling a product concentrate containing a flavor, such as a fruit-based beverage, a milk beverage, or a sports drink. The second concentrate filling device 22b may be a filling device for filling a solid.

[0285] In this way, since the filling device 20 has the first concentrate filling device 22a and the second concentrate filling device 22b, when the bottle 100 is filled with a flavorless content such as a tea-based beverage, the aroma of the previous content can be prevented from adhering to the content. In addition, if one concentrate filling device 22 is a filling device (first concentrate filling device 22a) that fills a flavorless product concentrate, the flavor will not adhere to the flow path of the product concentrate in the first concentrate filling device 22a. For example, the flavor will not adhere to sealing elements such as packings provided at the connection points of each pipe and each device. Therefore, when the type of content is changed, the area to be cleaned (CIP) can be narrowed. This can shorten the cleaning time. This can reduce the amount of carbon dioxide discharged by the content filling system 10.

[0286] In the illustrated example, the first concentrate filling device 22a, the second concentrate filling device 22b, and the cap fitting device 16 are accommodated inside the second sterile chamber 70h. Also, as shown in FIG. 12B, a chamber wall 710 is provided inside the second sterile chamber 70h. This chamber wall 710 separates a first space (space) 701 in which the first concentrate filling device 22a is accommodated, a second space 702 in which the second concentrate filling device 22b is accommodated, and a third space 703 in which the cap fitting device 16 is accommodated. In other words, the first concentrate filling device 22a is accommodated in the first space 701 partitioned by the chamber wall 710. Also, the second concentrate filling device 22b is accommodated in the second space 702 partitioned by the chamber wall 710, and the cap fitting device 16 is accommodated in the third space 703 partitioned by the chamber wall 710.

[0287] The chamber wall 710 prevents the sterilant or the like in each space from flowing to an unintended space and stabilizes the pressure in each space. The chamber wall 710 has gaps G1 to G6 (see FIG. 12C described later) through which the bottle 100 can pass. The gaps G1 to G6 are formed to a minimum size, for example, about the size of one bottle 100, so that the pressure in each space does not change. The chamber wall 710 may also be provided with shutters sh1 to sh6 (see FIG. 12C described later) for opening and closing the above-mentioned gaps G1 to G6. The shutters sh1 to sh6 may be configured to open and close automatically in response to a signal from the control unit 90, for example.

[0288] In addition, by providing the chamber wall 710 inside the second sterile chamber 70h in this way, for example, the second space 702 can be cleaned (COP) and sterilized (SOP) while the first concentrate filling device 22a is in operation, and the second concentrate filling device 22b can be cleaned (CIP) and sterilized (SIP). This allows the downtime to be significantly reduced and the productivity of the product bottles 101 to be improved. Here, for example, when the second concentrate filling device 22b is cleaned (CIP) and sterilized (SIP) while the first concentrate filling device 22a is in operation, a shutter sh1 or the like provided on the chamber wall 710 may be closed. This may prevent a disinfectant or the like from entering the space (non-sterile space) housing the second concentrate filling device 22b into the space (sterile space) housing the first concentrate filling device 22a.

[0289] Among the transport wheels 12 housed in the second sterile chamber 70h, the first transport wheel (first wheel) 12a that delivers the bottle 100 to the first concentrate filling device 22a and the second transport wheel 12b that receives the bottle 100 from the first concentrate filling device 22a are each disposed outside the first space 701. Among the transport wheels 12 housed in the second sterile chamber 70h, the third transport wheel 12c that delivers the bottle 100 to the second concentrate filling device 22b and the fourth transport wheel 12d that receives the bottle 100 from the second concentrate filling device 22b are each disposed outside the second space 702.

[0290] 12C, the first transport wheel 12a includes a gripper (first gripper) 121 that transports the bottle 100. This gripper 121 is provided so as to be able to open and close freely.

[0291] Similarly, the second to fourth transport wheels 12b to 12d each include a gripper 122, 123, and 124 that transports the bottle 100. The grippers 122, 123, and 124 are each provided so as to be able to open and close freely.

[0292] Moreover, the first concentrate filling device 22a includes a wheel 221 (second wheel), and the wheel 221 (second wheel) is disposed inside the first space 701. This wheel 221 includes a gripper (second gripper) 222 that transports the bottle 100. This gripper 222 is provided so as to be freely opened and closed.

[0293] Similarly, the second concentrate filling device 22b includes a wheel 223, and the wheel 223 is disposed inside the second space 702. The wheel 223 includes a gripper 224 that transports the bottle 100. The gripper 224 is provided so as to be able to open and close freely.

[0294] Next, a case where the second space 702 (and / or the second concentrate filling device 22b) is washed and sterilized during operation of the first concentrate filling device 22a housed in the first space 701 will be described with reference to Fig. 12C. That is, a case where the second space 702 and / or the second concentrate filling device 22b (hereinafter also simply referred to as the second space 702, etc.) is washed and sterilized while the product concentrate is being filled into the bottle 100 by the first concentrate filling device 22a will be described.

[0295] First, after the filling of the product concentrate in the second concentrate filling device 22b is completed, for example, an operation button of the control unit 90 is operated. As a result, for example, among the gaps G1 to G6 formed in the chamber wall 710, the gaps G1 and G4 are closed by the shutters sh1 and sh4, respectively.

[0296] Next, the bottle 100 is transported from the first transport wheel 12a to the first concentrate filling device 22a. At this time, the gripper 123 of the third transport wheel 12c takes the open position so as not to interfere with the gripper 121 of the first transport wheel 12a. In this embodiment, the gripper 123 takes the open position by rotating a pair of claws of the gripper 123 by 90 degrees in the horizontal direction from the closed position. The rotation angle of each claw may be 60 degrees or more and 130 degrees or less.

[0297] In this open position, the gripper 123 does not interfere with the shutter sh1 that closes the gap G1. This allows the bottle 100 to be transported to the first concentrate filling device 22a while maintaining the inside of the first space 701 in a sterile state when cleaning and sterilizing the second space 702, etc.

[0298] When the first concentrate filling device 22a fills the bottle 100 with the concentrate product, the gripper (second gripper) 222 of the wheel 221 of the first concentrate filling device 22a receives the bottle 100 from the gripper (first gripper) 121 of the first transport wheel 12a. That is, the bottle 100 is handed over from the first transport wheel (first wheel) 12a arranged outside the first space 701 to the wheel 221 (second wheel) arranged inside the first space 701.

[0299] Next, in the first concentrate filling device 22a, the concentrate product is filled into the bottles 100. At this time, the concentrate product is filled into the bottles 100 transported by the gripper 222.

[0300] Next, the bottle 100 filled with the contents is transported to the capping device 16 by the second transport wheel 12b. At this time, the gripper 124 of the fourth transport wheel 12d takes the open position so as not to interfere with the gripper 122 of the second transport wheel 12b. In this embodiment, the gripper 124 takes the open position by rotating a pair of claws of the gripper 124 by 90 degrees in the horizontal direction from the closed position. The rotation angle of each claw may be 60 degrees or more and 130 degrees or less.

[0301] In this open position, the gripper 124 does not interfere with the shutter sh4 that closes the gap G4. This allows the bottle 100 to be transported to the cap fitting device 16 while maintaining the insides of the first space 701 and the third space 703 in a sterile state when cleaning and sterilizing the second space 702, etc.

[0302] In this manner, the product bottle 101 filled with the product concentrate by the first concentrate filling device 22a is obtained. During this process, the second space 702 and the like are cleaned and sterilized.

[0303] In this way, when the second space 702 is washed during operation of the first concentrate filling device 22a housed in the first space 701, the pressure in the first space 701 is preferably 10 Pa or more and 40 Pa or less, the pressure in the second space 702 is preferably -10 Pa or more and 10 Pa or less, and the pressure in the third space 703 is preferably 5 Pa or more and 30 Pa or less. This effectively prevents the air in the second space 702 and the air in the third space 703 from entering the first space 701, and the sterility in the first space 701 can be maintained even better.

[0304] When the second space 702 is sterilized during operation of the first concentrate filling device 22a housed in the first space 701, the pressure in the second space 702 may be higher than the pressure in the second space 702 when the second space 702 is washed during operation of the first concentrate filling device 22a housed in the first space 701. When the second space 702 is sterilized, the pressure in the first space 701 is preferably 10 Pa or more and 40 Pa or less, the pressure in the second space 702 is preferably 0 Pa or more and 20 Pa or less, and the pressure in the third space 703 is preferably 5 Pa or more and 30 Pa or less. This effectively prevents the air in the second space 702 and the air in the third space 703 from entering the first space 701, and the sterilized state in the first space 701 can be well maintained.

[0305] Next, a case where the undiluted product liquid is not filled into the bottle 100 by the first concentrate filling device 22a will be described. Here, a case where the first space 701 and / or the first concentrate filling device 22a (hereinafter also simply referred to as the first space 701, etc.) is washed and sterilized during operation of the second concentrate filling device 22b housed in the second space 702 will be described with reference to Fig. 12D. That is, a case where the first space 701, etc. is washed and sterilized while the undiluted product liquid is filled into the bottle 100 by the second concentrate filling device 22b will be described.

[0306] First, after the filling of the product concentrate in the first concentrate filling device 22a is completed, for example, an operation button of the control unit 90 is operated. As a result, for example, among the gaps G1 to G6 formed in the chamber wall 710, the gaps G5 and G6 are closed by the shutters sh5 and sh6, respectively.

[0307] Next, the bottle 100 is transported from the first transport wheel 12a to the second concentrate filling device 22b. At this time, the gripper (second gripper) 222 of the wheel 221 (second wheel) of the first concentrate filling device 22a takes the open position so as not to interfere with the gripper (first gripper) 121 of the first transport wheel 12a. In this embodiment, the gripper 222 takes the open position by rotating a pair of claws of the gripper 222 by 90 degrees in the horizontal direction from the closed position. The rotation angle of each claw may be 60 degrees or more and 130 degrees or less.

[0308] In this open position, the gripper 222 does not interfere with the shutter sh6 that closes the gap G6. This allows the bottle 100 to be transported to the second concentrate filling device 22b while maintaining the inside of the second space 702 in a sterile state when cleaning and sterilizing the first space 701, etc.

[0309] When the second concentrate filling device 22b fills the bottles 100 with the concentrate product, the gripper 123 of the third transport wheel 12c receives the bottles 100 from the gripper 121 of the first transport wheel 12a.

[0310] Furthermore, when the second concentrate filling device 22b fills the bottles 100 with the concentrate product, the gripper 224 of the wheel 223 of the second concentrate filling device 22b receives the bottles 100 from the gripper 123 of the third transport wheel 12c. That is, the bottles 100 are delivered from the third transport wheel 12c disposed outside the second space 702 to the wheel 223 disposed inside the second space 702.

[0311] Next, in the second concentrate filling device 22b, the concentrate product is filled into the bottles 100. At this time, the concentrate product is filled into the bottles 100 transported by the gripper 224.

[0312] Next, the bottle 100 filled with the content is transported to the second transport wheel 12b by the fourth transport wheel 12d.

[0313] Thereafter, the bottle 100 is transported to the cap fitting device 16 by the second transport wheel 12b. At this time, the gripper 222 of the wheel 221 of the first concentrate filling device 22a takes the open position so as not to interfere with the gripper 122 of the second transport wheel 12b. In addition, in this open position, the gripper 222 does not interfere with the shutter sh5 that closes the gap G5. As a result, when the first space 701 etc. are washed and sterilized, the bottle 100 can be transported to the cap fitting device 16 while maintaining the insides of the second space 702 and the third space 703 in a sterile state.

[0314] In this manner, the product bottle 101 filled with the product concentrate by the second concentrate filling device 22b is obtained. During this process, the first space 701 and the like are cleaned and sterilized.

[0315] When the first space 701 is washed during operation of the second concentrate filling device 22b housed in the second space 702, the pressure in the first space 701 is preferably -10 Pa or more and 10 Pa or less, the pressure in the second space 702 is preferably 10 Pa or more and 40 Pa or less, and the pressure in the third space 703 is preferably 5 Pa or more and 30 Pa or less. This effectively prevents the air in the first space 701 and the air in the third space 703 from entering the second space 702, and the sterility in the second space 702 can be maintained more satisfactorily.

[0316] When the first space 701 is sterilized during the operation of the second concentrate filling device 22b housed in the second space 702, the pressure in the first space 701 may be higher than the pressure in the first space 701 when the first space 701 is washed during the operation of the second concentrate filling device 22b housed in the second space 702. When the first space 701 is sterilized, the pressure in the first space 701 is preferably 0 Pa or more and 20 Pa or less, the pressure in the second space 702 is preferably 10 Pa or more and 40 Pa or less, and the pressure in the third space 703 is preferably 5 Pa or more and 30 Pa or less. This effectively prevents the air in the first space 701 and the air in the third space 703 from entering the second space 702, and the sterility state in the second space 702 can be well maintained.

[0317] In summary, the pressure in each space may be as shown in Tables 3 and 4 below.

[0318] [Table 3]

[0319] [Table 4]

[0320] According to this modification, the filling device 20 has a plurality of concentrate filling devices 22. This allows, for example, the second concentrate filling device 22b to be cleaned (CIP) and sterilized (SIP) while the first concentrate filling device 22a is in operation. This allows the downtime to be significantly reduced and the productivity of the product bottles 101 to be improved.

[0321] Moreover, according to this modification, the content filling system 10 includes a plurality of concentrate sterilization lines 70. A plurality of concentrate filling devices 22 are connected to each concentrate sterilization line 70. This allows the variety of product bottles 101 produced in the content filling system 10 to be increased.

[0322] Also, according to this modification, the filling device 20 has a first concentrate filling device 22a that fills a product concentrate that does not contain a flavor, and a second concentrate filling device 22b that fills a product concentrate that contains a flavor. This makes it possible to prevent the scent of the previous contents from adhering when the contents that do not contain a flavor are filled into the bottle 100. Also, since the first concentrate filling device 22a fills the product concentrate that does not contain a flavor, the flavor does not adhere to the flow path of the product concentrate in the first concentrate filling device 22a. Therefore, when the type of contents is changed, the area to be cleaned (CIP) can be narrowed. This makes it possible to shorten the cleaning time. Therefore, the amount of carbon dioxide discharged by the contents filling system 10 can be reduced. Also, at this time, since the first concentrate filling device 22a and the second concentrate filling device 22b are connected to different concentrate sterilization lines 70, for example, cleaning (so-called deodorization CIP) for removing flavors does not need to be performed in the concentrate sterilization line 70 to which the first concentrate filling device 22a is connected. Here, deodorization CIP requires more time and energy than normal CIP, so when deodorization CIP is not performed, downtime can be shortened and energy can be saved compared to when deodorization CIP is performed.

[0323] According to this modification, when the first concentrate filling device 22a fills the bottle 100 with the concentrate product, the gripper (second gripper) 222 of the wheel 221 of the first concentrate filling device 22a receives the bottle 100 from the gripper (first gripper) 121 of the first transport wheel 12a. When the first concentrate filling device 22a does not fill the bottle 100 with the concentrate product, the gripper (second gripper) 222 of the wheel 221 (second wheel) of the first concentrate filling device 22a takes an open position so as not to interfere with the gripper (first gripper) 121 of the first transport wheel 12a. This allows the bottle 100 to be transported to the first concentrate filling device 22a when the second space 702 and the like are washed and sterilized.

[0324] Furthermore, according to this modification, when the first concentrate filling device 22a does not fill the bottle 100 with the concentrate product, the gaps G5 and G6 are closed by the shutters sh5 and sh6. The gripper (second gripper) 222 of the wheel 221 of the first concentrate filling device 22a is in an open position so as not to interfere with the shutters sh5 and sh6 that close the gaps G5 and G6. This allows the bottle 100 to be transported to the first concentrate filling device 22a while maintaining the insides of the second space 702 and the third space 703 in a sterile state when cleaning and sterilizing the second space 702 and the like.

[0325] Although an example has been described in which the pair of claws of the gripper 222 etc. rotates horizontally from the closed position to cause the gripper 222 etc. to assume the open position, this is not limiting. The gripper 222 etc. may assume the open position by any configuration. For example, the gripper 222 etc. may assume the open position by bending the pair of claws upward or downward. In addition, the gripper 222 etc. may be provided so as to be freely opened and closed by configuring the pair of claws to be freely expandable and retractable.

[0326] (Another example of the fourth modified example) Next, another example of the fourth modified example will be described.

[0327] <First example> In the first example shown in FIG. 12E, the content filling system further includes a fifth sterile chamber 70j, a sixth sterile chamber 70k, and a seventh sterile chamber 70m. The fifth sterile chamber 70j is provided upstream of the first sterile chamber 70f. The sixth sterile chamber 70k is provided downstream of the second sterile chamber 70h. The seventh sterile chamber 70m is provided downstream of the sixth sterile chamber 70k. That is, in the illustrated example, the fifth sterile chamber 70j, the first sterile chamber 70f, the second sterile chamber 70h, the sixth sterile chamber 70k, the seventh sterile chamber 70m, and the outlet chamber 70i are arranged in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side along the conveying direction of the bottle 100 (see FIG. 12A, etc.). The fifth sterile chamber 70j, the first sterile chamber 70f, the second sterile chamber 70h, the sixth sterile chamber 70k and the seventh sterile chamber 70m are arranged side by side on the outer periphery of a circular transport body 110 that rotates and transports the bottles 100.

[0328] Among these, the fifth sterile chamber 70j may house a transport wheel 12 for transporting the air-rinsed bottles 100. The sixth sterile chamber 70k houses a second concentrate filling device 22b. The seventh sterile chamber 70m houses a capping device 16. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 12E, the second concentrate filling device 22b and the capping device 16 are housed in a sterile chamber (the sixth sterile chamber 70k or the seventh sterile chamber 70m) different from the second sterile chamber 70h housing the first concentrate filling device 22a.

[0329] 12E, the bottle 100, which has been sterilized in advance upstream, is transported to the first sterile chamber 70f via the transport wheel 12 and the circular transport body 110 arranged in the fifth sterile chamber 70j. The bottle 100 is then transported to the water filling device 21 via the transport wheel 12 arranged in the first sterile chamber 70f.

[0330] Next, in the water filling device 21, the water sterilized by the water sterilization line 50 is filled into the empty bottles 100. In this water filling device 21, the insides of the bottles 100 are filled with water while the multiple bottles 100 are rotated and transported.

[0331] The bottle 100 in the first sterile chamber 70f is then transported to the first concentrate filling device 22a via the conveyor wheel 12 arranged in the first sterile chamber 70f, the circular conveyor body 110, and the conveyor wheel 12 arranged in the second sterile chamber 70h.

[0332] Next, in the first concentrate filling device 22a, the concentrate product sterilized by the concentrate sterilization line 70 is filled into the bottles 100 that have been filled with water in advance by the water filling device 21. In this first concentrate filling device 22a, the concentrate product is filled into the bottles 100 while the multiple bottles 100 are rotated and transported.

[0333] The bottle 100 in the second sterile chamber 70h is then transported to the second concentrate filling device 22b via the conveyor wheel 12 arranged in the second sterile chamber 70h, the circular conveyor 110, and the conveyor wheel 12 arranged in the sixth sterile chamber 70k.

[0334] Next, in the second concentrate filling device 22b, the other product concentrate sterilized by the concentrate sterilization line 70 is filled into the bottles 100 that are filled with water and the product concentrate in advance. In this second concentrate filling device 22b, the bottles 100 are filled with the other product concentrate while the multiple bottles 100 are rotated and transported.

[0335] The bottle 100 in the sixth sterile chamber 70k is then transported to the capping device 16 via a conveyor wheel 12 arranged in the sixth sterile chamber 70k, a circular conveyor 110, and a conveyor wheel 12 arranged in the seventh sterile chamber 70m.

[0336] Next, in the capping device 16, the bottles 100 filled with water and undiluted product are closed with caps 88 (see FIG. 12A, etc.). In this way, the bottles 100 are sealed to prevent outside air and / or microorganisms from entering the bottles 100. In this capping device 16, the caps 88 are attached to the mouths of the bottles 100 while a plurality of bottles 100 filled with water and undiluted product are rotated and transported. In this way, product bottles 101 (see FIG. 12A, etc.) are obtained.

[0337] <Second example> Next, a second example will be described with reference to FIG. 12F. In the second example shown in FIG. 12F, the content filling system further includes a sixth sterile chamber 70k, a seventh sterile chamber 70m, and an eighth sterile chamber 70n. The sixth sterile chamber 70k is provided downstream of the first sterile chamber 70f. The seventh sterile chamber 70m is provided downstream of the second sterile chamber 70h and the sixth sterile chamber 70k. The eighth sterile chamber 70n is provided between the second sterile chamber 70h and the sixth sterile chamber 70k. Here, in FIG. 12F, the second sterile chamber 70h and the sixth sterile chamber 70k are arranged in parallel downstream of the first sterile chamber 70f along the conveying direction of the bottle 100 (see FIG. 12A, etc.). That is, in the illustrated example, the first sterile chamber 70f, the second sterile chamber 70h or the sixth sterile chamber 70k, the seventh sterile chamber 70m and the outlet chamber 70i are arranged in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side along the transport direction of the bottle 100 (see Figure 12A, etc.).

[0338] Among these, the sixth sterile chamber 70k accommodates the second concentrate filling device 22b. The seventh sterile chamber 70m accommodates the capping device 16. Furthermore, the eighth sterile chamber 70n may accommodate a transport wheel 12 for transporting the bottles 100 filled with water by the water filling device 21.

[0339] In FIG. 12F, bottles 100, previously sterilized upstream, are transported to the water filling device 21 via a transport wheel 12 arranged in the first sterile chamber 70f.

[0340] Next, in the water filling device 21, the water sterilized by the water sterilization line 50 is filled into the empty bottles 100. In this water filling device 21, the insides of the bottles 100 are filled with water while the multiple bottles 100 are rotated and transported.

[0341] The bottle 100 in the first sterile chamber 70f is then transported to the first concentrate filling device 22a, for example, via a conveyor wheel 12 arranged in the first sterile chamber 70f, a conveyor wheel 12 arranged in the eighth sterile chamber 70n, and a conveyor wheel 12 arranged in the second sterile chamber 70h.

[0342] Next, in the first concentrate filling device 22a, the concentrate product sterilized by the concentrate sterilization line 70 is filled into the bottles 100 that have been filled with water in advance by the water filling device 21. In this first concentrate filling device 22a, the concentrate product is filled into the bottles 100 while the multiple bottles 100 are rotated and transported.

[0343] The bottle 100 in the second sterile chamber 70h is then transported to the capping device 16 via a transport wheel 12 arranged in the second sterile chamber 70h, a transport wheel 12 arranged in the eighth sterile chamber 70n, and a transport wheel 12 arranged in the seventh sterile chamber 70m.

[0344] Next, the bottle 100 filled with water and the undiluted product liquid is closed with the cap 88 (see FIG. 12A, etc.) in the capping device 16. In this manner, the product bottle 101 (see FIG. 12A, etc.) is obtained.

[0345] Here, the bottle 100 in the first sterile chamber 70f may be transported to the second concentrate filling device 22b without being transported to the first concentrate filling device 22a. For example, the bottle 100 in the first sterile chamber 70f may be transported to the second concentrate filling device 22b via the transport wheel 12 arranged in the first sterile chamber 70f, the transport wheel 12 arranged in the eighth sterile chamber 70n, and the transport wheel 12 arranged in the sixth sterile chamber 70k. In this case, the bottle 100 in the first sterile chamber 70f is not transported to the first concentrate filling device 22a arranged in the second sterile chamber 70h.

[0346] When the bottles 100 are transported to the second concentrate filling device 22b, the second concentrate filling device 22b fills the bottles 100, which have been filled with water in advance, with other concentrate products sterilized by the concentrate sterilization line 70. In this second concentrate filling device 22b, the bottles 100 are filled with other concentrate products while the multiple bottles 100 are rotated and transported.

[0347] Thereafter, the bottle 100 in the sixth sterile chamber 70k is transported to the capping device 16 via a transport wheel 12 arranged in the sixth sterile chamber 70k and a transport wheel 12 arranged in the seventh sterile chamber 70m.

[0348] Thus, in the second example shown in Figure 12F, when the second concentrate filling device 22b fills the bottle 100 with the concentrate product, the bottle 100 passes through each of the sterile chambers in the order of the first sterile chamber 70f, the eighth sterile chamber 70n, the sixth sterile chamber 70k, and the seventh sterile chamber 70m.

[0349] In the example shown in FIG. 12F, when mineral water is produced in the content filling system 10, the bottle 100 filled with water by the water filling device 21 in the first sterile chamber 70f may be directly transported to the capping device 16 arranged in the seventh sterile chamber 70m. That is, the bottle 100 filled with water may be directly transported to the capping device 16 only via the conveying wheel 12 arranged in the eighth sterile chamber 70n without being transported to the first concentrate filling device 22a or the second concentrate filling device 22b. In this case, the cap 88 is attached to the mouth of the bottle 100 filled with only water, thereby obtaining the product bottle 101. In this case, as described with reference to FIG. 12C and FIG. 12D, it is preferable that the gripper of the conveying wheel 12 adjacent to the first concentrate filling device 22a or the second concentrate filling device 22b is in the open position. This can suppress interference between the grippers.

[0350] <Third Example> Next, a third example will be described with reference to Fig. 12G. In the third example shown in Fig. 12G, unlike the second example shown in Fig. 12F, when the second concentrate filling device 22b fills the bottle 100 with the product concentrate, the bottle 100 passes through each sterile chamber in the order of the first sterile chamber 70f, the sixth sterile chamber 70k, the eighth sterile chamber 70n, and the seventh sterile chamber 70m. Other configurations of the content filling system 10 according to the third example are the same as those of the second example shown in Fig. 12F, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[0351] <Fourth Example> Next, a fourth example will be described with reference to Fig. 12H. In the fourth example shown in Fig. 12H, the content filling system further includes a sixth sterile chamber 70k, a seventh sterile chamber 70m, and a ninth sterile chamber 70p. The sixth sterile chamber 70k is provided downstream of the first sterile chamber 70f and the second sterile chamber 70h. The seventh sterile chamber 70m is provided downstream of the sixth sterile chamber 70k. The ninth sterile chamber 70p is provided between the first sterile chamber 70f, the second sterile chamber 70h, and the sixth sterile chamber 70k and the seventh sterile chamber 70m.

[0352] The sixth sterile chamber 70k accommodates the second concentrate filling device 22b inside, and the seventh sterile chamber 70m accommodates the capping device 16 inside. Additionally, the transfer wheel 12 may be housed within the ninth sterile chamber 70p.

[0353] In FIG. 12H, bottles 100 that have previously been sterilized upstream are transported to the water filling device 21 via a transport wheel 12 arranged in the ninth sterile chamber 70p and a transport wheel 12 arranged in the first sterile chamber 70f.

[0354] Next, in the water filling device 21, the water sterilized by the water sterilization line 50 is filled into the empty bottles 100. In this water filling device 21, the insides of the bottles 100 are filled with water while the multiple bottles 100 are rotated and transported.

[0355] The bottle 100 in the first sterile chamber 70f is then transported to the first concentrate filling device 22a via a conveying wheel 12 arranged in the first sterile chamber 70f, a conveying wheel 12 arranged in the ninth sterile chamber 70p, and a conveying wheel 12 arranged in the second sterile chamber 70h.

[0356] Next, in the first concentrate filling device 22a, the concentrate product sterilized by the concentrate sterilization line 70 is filled into the bottles 100 that have been filled with water in advance by the water filling device 21. In this first concentrate filling device 22a, the concentrate product is filled into the bottles 100 while the multiple bottles 100 are rotated and transported.

[0357] The bottle 100 in the second sterile chamber 70h is then transported to the second concentrate filling device 22b via the conveying wheel 12 arranged in the second sterile chamber 70h, the conveying wheel 12 arranged in the ninth sterile chamber 70p, and the conveying wheel 12 arranged in the sixth sterile chamber 70k.

[0358] Next, in the second concentrate filling device 22b, the other product concentrate sterilized by the concentrate sterilization line 70 is filled into the bottles 100 that have been filled with water in advance. In this second concentrate filling device 22b, the other product concentrate is filled into the bottles 100 while the multiple bottles 100 are rotated and transported.

[0359] The bottle 100 in the sixth sterile chamber 70k is then transported to the capping device 16 via a transport wheel 12 arranged in the sixth sterile chamber 70k, a transport wheel 12 arranged in the ninth sterile chamber 70p, and a transport wheel 12 arranged in the seventh sterile chamber 70m.

[0360] Thus, in the fourth example shown in Figure 12H, when the product concentrate is filled into the bottle 100 by the first concentrate filling device 22a and the second concentrate filling device 22b, the bottle 100 passes through each sterile chamber in the order of the first sterile chamber 70f, the ninth sterile chamber 70p, the second sterile chamber 70h, the ninth sterile chamber 70p, the sixth sterile chamber 70k, the ninth sterile chamber 70p, and the seventh sterile chamber 70m.

[0361] <Fifth Example> Next, a fifth example will be described with reference to Fig. 12I. In the fifth example shown in Fig. 12I, the content filling system further includes a sixth sterile chamber 70k, a seventh sterile chamber 70m, and a tenth sterile chamber 70q. The sixth sterile chamber 70k is provided downstream of the first sterile chamber 70f and the second sterile chamber 70h. The seventh sterile chamber 70m is provided downstream of the sixth sterile chamber 70k. The tenth sterile chamber 70q is provided between the second sterile chamber 70h and the sixth sterile chamber 70k.

[0362] The sixth sterile chamber 70k accommodates the second concentrate filling device 22b inside, and the seventh sterile chamber 70m accommodates the capping device 16 inside. Additionally, the transfer wheel 12 may be housed within the ninth sterile chamber 70p.

[0363] In a fifth example shown in Fig. 12I, the first concentrate filling device 22a and the second concentrate filling device 22b are filling devices used when the amount of concentrate product to be filled is small. In this case, the first concentrate filling device 22a and the second concentrate filling device 22b each include a fixed-volume filling nozzle 22e and a filling nozzle 22f that are fixed onto the mouth of the bottle 100. The first concentrate filling device 22a and the second concentrate filling device 22b may each include a plurality of filling nozzles 22e and 22f.

[0364] When the bottle 100 reaches the filling nozzles 22e, 22f, the bottle 100 is detected by near-infrared rays. As a result, the product concentrate is intermittently filled from the filling nozzles 22e, 22f into each bottle 100 only while the mouth of the bottle 100 passes below the filling nozzles 22e, 22f. Note that the filling nozzles 22e, 22f do not have to be a filling nozzle of the type that fills the product concentrate intermittently, and may be a filling nozzle of the type that fills the product concentrate continuously.

[0365] In FIG. 12I, bottles 100, previously sterilized upstream, are transported to the water filling device 21 via a transport wheel 12 arranged in the first sterile chamber 70f.

[0366] Next, in the water filling device 21, the water sterilized by the water sterilization line 50 is filled into the empty bottles 100. In this water filling device 21, the insides of the bottles 100 are filled with water while the multiple bottles 100 are rotated and transported.

[0367] Next, the bottle 100 in the first sterile chamber 70f is transported to the first concentrate filling device 22a via the transport wheel 12 arranged in the first sterile chamber 70f.

[0368] Next, in the first concentrate filling device 22a, the concentrate product sterilized by the concentrate sterilization line 70 is filled into the bottles 100 that have been filled with water in advance by the water filling device 21. In this first concentrate filling device 22a, the concentrate product is intermittently filled into the bottles 100.

[0369] Thereafter, the bottle 100 in the second sterile chamber 70h is transported to the second concentrate filling device 22b via the transport wheel 12 arranged in the tenth sterile chamber 70q.

[0370] Next, in the second concentrate filling device 22b, the other product concentrate sterilized by the concentrate sterilization line 70 is filled into the bottle 100 filled with water in advance. In this second concentrate filling device 22b, the bottle 100 is intermittently filled with the other product concentrate.

[0371] Thereafter, the bottle 100 in the sixth sterile chamber 70k is transported to the capping device 16 via the transport wheel 12 located in the seventh sterile chamber 70m.

[0372] (Fifth Modification) In the above-described embodiment, the filling device 20 includes the water filling device 21 connected to the water sterilization line 50 and the concentrate filling device 22 connected to the concentrate sterilization line 70, but is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, the content filling system 10 may include a single filling device 20.

[0373] In this case, the content filling system 10 may have a preform sterilization chamber 70a, a molding section chamber 70b, an atmosphere blocking chamber 70c, a sterilant spray chamber 70d, an air rinse chamber 70e, a first sterile chamber 70f, and an exit chamber 70i. That is, the content filling system 10 may not have the intermediate area chamber 70g and the second sterile chamber 70h. Also, the filling device 20 and the capping device 16 may be housed inside the first sterile chamber 70f.

[0374] In this modification, a mixing tank 57 for mixing water and the product concentrate may be interposed between the water sterilization line 50 and the concentrate sterilization line 70 and the filling device 20. This allows the product concentrate to be diluted with water before filling to prepare the contents. In this case, the mixing tank 57 may be a so-called filling machine tank, and may be installed vertically above the filling device 20 to improve the filling accuracy of the filling device 20. Furthermore, the mixing tank 57 may serve as a so-called cushion tank that ensures a smooth flow of the contents even when the amount of the contents used downstream of the mixing tank 57 changes.

[0375] A concentration meter for measuring the concentration of the mixed contents may be installed in the mixing tank 57. In order to ensure the concentration of the mixed contents in the mixing tank 57, at least one tank such as a filling tank may be installed downstream of the mixing tank 57 in which the concentration meter is installed. The volume of the mixing tank 57 is 0.1 m 3 More than 30m 3 It may be less than 0.3m, for example. 3 In this modification, the above-mentioned addition unit 75 may be connected to the downstream side of the mixing tank 57.

[0376] In this modification, when cleaning (COP) and sterilizing (SOP) the inside of the first sterile chamber 70f, for example, the downstream side of the connection point CP3 of the water sterilization line 50 that connects the water sterilization line 50 and the stock solution sterilization line 70 may be cleaned (CIP) and sterilized (SIP) while the upstream side of the connection point CP3 of the water sterilization line 50 is maintained in a sterile state. Similarly, when cleaning (CIP) and sterilizing (SIP) the filling device 20 housed inside the first sterile chamber 70f, for example, the downstream side of the connection point CP3 may be cleaned (CIP) and sterilized (SIP) while the upstream side of the connection point CP3 is maintained in a sterile state. In this case, too, the area to be cleaned and sterilized can be narrowed. Therefore, the amount of steam and the like used can be reduced. In addition, since the area to be cleaned and sterilized can be narrowed, the cleaning time and sterilization time can be shortened. Therefore, the amount of carbon dioxide discharged by the content filling system 10 can be reduced.

[0377] In addition, in this modified example, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted during the preparation of the contents can be reduced compared to the case where the product concentrate is diluted with sterile water prepared using a sterilizer that heats and sterilizes water. Therefore, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the content filling system 10 can be reduced.

[0378] As shown in Fig. 14, a mixing tank 57 for mixing water and undiluted product liquid may not be interposed between the water sterilization line 50 and the concentrate sterilization line 70 and the filling device 20. In this case, the filling device 20 may include a plurality of filling nozzles 20a (see Fig. 15) for filling water and undiluted product liquid, and the water sterilization line 50 and the concentrate sterilization line 70 may be connected to each filling nozzle 20a. The water and undiluted product liquid may be filled using a single filling nozzle 20a.

[0379] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 15, the filling nozzle 20a may include a nozzle body 20b. The water sterilization line 50 and the concentrate sterilization line 70 may be connected to the nozzle body 20b. The water sterilization line 50 and the concentrate sterilization line 70 may each be provided with a flowmeter F for measuring the flow rate of the water or the concentrate product, and a valve V2. The actual weight of the filled water or concentrate product may be detected by a load cell to measure the amount of water or concentrate product. In this case, the order in which the water and concentrate product are filled into the bottle 100 may be appropriately changed in consideration of foaming in the bottle 100, ease of mixing of the water and concentrate product, etc. For example, the concentrate product may be filled after the water is filled, or the concentrate product may be filled after the water is filled. When the concentrate product is filled and then the water is filled, the risk of dirt due to the contents adhering to the tip of the filling nozzle 20a can be reduced. Alternatively, the container may be filled with water, then with the concentrate product, and then with water, or may be filled with water and the concentrate product at the same time.

[0380] In the example shown in FIG. 14, when cleaning (COP) and sterilizing (SOP) the inside of the first sterile chamber 70f, for example, the downstream side of the third water tank 54 may be cleaned (CIP) and sterilized (SIP) while the water sterilization line 50 is maintained in a sterile state up to the third water tank 54. Similarly, when cleaning (CIP) and sterilizing (SIP) the filling device 20 housed inside the first sterile chamber 70f, for example, the downstream side of the third water tank 54 may be cleaned (CIP) and sterilized (SIP) while the water sterilization line 50 is maintained in a sterile state up to the third water tank 54. In this case, too, the area to be cleaned and sterilized can be narrowed. Therefore, the amount of steam and the like used can be reduced. In addition, since the area to be cleaned and sterilized can be narrowed, the cleaning time and sterilization time can be shortened. Therefore, the amount of carbon dioxide discharged by the content filling system 10 can be reduced.

[0381] In this modified example, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted during the preparation of the contents can be reduced compared to the case where the product concentrate is diluted with sterile water prepared using a sterilizer that heats and sterilizes water. Therefore, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the content filling system 10 can be reduced.

[0382] (Sixth Modification) In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the third water tank 54 is provided downstream of the second water tank 52. In this case, as shown in Fig. 16A, a carbonation device 58 that adds carbon dioxide to water may be connected upstream of the third water tank 54.

[0383] Here, the water filling device 21 includes a plurality of water filling nozzles 21a (see FIG. 16B) for filling water. In this modification, the water filling nozzles 21a of the water filling device 21 fill carbonated water. As shown in FIG. 16B, a water sterilization line 50 and a counter gas line 58a are connected to each water filling nozzle 21a. Specifically, the water filling nozzle 21a includes a nozzle main body 21b. The water sterilization line 50 and the counter gas line 58a are connected to the nozzle main body 21b, respectively. Of these, the water sterilization line 50 is connected at one end to a third water tank 54 filled with sterile carbonated water, and communicates at the other end with the inside of the bottle 100. The sterile carbonated water supplied from the third water tank 54 passes through the water sterilization line 50 and is injected into the inside of the bottle 100.

[0384] The counter gas line 58a is a line that supplies the sterile carbon dioxide gas filled in the third water tank 54 toward the water filling nozzle 21a. One end of the counter gas line 58a is connected to the third water tank 54, and the other end is in communication with the inside of the bottle 100. The counter pressure gas consisting of the sterile carbon dioxide gas supplied from the third water tank 54 passes through the counter gas line 58a and fills the inside of the bottle 100.

[0385] Further, each water filling nozzle 21a is connected to a snift line 58b for discharging gas inside the bottle 100. One end of the snift line 58b is connected to the counter gas line 58a. The snift line 58b is configured so that the gas inside the bottle 100 is discharged through the snift line 58b from the other end into the first sterile chamber 70f.

[0386] Furthermore, a packing P (sealing member) is provided at the tip of each water filling nozzle 21a, which fits tightly against the bottle 100 to prevent leakage of gas inside the bottle 100. When filling the bottle 100 with carbonated drink, the water filling device 21 fills the bottle 100 with the carbonated drink with the packing P in tight contact with the mouth of the bottle 100 (close contact filling). This makes it possible to prevent the sterile carbon dioxide gas for counter pressure from leaking out from inside the bottle 100. Therefore, the internal pressure of the bottle 100 can be made higher than atmospheric pressure so that the internal pressure of the bottle 100 becomes the same as the internal pressure of the third water tank 54. Although not shown, the water sterilization line 50 etc. may be provided with a flow meter, a valve etc. for measuring the flow rate of water etc.

[0387] According to this modification, a carbonation device 58 that adds carbon dioxide to water is connected upstream of the third water tank 54. This allows the content filling system 10 to fill the bottle 100 with a carbonated drink. In addition, by connecting the carbonation device 58 to the water sterilization line 50 in this way, when filling carbonated water as the content, it is possible to prevent the flavor of the previous content from adhering to the carbonated water. Only when filling the bottle 100 with carbonated drink, water from the second water tank 52 may be supplied to the carbonation device 58, and after cooling, carbon dioxide gas may be aseptically added by a sterile carbonator, and the carbonated water may be supplied to the third water tank 54. In addition, when producing carbonated water as the content, the concentrate filling device 22 may or may not be used.

[0388] In addition, even if the water filling device 21 includes the water filling nozzle 21a capable of filling carbonated water, the water filling device 21 may fill water to which no carbon dioxide gas has been added. In this case, mineral water may be produced by using only the water filling device 21 in the content filling system 10. Even in this case, the water filling device 21 may fill water in a state in which the packing P is in close contact with the mouth of the bottle 100. This makes it possible to minimize the overflow of water from inside the bottle 100. In this case, the water filling device 21 may pressurize and fill the water. This makes it possible to fill the water in a short time. Here, when the pressure resistance of the bottle 100 is low, it is preferable that the water filling device 21 pressurize and fill the water in a state in which the gas inside the bottle 100 can be discharged through the sniff line 58b. For example, it is preferable that the water filling device 21 pressurize and fill the water with the sniff line 58b open after the packing P is in close contact with the mouth of the bottle 100. This makes it possible to prevent deformation and / or damage to the bottle 100 due to pressure even when the bottle is filled with water under pressure. This allows the bottle 100 to be filled with water in a short time, and prevents deformation and / or damage to the bottle 100.

[0389] In addition, when the concentrate filling device 22 is used together with the water filling device 21, the liquid level of the water filled by the water filling device 21 is lower than when only the water filling device 21 is used. Therefore, there is less risk of the filled water spilling over. For this reason, the water filling speed may be 100 mL / sec or more, and preferably 200 mL / sec or more. This makes it possible to further reduce the number of water filling nozzles 21a. In this case, water can be filled into the bottle 100 with the internal pressure of the third water tank 54 being higher than the internal pressure of the third concentrate tank 74. During close filling, the internal pressure of the third concentrate tank 74 may be 0.02 MPa or more and 0.1 MPa or less, and the internal pressure of the third water tank 54 may be 0.03 MPa or more and 0.9 MPa or less.

[0390] Furthermore, the water filling device 21 may fill the bottle 100 with water without tightly contacting the packing P with the mouth of the bottle 100, with a gap formed between the water filling nozzle 21a (packing P) and the bottle 100 (top-of-mouth filling). Even in this case, the water may be filled into the bottle 100 with the internal pressure of the third water tank 54 being higher than the internal pressure of the third concentrate tank 74. Specifically, during top-of-mouth filling, the internal pressure of the third concentrate tank 74 may be 0.02 MPa or more and 0.1 MPa or less, and the internal pressure of the third water tank 54 may be 0.03 MPa or more and 0.07 MPa or less.

[0391] Furthermore, when the concentrate filling device 22 is used together with the water filling device 21, as described above, the water filling device 21 may fill the empty bottle 100 with water. In this case, since foaming in the bottle 100 can be suppressed, there is little risk that a part of the filled liquid will splash out from the mouth of the bottle 100 to the outside. Here, the concentrate filling device 22 includes a plurality of concentrate filling nozzles 22c (see FIG. 16C) that fill the product concentrate. As shown in FIG. 16C, the concentrate filling nozzles 22c are connected to the concentrate sterilization line 70. Specifically, the concentrate filling nozzle 22c includes a nozzle main body 22d. The concentrate sterilization line 70 is connected to the nozzle main body 22d. Although not shown, the concentrate sterilization line 70 may be provided with a flow meter, a valve, or the like for measuring the flow rate of the product concentrate.

[0392] As described above, when the water filling device 21 fills the empty bottle 100 with water, foaming in the bottle 100 can be suppressed, so there is little risk that part of the filled liquid will splash out from the mouth of the bottle 100 to the outside. For this reason, the diameter of the water filling nozzle 21a of the water filling device 21 may be larger than the diameter of the concentrate filling nozzle 22c of the concentrate filling device 22. This can shorten the filling time for filling the water. For example, the diameter of the water filling nozzle 21a of the water filling device 21 may be 1.2 times or more and 1.5 times or less than the diameter of the concentrate filling nozzle 22c of the concentrate filling device 22. By making the diameter of the water filling nozzle 21a 1.2 times or more the diameter of the concentrate filling nozzle 22c, the filling time for filling the water can be further shortened. In addition, by making the diameter of the water filling nozzle 21a 1.5 times or less the diameter of the concentrate filling nozzle 22c, the risk that part of the filled liquid will splash out from the mouth of the bottle 100 to the outside can be further reduced. In addition, in order to reduce the number of water filling nozzles 21a in the water filling device 21 and make the water filling device 21 compact, the filling method (close filling, top filling), filling pressure and / or the diameter of the water filling nozzle 21a may be appropriately changed.

[0393] (Seventh Modification) In the above-mentioned embodiment, an example (see FIG. 2C, etc.) has been described in which the circulation system (second circulation system) 95A is composed of the front-stage sterilizer 62A, the third bypass line 95a, the first sterilizer 62, the second sterilizer 64, and the circulation line 95. In this case, the bacteria trapped in the foreign matter removal filter 61 may be periodically sterilized by circulating water in the circulation system 95A with the first ultraviolet lamp 67a, etc., turned on. The sterilization of the bacteria trapped in the foreign matter removal filter 61 may be performed, for example, while the production of the product bottle 101 is stopped. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 17A, one end of the circulation line 95 may be connected between the second sterilizer 64 and the first sterile filter 63, and the other end of the circulation line 95 may be connected to the first water tank 51. In addition, the pressure difference (differential pressure) between the pressure on the upstream side and the pressure on the downstream side of the foreign matter removal filter 61 may be changed by changing the frequency of the pump P1. Then, the pressure difference (differential pressure) between the pressure on the upstream side and the pressure on the downstream side of the foreign matter removal filter 61 may be changed to actively push out the bacteria trapped in the foreign matter removal filter 61 to the downstream side of the foreign matter removal filter 61. Specifically, when bacteria are sterilized by circulating water in the circulation system 95A, the pressure on the upstream side of the foreign matter removal filter 61 may be set to be 0.05 MPa or more higher than the pressure during the manufacture of the product bottle 101, and may be set to be 0.1 MPa or more higher. Furthermore, if there is no problem with the structure of the foreign matter removal filter 61, the bacteria trapped in the foreign matter removal filter 61 may be circulated in the circulation system 95A by backflowing the water, as shown in FIG. 17B. In these cases, the pressure difference between the pressure on the upstream side and the pressure on the downstream side of the foreign matter removal filter 61 is set so that both the positive pressure and the reverse pressure of the foreign matter removal filter 61 do not exceed the maximum allowable pressure. In this way, by periodically sterilizing the bacteria captured in the foreign matter removal filter 61, the sterility of the water sterilized by the water sterilization line 50 can be guaranteed even if the water is sterilized continuously for a long period of time by the water sterilization line 50.

[0394] (Eighth Modification) In the above-mentioned embodiment, an example has been described in which the water sterilization line 50 has the first water tank 51, the water sterilizer 60, and the second water tank 52. In this case, as shown in FIG. 17C, the water sterilization line 50 may have a plurality of (for example, two) water sterilizers 60. As a result, even if one water sterilizer 60 stops or the amount of ultraviolet light irradiation in one water sterilizer 60 decreases, the sterility of water can be guaranteed by the other water sterilizer 60. Also, when one water sterilizer 60 is being cleaned (CIP) or sterilized (SIP), the other water sterilizer 60 can be used to sterilize water. Therefore, the product bottles 101 can be manufactured continuously. Also, for example, when one water sterilizer 60 is being cleaned (CIP) or sterilized (SIP) while the other water sterilizer 60 is being used to clean the inside of the second sterile chamber 70h, etc., it is possible to prevent a shortage of water supplied to the second sterile chamber 70h, etc. In addition, for example, when the first sterile filter 63 of one water sterilizer 60 is sterilized (SIP) or integrity tested while the other water sterilizer 60 is used to clean the inside of the second sterile chamber 70h, etc., it is possible to prevent a shortage of water supplied to the second sterile chamber 70h, etc. In the example shown in FIG. 17C, the configuration of the water sterilizer 60 is the same as the configuration of the water sterilizer 60 shown in FIG. 2A, but this is not limited to this. Although not shown, for example, the water sterilizer 60 may be the water sterilizer 60 shown in FIGS. 2B to 2M. In addition, when the water sterilization line 50 has a plurality of water sterilizers 60, the water sterilizers 60 of the water sterilization line 50 may be different from each other. As an example, the water sterilization line 50 may have the water sterilizer 60 shown in FIG. 2A and the water sterilizer 60 shown in FIG. 2C.

[0395] (Ninth Modification) In the above-mentioned embodiment, the water sterilizer 60 includes the foreign matter removal filter 61, the first sterilizer 62, the first sterile filter 63, the second sterilizer 64, and the second sterile filter 65. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, if the pure water produced by the pure water production apparatus 50a has a high hygiene level and mold is not detected in the first water tank 51, the water sterilizer 60 does not need to include the foreign matter removal filter 61. If the number of bacteria in the first water tank 51 is large, the water sterilizer 60 may further include a third sterilizer (not shown) provided upstream of the foreign matter removal filter 61. In this case, the configuration of the third sterilizer may be substantially the same as that of the first sterilizer 62 shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 6B. That is, the third sterilizer may be a sterilizer that sterilizes water by ultraviolet light.

[0396] (Tenth Modification) In the above-mentioned embodiment, an example has been described in which the UHT 80 has the first-stage heating section 81, the second-stage heating section 82, the holding tube 83, the first-stage cooling section 84, the second-stage cooling section 85, and the third-stage cooling section 86. In this case, as shown in FIG. 18A, the UHT 80 may have a plurality (for example, two) of second-stage heating sections 82, a plurality (for example, two) of holding tubes 83, and a plurality (for example, two) of first-stage cooling sections 84. As a result, even if one of the second-stage heating sections 82, the holding tube 83, or the first-stage cooling section 84 is burnt, the other holding tube 83 can be used to sterilize the product stock solution. That is, when one holding tube 83 is being cleaned (CIP), sterilized (SIP), or cleaned and sterilized (CSIP), the other holding tube 83 can be used to sterilize the product stock solution. For this reason, the product bottles 101 can be continuously manufactured.

[0397] (Eleventh Modification) In the above-mentioned embodiment, the product liquid sterilizer 80 is described as an example of UHT, but is not limited thereto. For example, the product liquid sterilizer 80 may be an ohmic (Joule type) heating sterilizer that directly applies electricity to the product liquid and causes it to generate heat by itself. The product liquid sterilizer 80 may be a sterilizer that sterilizes the product liquid using microwaves (915 MHz, 2450 MHz). In this case, the microwaves may be irradiated from the outside of the pipe through which the product liquid or solids pass. This can increase the temperature of the product liquid or solids, and sterilize the product liquid or solids. In these cases, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the content filling system 10 can also be reduced.

[0398] (Twelfth Modification) In the above-mentioned embodiment, the filling device 20 (water filling device 21 and concentrate filling device 22) is a so-called rotary filler, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the filling device 20 may be a so-called linear type aseptic filling machine that fills water or the like into a container (such as a cup or a paper container) transported by a conveyer. In this case, for example, the container may be filled with sterile water first, and then with the product concentrate. Furthermore, a concentrate filling device 22 that fills the product concentrate or a solid material containing a flavor may be provided downstream of the concentrate filling device 22 that fills the product concentrate. The order in which the sterile water and the product concentrate are filled is not limited to this. For example, the product concentrate may be filled first, and then the sterile water may be filled. Also, as described with reference to FIG. 15, the sterile water and the product concentrate may be filled by one filling nozzle 20a.

[0399] Here, when the filling device 20 is a so-called linear type aseptic filling machine, as shown in FIG. 18B, the content filling system 10 may include a container forming section 150 that forms a container 140 (paper container, carton) from a packaging material 130 (sleeve). This container forming section 150 may be disposed in the eleventh aseptic chamber 70r. A conveyor 125 for transporting the container 140 may be provided in this eleventh aseptic chamber 70r. The content filling system 10 may also include a sterilizing agent spraying nozzle 11A, an air rinse nozzle 160, a folding section 170, a heating section 180, and a sealing section 190. Among these, the sterilizing agent spraying nozzle 11A is a nozzle that sprays a sterilizing agent on the inner and outer surfaces of the container 140. The air rinse nozzle 160 is a nozzle that blows aseptic air onto the inner surface of the container 140. The folding unit 170 is a unit for folding the container 140. The heating unit 180 is a unit for heating the container 140. The sealing unit 190 is a unit for sealing the container 140. The sterilant spray nozzle 11A, the air rinse nozzle 160, the water filling device 21, the concentrate filling device 22, the folding unit 170, the heating unit 180, and the sealing unit 190 may be arranged in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side, or from the upstream side to the downstream side, along the conveying direction of the container 140. In such a content filling system 10, water and the undiluted product may be simultaneously filled into one container 140 from the water filling nozzle 21a and the concentrate filling nozzle 22c. The order in which the water and the undiluted product are filled into the bottle 100 may be changed as appropriate, taking into consideration foaming in the bottle 100, ease of mixing of the water and the undiluted product, production capacity, etc. Also, as described with reference to Fig. 15, sterile water and the undiluted product may be filled by one filling nozzle 20a.

[0400] In addition, the content filling system 10 may be a so-called roll-supply type aseptic filling system, instead of an aseptic filling system that forms a container 140 from a packaging material 130 (sleeve). The roll-supply type aseptic filling system is, for example, a filling system that forms a container (paper container or pouch) from a packaging material supplied in a roll form and fills the formed container with a content. In this case, as shown in FIG. 18C, a packaging material 200 supplied in a roll form is first sterilized by being immersed in a sterilizing liquid (e.g., hydrogen peroxide) in a sterilization tank 201. Note that both sides of the packaging material may be sterilized by spraying a sterilizing gas or mist onto both sides of the packaging material, and then drying and removing the sterilizing agent with hot air. Alternatively, both sides of the packaging material may be sterilized by irradiating both sides of the packaging material with an electron beam. Next, in a forming section 202, a predetermined process is performed on the packaging material, and a container (paper container or pouch) 203 is formed. In the illustrated example, the paper container 203 is formed in the forming unit 202 by subjecting the packaging material to processing such as heat sealing. At this time, water and the product concentrate may be filled simultaneously from the water filling nozzle 21a and the concentrate filling nozzle 22c. Although not shown, as explained with reference to FIG. 15, sterile water and the product concentrate may be filled from one filling nozzle 20a. Thereafter, the paper container 203 is cut into a predetermined shape in the forming unit 202 to obtain a product containing the contents.

[0401] (13th Modification) In the above-described embodiment, the case has been described in which sterilization devices that perform hydrogen peroxide sterilization are used as the preform sterilization device and the container sterilization device, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the sterilization device that performs hydrogen peroxide sterilization may be either a preform sterilization device or a container sterilization device. In addition, the preform sterilization device and the container sterilization device may be sterilization devices that perform a peracetic acid sterilization method in which the inner and outer surfaces of the bottle are sterilized with a peracetic acid solution (or gas, mist, or a mixture thereof) and then the inner and outer surfaces are rinsed with sterile water. Alternatively, the preform sterilization device and the container sterilization device may be sterilization devices that use peracetic acid, acetic acid, pernitric acid, nitric acid, sodium hypochlorite, chlorine, caustic soda, etc. alone as a sterilizing agent other than hydrogen peroxide or ethanol, or may be sterilization devices that use a sterilizing agent that is a combination of two or more of these. In addition, the sterilization device may be used not only to sterilize bottles but also to sterilize cups, pouches, paper containers, or a combination of these. Furthermore, the preform sterilization device may sterilize the preforms by chemical spray, chemical rinse, steam, sterile water, sterile air, electron beam, X-ray, or ultraviolet light. Similarly, the container sterilization device may sterilize the container with chemical sprays, chemical rinses, steam, sterile water, sterile air, electron beams, x-rays, or ultraviolet light.

[0402] (14th Modification) In the above-mentioned embodiment, the content filling system 10 is described as including the bottle molding unit 30, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the content filling system may be configured to sequentially receive molded empty bottles 100 from the outside by air conveyance or the like, and convey the received bottles 100 toward the sterilization device 11. In this case as well, the above-mentioned effects can be obtained.

[0403] (15th Modification) In the above-mentioned embodiment, the content filling system 10 is described as a system for filling the bottle 100 with the content, but the present invention is not limited to this. The content filling system 10 according to the present embodiment can also be applied to a filling system for filling a container such as a cup with a so-called chilled beverage such as a milk beverage. In this case, the amount of carbon dioxide discharged when preparing the content can be reduced compared to the case where the product concentrate is diluted with sterile water prepared using a sterilizer that heats and sterilizes water. Therefore, the amount of carbon dioxide discharged by the content filling system 10 can be reduced. In addition, when the content is a milk beverage or the like, the number of bacteria in the product concentrate may be large. In this way, even if the number of bacteria in the product concentrate is large, the product concentrate is heat sterilized. Therefore, even if the content is a milk beverage or the like, the sterility of the content can be sufficiently ensured. In addition, in the content filling system 10 according to the present embodiment, any liquid that requires sterilization (for example, a seasoning, an alcoholic beverage, a milk beverage, etc.) may be filled into the container.

[0404] (16th Modification) In the above-described embodiment, the content filling system 10 is described as a system for filling the bottle 100 with the content, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the content filling system 10 may be a filling system (so-called Blow-Fill-Seal (BFS)) that molds the bottle 100 from the preform 100a by filling the preform 100a with water (or a product concentrate or content).

[0405] 18D1, a part of the filling device 20 (in the illustrated example, the water filling device 21) may be incorporated in the bottle molding section 30. Although not illustrated, for example, in the case where a bottle 100 is molded from a preform 100a by filling the preform 100a with a product concentrate, a concentrate filling device 22 may be incorporated in the bottle molding section 30.

[0406] 18D1, in the preform conveying section 31 of the bottle molding section 30, the preform sterilizer 34a may be provided downstream of the heating section 35. The preform sterilizer 34a may be configured to sterilize the preforms 100a heated by the heating section 35. The preform sterilizer 34a may be disposed in the twelfth aseptic chamber 70s.

[0407] In this modification, pressurized water can be filled into the sterilized preform 100a in the water filling device 21. This allows the molding of the bottle 100 and the filling of the bottle 100 with water to be carried out simultaneously.

[0408] In this modified example, the filling device 20 has the water filling device 21 connected to the water sterilization line 50 and the concentrate filling device 22 connected to the concentrate sterilization line 70, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 18D2, the content filling system 10 may have a single filling device 20. In this case, as described with reference to FIG. 13, a mixing tank 57 for mixing water and the product concentrate may be interposed between the water sterilization line 50 and the concentrate sterilization line 70 and the filling device 20. Although not shown, as described with reference to FIG. 14 and FIG. 15, the mixing tank 57 for mixing water and the product concentrate may not be interposed between the water sterilization line 50 and the concentrate sterilization line 70 and the filling device 20. In these cases, the sterilized preform 100a may be filled with pressurized content (or water or product concentrate) in the filling device 20. This allows the molding of the bottle 100 and the filling of the content, etc. into the bottle 100 to be performed simultaneously.

[0409] (17th Modification) Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the water sterilizer 60 has been described as sterilizing water having an electrical conductivity of 0.1 μS / cm or more and 20 μS / cm or less, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the water sterilized by the water sterilizer 60 may be water having an electrical conductivity of more than 20 μS / cm. In this case, the water may be tap water or well water. In other words, the water sterilized by the water sterilizer 60 may be used not only as raw water for soft drinks, but also as mineral water, purified water used as pharmaceutical water, water for injection, etc. When sterilizing pharmaceutical water, etc., it is necessary to inactivate or reduce endotoxins in addition to bacteria. In this case, the cumulative dose of ultraviolet light irradiated on the water is 500 mJ / cm. 2 This makes it possible to inactivate or reduce endotoxin.

[0410] In this modification, as shown in FIG. 18E, the water sterilization line 50 may have a front-stage water tank 50d that is provided upstream of the first water tank 51 and stores water (tap water, well water, etc.). When the water sterilizer 60 sterilizes tap water, etc., inorganic matter (oxides such as calcium) may adhere to the surface of the quartz sleeve (for example, a surface made of quartz glass) that protects the first ultraviolet lamp 67a, etc. If inorganic matter adheres to the surface of the quartz sleeve of the first ultraviolet lamp 67a, etc., the intensity (irradiation amount) of ultraviolet light in the water sterilizer 60 may decrease. For this reason, when the intensity (irradiation amount) of ultraviolet light in the water sterilizer 60 decreases, it is preferable to remove inorganic matter adhered to the surface of the quartz sleeve by cleaning (CIP) and sterilizing (SIP) the water sterilizer 60.

[0411] In this case, as described with reference to FIG. 17C, the water sterilization line 50 may have a plurality of (for example, two) water sterilizers 60. In this way, while one water sterilizer 60 is being cleaned (CIP) or sterilized (SIP), the other water sterilizer 60 can be used to sterilize water. This allows the product bottles 101 to be manufactured continuously. When the water sterilizer 60 is cleaned (CIP) and sterilized (SIP), the sterilizing agent or cleaning agent may not pass through the foreign matter removal filter 61 and the first sterilizing filter 63. That is, as described with reference to FIG. 2B and FIG. 2C, the sterilizing agent or cleaning agent may pass through the third bypass line 95a and the fourth bypass line 95b to clean and sterilize only the first sterilizer 62 and the second sterilizer 64.

[0412] (Modification of the sterilization method for the content filling system) Next, a modified example of the sterilization method for the content filling system will be described.

[0413] (First Modification) In the above-described embodiment, the chamber sterilization method is described as an example in which the COP step (reference number S12 in FIG. 9), the CIP step (reference number S13 in FIG. 9), the SIP step (reference number S14 in FIG. 9), and the SOP step (reference number S15 in FIG. 9) are performed in this order, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in FIG. 19, in the chamber sterilization method, after the rinsing step (reference number S310 in FIG. 19), the COP step (reference number S320 in FIG. 19) and the CIP step (reference number S330 in FIG. 19) may be performed simultaneously. In addition, after the COP step and the CIP step, the SIP step (reference number S340 in FIG. 19) and the SOP step (reference number S350 in FIG. 19) may be performed simultaneously. This can significantly reduce downtime and improve productivity of the product bottle 101.

[0414] Also, as shown in FIG. 20, in the chamber sterilization method, after the rinsing step (reference S41 in FIG. 20), a CSOP step (reference S42 in FIG. 20) in which a COP step and an SOP step are performed simultaneously, and a CSIP step (reference S43 in FIG. 20) in which a CIP step and an SIP step are performed simultaneously may be performed simultaneously. In this case, for example, during the CSOP step, a cleaning agent having a temperature of 70° C. or higher is preferably sprayed into the intermediate area chamber 70g and the second sterile chamber 70h for at least 1 minute or more, more preferably for 5 minutes or more. This cleans and sterilizes the inner wall surfaces of the intermediate area chamber 70g and the like and the surfaces of the equipment such as the filling device 20. Also, for example, during the CSIP step, the flow path of the product concentrate in the concentrate filling device 22 is rinsed with sterile water, and a cleaning agent having a temperature of 70° C. or higher is supplied to a circulation path (not shown) including the flow path. Then, the cleaning agent is preferably circulated in the circulation path for at least 5 minutes or more, more preferably for 10 minutes or more. This sterilizes the flow path of the concentrate product in the concentrate filling device 22. Even in this case, downtime can be significantly reduced, and the productivity of the product bottles 101 can be improved.

[0415] Also, in this modified example, the number of times the first sterile chamber 70f is cleaned and sterilized can be reduced, and the area to be cleaned and sterilized can be narrowed in the content filling system 10. Also, the number of times the filling device 20 housed inside the first sterile chamber 70f is cleaned and sterilized can be reduced, and the area to be cleaned and sterilized can be narrowed in the content filling system 10. This allows for a reduction in the amount of steam and the like used. Furthermore, because the area to be cleaned and sterilized can be narrowed, the cleaning time and sterilization time can be shortened. This allows for a reduction in the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the content filling system 10.

[0416] In addition, when the CSIP process, which is a simultaneous CIP process and SIP process, is performed, it is necessary to rinse the used cleaning agent after the CSIP process while maintaining the inside of the concentrate filling device 22 and the like in a sterile state. In this case, by using water sterilized in the water sterilization line 50 for rinsing, the amount of carbon dioxide discharged from the content filling system 10 can be reduced. In addition, since the water sterilized in the water sterilization line 50 can be stored in the second water tank 52, the cleaning agent can be rinsed immediately after the CSIP process. This reduces downtime. It is preferable that the flow path from the second water tank 52 to the sterile area where the CSIP process and the CSOP process are performed is cleaned (CIP) and sterilized (SIP) before rinsing the cleaning agent after the CSIP process. In this case, for example, a cleaning agent or a disinfectant may be supplied to the second bypass line 56 from a connection point CP1 (see FIG. 1 and FIG. 2A, etc.) that connects the second bypass line 56 to the water sterilization line 50, and the above flow path may be sterilized by steam, hot water, or the like.

[0417] (Second Modification) In the above-mentioned embodiment, when the first sterilizer 62 of the water sterilizer 60 is sterilized, the first sterilizer 62 may be sterilized with sterilized water, for example, when the first sterilizer 62 is weak against heat and / or has low resistance to chemicals. In this case, the sterilized water may be water sterilized by ultraviolet rays inside the first sterilizer 62. The control unit 90 may circulate the sterilized water in the circulation system 59A (see FIG. 2A, etc.) including the water sterilizer 60, thereby gradually reducing the number of bacteria in the circulating water and sterilizing the first sterilizer 62. In this case, the control unit 90 may circulate the sterilized water in the circulation system 59A at least three times, and preferably 10 times or more.

[0418] In this modification, first, the first sterile filter 63 and the second sterile filter 65 are sterilized (SIP) (SIP step, reference numeral S231 in FIG. 21). In this case, it is preferable that the foreign matter removal filter 61 has also been sterilized (SIP) with steam in advance.

[0419] Next, water is supplied to the circulation system 59A including the water sterilizer 60 (water supply step, reference symbol S232 in FIG. 21). At this time, first, pure water is transported by the pump P1. At this time, the pure water adjusted to a predetermined temperature (e.g., 25°C) by a heat exchanger or the like (not shown) is supplied to the first sterile filter 63 etc. This wets the membrane of the first sterile filter 63 etc. Then, the pump P1 is stopped.

[0420] Next, an integrity test is performed on at least one of the first sterile filter 63 and the second sterile filter 65 (integrity test step, reference symbol S233 in FIG. 21). During the integrity test, a valve (not shown) near the first sterile filter 63 etc. is closed, and sterile air is supplied to the first sterile filter 63 etc. Then, the sterile air supplied to the first sterile filter 63 etc. is gradually pressurized, and the bubble point value of the first sterile filter 63 etc. is measured. Thereafter, based on the results of the bubble point values ​​measured multiple times (for example, three times), it is confirmed whether the first sterile filter 63 etc. is complete (whether sterile air is leaking at a predetermined pressure). Note that if the first sterile filter 63 etc. is confirmed to be incomplete in the integrity test, the first sterile filter 63 etc. is replaced.

[0421] Next, the water is sterilized inside the first sterilizer 62 etc. (water sterilization step, reference symbol S234 in FIG. 21). At this time, first, pure water is transported by the pump P1. Then, after the inside of the first sterilizer 62 etc. is filled with water, the water is irradiated with ultraviolet rays by the first ultraviolet lamp 67a etc. In this case, the irradiation time (sterilization time) for irradiating ultraviolet rays is preferably 10 seconds or more and 30 minutes or less. At this time, the illuminance of the ultraviolet rays irradiated from the first ultraviolet lamp 67a etc. may be checked. Then, if the illuminance of the ultraviolet rays irradiated from the first ultraviolet lamp 67a etc. is abnormal, the first ultraviolet lamp 67a etc. may be replaced.

[0422] Here, the operating temperature of the medium pressure mercury lamp is about 600°C or more and 900°C or less. Therefore, when the first ultraviolet lamp 67a, etc. are medium pressure mercury lamps, it is preferable to irradiate the water with ultraviolet rays while transporting the water by the pump P1. This can prevent the first ultraviolet lamp 67a, etc. from overheating. At this time, the water irradiated with ultraviolet rays may be stored in, for example, the second water tank 52. Alternatively, the water irradiated with ultraviolet rays may be circulated in the circulation system 59A. When the water irradiated with ultraviolet rays is circulated in the circulation system 59A, the sterility level of the water can be increased.

[0423] On the other hand, the operating temperature of a low-pressure mercury lamp is about 40° C. or more and 100° C. or less. Therefore, when the first ultraviolet lamp 67a etc. are low-pressure mercury lamps, ultraviolet rays may be irradiated onto the water with the pump P1 stopped.

[0424] Next, the sterilized water is circulated in circulation system 59A including water sterilizer 60 (water circulation step, reference symbol S235 in FIG. 21). At this time, the water irradiated with ultraviolet light passes through second sterile filter 65. Then, the pure water that has passed through second sterile filter 65 is supplied to first water tank 51 via circulation line 59. In this way, the sterilized pure water circulates within circulation system 59A.

[0425] Thereafter, the sterilized water may be circulated at least once or more, preferably three or more times, in the circulation system 59A. By circulating the pure water three or more times in the circulation system 59A in this manner, the sterilization effect of the first sterilizer 62 and the like by the water can be improved. In this case, the cumulative dose of ultraviolet light irradiated on the circulating sterilized water is at least 100 mJ / cm2. 2 More than 3000mJ / cm 2 It is preferable that the concentration is less than 1000 mJ / cm 2 More than 3000mJ / cm 2 It is more preferable that the cumulative dose of ultraviolet light applied to the circulating water is 100 mJ / cm2 or less. 2By setting the ultraviolet ray irradiation amount at 3000 mJ / cm or more, the sterilization effect of the ultraviolet ray can be improved. 2 By satisfying the above-mentioned condition, it is possible to reduce electricity consumption and the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the content filling system 10.

[0426] In this manner, the first sterilizer 62 etc. are sterilized.

[0427] Also, the first sterilizer 62 etc. may be sterilized, for example, by a cleaning agent. In this case, the first sterilizer 62 etc. may be sterilized by supplying the cleaning agent only to the first sterilizer 62 and the second sterilizer 64. The cleaning agent may be, for example, a cleaning agent containing peracetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, an alkaline agent, an acid agent, sodium hypochlorite, etc. Thereafter, the first sterilizer 62 etc. may be rinsed with the sterile water by supplying the sterile water to the circulation system 59A from the second water tank 52 in which the sterile water has been stored in advance.

[0428] According to this modification, the control unit 90 sterilizes the first sterilizer 62 by circulating sterilized water in a circulation system 59A including the water sterilizer 60. By sterilizing the first sterilizer 62 in this manner without using steam, hot water or a heated sterilizing agent, it is possible to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the content filling system 10 and to reduce the cost of sterilizing the water sterilizer 60.

[0429] Moreover, according to this modification, the water is sterilized by ultraviolet light inside the first sterilizer 62. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the content filling system, compared to when the water is sterilized by heating it.

[0430] It is also possible to combine the multiple components disclosed in the above embodiment and modified examples as necessary. Alternatively, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the above embodiment and modified examples. [Explanation of symbols]

[0431] 10 Contents filling system 11 Sterilizer 18 Cap sterilizer 20 Filling equipment 20a Filling nozzle 21 Water filling device 21a Water filling nozzle 22 Stock solution filling device 22a 1st stock solution filling device 22b 2nd stock solution filling device 22c Concentrate filling nozzle 32 Blow Molding Section 34a Preform sterilization equipment 50 Water sterilization line 51 First Water Tank 52 Second Water Tank 55 First Bypass Line 57 Mixing Tank 58b Sniftline 60 water sterilizer 70 Stock solution sterilization line 71 First concentrate tank 72 Second concentrate tank 75 Addition Unit 80 Product stock solution sterilizer 88 Cap 90 Control section 100 bottles 100a Preform P packing

Claims

[Claim 1] A water sterilization line that sterilizes water without heating; A stock solution sterilization line that heats and sterilizes the stock solution; a filling device connected to the water sterilization line and the concentrate sterilization line, respectively, for filling the water and the concentrate product into containers; A control unit that controls the water sterilization line, The water sterilization line sterilizes the water by ultraviolet light, The water sterilization line has at least a water sterilizer that sterilizes the water, The water sterilizer includes at least a sterile filter, The control unit discharges the water to the outside of the water sterilization line when a pressure difference between the upstream pressure and the downstream pressure of the sterilization filter becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value, The content filling system, wherein the container is a can.

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