Filling device and filling method

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a filling device and a filling method capable of efficiently performing a filling operation without wasting a filling liquid as much as possible. 【Solution means】The filling device 100 according to the present invention includes a supply pipe portion 10 through which a filling liquid is supplied from one end 11 side, a pump 20 that pumps the filling liquid, and a control portion that controls at least the pump 20. The other end 12 of the supply pipe portion 10 is connected to the filling container 90 via a pipe member including a main connector 36 or directly. The control portion has a supply control for pumping the filling liquid in a direction to fill the filling container 90 and a liquid return control for pumping the filling liquid in a direction opposite to the supply control.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a filling device and a filling method for filling a filling container with a predetermined amount of filling liquid.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a filling system has been used to fill a filling container such as a bag with a predetermined amount of a fluid product such as a manufactured chemical solution. The filling system disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a mechanism for holding a filling container, a pump for pumping the supplied filling liquid, and a pipe connected to the filling container. The filling system of Patent Document 1 is a sterile filling system, and a filling container having a pipe on the container side is used.

[0003] Before starting filling, an operator connects the container-side pipe of the filling container to the pipe on the filling system side. Then, the operator starts filling. The filling liquid is filled with a filling amount within a predetermined range based on a specified amount. When a predetermined amount of filling liquid is filled into the filling container, the operator clamps, welds, and cuts a predetermined portion of the container-side pipe of the filling container. When filling of the filling container is completed, the operator replaces the filling container and repeats the filling operation.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, since the filling liquid is sent to the filling container through the pipe, the filling liquid remains in the pipe at the end of filling. In particular, in the filling container used in the aseptic filling system, the filling liquid remains in both the pipes on the filling system side and the filling container side at the end of filling. After the filling is completed, since the pipe was cut with the filling liquid remaining in it, the filling liquid in the pipe was wasted. In particular, in the pharmaceutical and bio fields, since the fluid products such as the chemical solutions to be handled are expensive, it is desirable not to waste even a small amount. This point was not considered in the conventional filling system.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a filling device and a filling method capable of efficiently performing a filling operation without wasting the filling liquid as much as possible.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] A filling device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a supply pipe section to which the filling liquid is supplied from one end side, a pump for pumping the filling liquid, and a control section for controlling at least the pump, the other end of the supply pipe section is connected to the filling container via a pipe member including a main connector, or directly, the control section has a supply control for pumping the filling liquid in a direction to fill the filling container, and a liquid return control for pumping the filling liquid in a direction opposite to the supply control.

[0008] According to the filling device of an embodiment of the present invention, the filling operation can be efficiently performed without wasting the filling liquid as much as possible.

[0009] A filling method using the filling device according to an embodiment of the present invention the filling device includes a supply pipe section to which the filling liquid is supplied from one end side, a pump for pumping the filling liquid, and a control section for controlling at least the pump, The other end of the supply pipe section is connected to the filling container either via a pipe member including a main connector or directly. The filling method includes a filling step of supplying the filling liquid to the filling container via the supply pipe section, and after the filling step is performed, a liquid return step of pumping the filling liquid in a direction opposite to that during the filling step.

[0010] According to the filling method of an embodiment of the present invention, the filling liquid can be used efficiently without being wasted as much as possible, and the filling operation can be performed efficiently.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] <Embodiment> Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a filling device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIGS. 1 and 2 are a front view and a right side view of the filling device 100, respectively. The filling device 100 is a device that fills a filling container 90 with a predetermined amount of a filling liquid. The filling liquid is a liquid substance and has fluidity. The filling liquid includes a liquid and a suspension in which fine particles and the like are dispersed in the liquid. The filling liquid includes, for example, a liquid such as a chemical solution used in the medical field, the bio field, etc., fine particles, microorganisms, a suspension in which solids such as cells are dispersed in the liquid, and the like.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the filling device 100 includes a supply pipe section 10 that supplies a filling liquid from a supply source 1 to the filling device 100, an extension pipe section 14, a pump 20, an air supply section 30, a main connector 36, a connection pipe section 40, an air discharge section 50, a gantry 80, and a control section (not shown).

[0014] Referring to FIG. 1, a filling container 90 that can be used with the filling device 100 will be described. The filling container 90 is a container into which a predetermined amount of filling liquid can be injected and stored inside. The filling container 90 can be of a desired shape such as a flexible and closed bag shape, a cylindrical shape, a rectangular parallelepiped shape, etc. The filling container 90 is formed of, for example, resin or the like. FIG. 1 shows a bag-shaped filling container 90 connected to the filling device 100. The filling container 90, as well as the pipes and connectors included in the supply pipe section 10, the extension pipe section 14, the air supply section 30, the main connector 36, and the connection pipe section 40, may be single-use and not reused. Any shaped filling container 90 is provided with a container pipe 93 that communicates the inside and outside of the container body 91. The container pipe 93 is attached through a connection portion 92 formed on the outer surface of the container body 91. The container pipe 93 has a coupling 94 at the end of the container pipe 93 that protrudes from the container body 91. The container pipe 93 is formed of a thermoplastic elastomer tube. The inner and outer diameter sizes of the container pipe 93 can be appropriately selected. For example, the outer diameter is about 12.7 mm (1 / 2 inch) and the inner diameter is about 9.5 mm (3 / 8 inch).

[0015] In the case of the filling container 90 formed in a bag shape of soft resin, the state before the filling liquid is filled is a flat shape that is folded except for the container pipe 93 that protrudes from the container body 91, and no gas such as air is enclosed inside. The capacity of the filling container 90 can be appropriately selected, for example, 12 liters. The filling container 90 may be a filling container 90 formed in a cylindrical shape of hard resin and having a container pipe 93. When the filling of the filling container 90 is completed, as is well known, the filling container 90 is sealed by welding at the middle part of the container pipe 93, and the container pipe 93 is cut off.

[0016] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the pedestal 80 will be described. The pedestal 80 is a member that holds the components of the filling device 100 such as the air supply unit 30, the connection pipe unit 40, and the filling container 90. The pedestal 80 is configured to be able to fill the filling liquid while connecting and holding one or two or more filling containers 90. The pedestal 80 is, for example, a rack formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and includes a lower plate 81, an upper plate 82, a plurality of column members disposed therebetween, and a plurality of shelf plates 83 disposed horizontally. The pedestal 80 of the present embodiment has three shelf plates 83 arranged in the vertical direction each, and together with the lower plate 81, has two columns capable of arranging four filling containers 90 in the vertical direction, and a total of eight filling containers 90 can be connected and held. The pedestal 80 may be configured to be able to connect and hold only one filling container 90. Alternatively, the pedestal 80 may be configured to be able to connect and hold any number of two or more filling containers 90 in the vertical direction. The pedestal 80 has four or more casters 85, and an operator can easily move it. Therefore, the operator can easily move and store the pedestal 80 with the filling container 90 attached or the pedestal 80 alone in a constant temperature bath such as a refrigerator or a freezer.

[0017] The pedestal 80 has a weight measurement unit 84. The weight measurement unit 84 is a member capable of measuring the weight of the filling container 90. The weight measurement units 84 are each installed at each mounting position of the filling container 90 on the lower plate 81 and the shelf plate 83, and in the embodiment of FIG. 1, it has a total of eight weight measurement units 84. The weight measurement unit 84 is communicably connected to the control unit, and the control unit can measure the weight at each time point before the start of filling, during filling, and after the end of filling.

[0018] Referring to FIG. 1, the supply pipe section 10 will be described. The supply pipe section 10 is a pipe member for supplying a filling liquid. The filling liquid is supplied from one end 11 which is the end on the supply source 1 side of the supply pipe section 10. One end 11 of the supply pipe section 10 is provided with an opening / closing valve 13 and is arranged on the supply source 1. The other end 12 of the supply pipe section 10 is connected to an intermediate part of the air supply section 30. The pipe portion of the supply pipe section 10 is formed of a thermoplastic elastomer tube. The supply pipe section 10 may be formed by connecting two or more pipes or the like in series. Also, a connector may be connected in the middle as necessary. Further, a connector such as a three-way connector is provided on the one end 11 side of the supply pipe section 10 and branched, and a plurality of pipe portions connected to the connector are respectively arranged on different supply sources 1. As soon as one supply source 1 becomes empty, the opening / closing valves 12 provided in the respective pipe portions are opened and closed, and it may be configured to switch to another supply source 1.

[0019] Referring to FIG. 1, the pump 20 will be described. The pump 20 is a known pump for pumping a filling liquid and is provided in the supply pipe section 10. The pump 20 is arranged at one end 11, the other end 12 of the supply pipe section 10, or between them. The pump 20 can selectively pump the filling liquid in either the forward direction from the supply source 1 to the filling container 90 or the reverse direction from the filling container 90 to the supply source 1 under the control of the control section.

[0020] Referring to FIG. 1, the air supply section 30 will be described. The air supply section 30 is a member for supplying air to the connection pipe section 40. The air supply section 30 has a pipe 31, an air supply device 34, and an air supply valve 35. The pipe 31 has one end 32 and the other end 33 and is formed of a thermoplastic elastomer tube. The air supply device 34 is connected to the other end 33. The air supply valve 35 is connected between the one end 32 and the other end 33. The one end 32 is connected to the main connector 36. The main connector 36 can use a four-way connector, a three-way connector, etc., and is appropriately selected according to the number of pipes to be connected.

[0021] The air supply device 34 is a device that supplies air into the pipe 31. The air supply device 34 is, for example, an air introducer with a filter that includes a filter (not shown) and filters and introduces ambient air. The filter of the air supply device 34 is a sterile filter that allows air to pass through while filtering microorganisms, fine particles, etc. in the air, and can retain the filling liquid in the pipe 31 without allowing it to pass through. In addition to the above configuration, the air supply device 34 may be a storage device such as a container or a tank that stores air at normal pressure or high pressure inside without introducing air from the outside. The air supply valve 35 is a member that allows or stops the flow of air and the filling liquid in the pipe 31. The air supply valve 35 is, for example, a pinch valve that controls the flow by pressing a part of the pipe 31 from the outside. The air supply device 34 is provided with a three-way connector 37 between one end 32 and the air supply valve 35, and the other end 12 of the supply pipe section 10 is connected thereto.

[0022] The air supply section 30 is arranged such that the entire air supply section 30 is lower than the main connector 36. By arranging it in such a way, the filling liquid can smoothly flow by gravity from the connection pipe section 40 into the air supply section 30. Also, the air supply device 34 is arranged at the lowest position. The air supply section 30 is arranged such that it becomes lower as it approaches the air supply device 34 from one end 32 to the air supply device 34. By arranging the height position of the entire air supply section 30 as described above, the filling liquid can more easily flow from the connection pipe section 40 into the air supply section 30.

[0023] Referring to FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, the connection pipe section 40 will be described. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 1 and is a partial sectional view with a part of the connection pipe section 40 enlarged. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of part B of FIG. 1 and shows the states during and after filling. The connection pipe section 40 is a member that connects the filling container 90 and injects the filling liquid into the filling container 90. The connection pipe section 40 has a pipe 41, a coupling 44, and a filling valve 45. A filling valve 45 is provided at one end 42 of the pipe 41. The other end 43 of the pipe 41 has a coupling 44 corresponding to the coupling 94 of the filling container 90. The filling container 90 is attached to the filling device 100 by fitting the coupling 94 into the coupling 44. The pipe 41 is formed of a thermoplastic elastomer tube. The inner and outer diameter sizes of the pipe 41 can be appropriately selected. For example, the outer diameter is about 9.5 mm (3 / 8 inch) and the inner diameter is about 6.4 mm (1 / 4 inch).

[0024] Referring to FIG. 3, the structure of the filling valve 45 of the connection pipe section 40 will be described. The filling valve 45 is a member that closes or releases the connection pipe section 40 to allow or stop the flow of the filling liquid and air. The filling valve 45 is, for example, a pinch valve that controls the flow of the filling liquid by pressing a part of the pipe 41. The filling valve 45 constituted by the pinch valve has a valve body 46, a clamping portion 47, and a plunger 48. The pipe 41 is sandwiched and attached between the valve body 46 and the clamping portion 47. As shown in FIG. 3, when the filling valve 45 is in an open state where it does not close the connection pipe section 40, the filling liquid can flow through the pipe 41. When driving air is applied to the pressure receiving surface 49 of the plunger 48, the pressed plunger 48 moves toward the pipe 41 side. Thereby, the pipe 41 is sandwiched between the plunger 48 and the clamping portion 47 and the pipe 41 is pressed, and the filling valve 45 closes the connection pipe section 40 and enters a closed state. Therefore, the flow of the filling liquid is stopped. Since the pinch valve can control the flow without directly contacting any member with the filling liquid flowing in the pipe 41, the filling liquid can be easily blocked while maintaining the aseptic state of the filling liquid.

[0025] The filling valve 45 is held by a support member 86 fixed to the gantry 80. The support member 86 has one or more adjustment parts 87 for each filling valve 45. The adjustment part 87 is, for example, an elongated hole provided along the vertical direction as shown in FIG. 4. Each filling valve 45 is held at a desired height position of the adjustment part 87 by one or more position holding devices 88 provided on the filling valve 45. The position holding device 88 is, for example, a bolt and a corresponding nut. The bolt is passed through the adjustment part 87 and the nut is attached, and the filling valve 45 is held with the support member 86 sandwiched therebetween. Since the filling device 100 has the position holding device 88, the height of the filling valve 45 can be held at an arbitrary position within the range of the adjustment part 87 according to the height position of the connection part 92, which varies depending on the shape and size of the filling container 90 when the filling container 90 is placed on each shelf of the filling device 100. Thereby, the filling device 100 can use a plurality of types of filling containers 90 having different shapes and / or capacities.

[0026] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the extension pipe part 14 will be described. The extension pipe part 14 is a member that supplies the filling liquid supplied from the supply pipe part 10 farther from the main connector 36. One end 15 of the extension pipe part 14 is connected to the main connector 36, and it extends upward and is vertically arranged so that it becomes higher from one end 15 toward the other end 16. One or more connection pipe parts 40 are connected to the extension pipe part 14, and each connection pipe part 40 has one filling container 90 connected thereto. The extension pipe part 14 has one or more plurality of pipe parts and sub-connectors 17 connecting them. The sub-connector 17 is a four-port connector, a three-port connector, or a four-port connector with one part sealed, etc., and is appropriately selected according to the number of pipes to be connected.

[0027] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the air discharge unit 50 will be described. The air discharge unit 50 is connected to the other end 16 of the extension pipe unit 14. The air discharge unit 50 is a device that discharges unnecessary air for filling existing inside the supply pipe unit 10, the extension pipe unit 14, etc. at the start of the filling operation or the like. The air discharge unit 50 has a pipe 51, an air discharge valve 55 provided at one end 52 of the pipe 51, and an air discharge device 54 provided at the other end 53 of the pipe 51. The air discharge device 51 is, for example, a bag, container, or tank made of resin or the like that can store the discharged air inside. When starting the filling operation, the control unit opens the air discharge valve 55 and controls the pump 20 so that the filling liquid flows in the forward direction. Then, the unnecessary air existing inside the supply pipe unit 10, the extension pipe unit 14, etc. is pushed by the filling liquid and discharged to the air discharge device 54. Thereby, unnecessary air injected into the filling container 90 together with the filling liquid can be reduced, and the volume of the filling container 90 after filling can be minimized.

[0028] Referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, each step of filling a filling container 90 with a predetermined amount of filling liquid by the filling device 100 will be described. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of part B in FIG. 1 similar to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 shows the states during filling and at the end of filling, and FIG. 5 shows the states during and at the end of liquid return control. FIG. 6 is a work flow diagram of the filling operation. Hereinafter, the following three cases where the number of filling containers 90 and the filling method are different will be described. The three cases are: [Filling operation procedure 1] When filling one filling container 90, [Filling operation procedure 2] When filling a plurality of filling containers 90 simultaneously, and [Filling operation procedure 3] When filling a plurality of filling containers 90 one by one continuously. The operator can select any one of filling operation procedures 1 to 3 at the start of filling and set it in the filling device 100.

[0029] [Filling operation procedure 1] The operator turns on the power switch provided in the control unit (STEP101, power-on step).

[0030] Attach the filling container 90, as well as the pipes and connectors included in the supply pipe section 10, the extension pipe section 14, the air supply section 30, and the connection pipe section 40 (STEP102, attachment step). The operator places the filling container 90 on the weight measurement section 84 and connects the coupling 94 to the coupling 44 of the connection pipe section 40.

[0031] Measure the weight of the filling container 90 (STEP103, weight measurement step). The operator operates the control unit, and the control unit measures the weight of the filling container 90 before filling by the weight measurement section 84. The measured weight of each filling container 90 is recorded as the tare weight.

[0032] Perform zero point adjustment of the weight measurement section 84 (STEP104, zero point adjustment step). With the filling container 90 attached, the operator operates the control unit to adjust the zero point of each weight measurement section 84. The control unit sends a command to each weight measurement section 84 to set the output value of each weight measurement section 84 to 0 g with the filling container 90 attached. When filling a plurality of filling containers 90, the corresponding plurality of weight measurement sections 84 are adjusted simultaneously.

[0033] Determine the filling target weight range (STEP105, filling target determination step). Set the state with the filling container 90 attached as 0 g, and set the weight error range of the filling amount of the filling liquid as the filling target weight range. The weight of a predetermined amount of filling liquid is determined by the type of filling liquid and the filling amount. Those numerical values are stored in the control unit for each type of filling liquid, and the operator can set them by selecting appropriate numerical values. Alternatively, the operator can directly input numerical values into the control unit, and the control unit can store the input numerical values. The filling target weight range is, for example, ±30 g. The filling device 100 of the present invention can have a narrower target weight range compared to the prior art due to the devised arrangement of pipes and valves, and the filling amount of each filling container 90 can be made extremely close to the specified amount. Alternatively, the steps of STEP102 to 105 may be the following method instead of the above method. First, without placing the filling container 90 on the weight measurement unit 84, perform zero point adjustment so that the output value of each weight measurement unit 84 becomes 0 g. Then, place the filling container 90 on the weight measurement unit 84, measure and record the weights respectively. A method of calculating the weight range of the filling container 90 after filling, that is, the filling target weight range, by adding the weight of a predetermined amount of filling liquid to be filled in the filling container 90 to the recorded weight of the filling container 90 may also be used.

[0034] Filling of the filling container 90 is performed (STEP106, filling process). FIG. 4 shows the state during filling of the filling liquid into the filling container 90 and immediately after the filling is completed. The operator operates the filling start switch of the control unit to start filling. When the filling start switch is operated, the control unit first opens the air discharge valve 55 while closing the air supply valve 35 and each filling valve 45. As a result, the supply pipe section 10 and the extension pipe section 14 communicate with each other. In this state, the control unit operates the pump 20 in the forward direction for a predetermined time to supply the filling liquid from the supply source 1 and discharge the air existing inside the supply pipe section 10 and the extension pipe section 14 to the air discharge device 54 of the air discharge section 50. Thereby, unnecessary air filled in the filling container 90 can be reduced. The predetermined time is either the time for the filling liquid to reach the air discharge device 54 from the supply source 1, the time for the filling liquid to reach the main connector 36 from the supply source 1, etc., and is appropriately determined according to the usage situation. Alternatively, the operator can appropriately change and set the predetermined time.

[0035] Thereafter, filling is executed. The control unit closes the air discharge valve 55, keeps the air supply valve 35 closed, and opens the filling valve 45. As a result, the piping portion from the supply piping section 10 to the container piping 93 is in a communicating state. The control unit simultaneously operates the pump 20 in the forward direction, and the filling liquid is supplied to the filling container 90 through the supply piping section 10. In FIG. 4, the filling liquid exists inside the supply piping section 10, the air supply section 30, the connection piping section 40, and the container piping 93, and is shown in black. During filling, the control unit constantly monitors the weight of the connected filling container 90 and compares it with the filling target weight range. The control unit is configured to be able to execute control to end the filling operation on the filling container 90 according to the weight measured by the weight measurement unit 84 during filling. The control to end the filling operation includes respective controls performed when it is in the first state where the filling container 90 is filled with a predetermined amount of filling liquid, and when it is in the second state where the filling container 90 is not filled with a predetermined amount of filling liquid when the supply of the filling liquid from the supply source 1 ends. The control unit can automatically end the filling when the weight of the filling container 90 reaches within the target weight range. Also, as will be described later, the control unit can detect that the supply of the filling liquid from the supply source 1 has ended, and can also automatically end the filling even when there is a filling container 90 whose weight has not reached the target weight range.

[0036] Clamp the container pipe 93 of the filling container 90 (STEP107, clamping step). When the filling amount of the filling container 90 reaches the target filling amount, as shown in FIG. 5, the operator attaches the clamping device C to a position slightly on the supply source 1 side from the planned welding position of the container pipe 93 for the filling container 90 filled with a predetermined amount of filling liquid to block the container pipe 93. The clamping device C may be any known clamping device as long as it can block the container pipe 93 for the welding operation. For example, it is a device that sandwiches and blocks the container pipe 93. The clamping device C, as an example, has a pair of rod-shaped members that are sufficiently longer than the outer diameter of the container pipe 93, one ends of the pair of rod-shaped members are connected to each other, and with the connected one ends as the center axis of rotation, the other ends can move relative to each other so as to approach and separate from each other. By blocking the container pipe 93 with the clamping device C, when the liquid is returned in the next STEP108, it is possible to prevent the filling liquid in the filling container 90 from flowing back and flowing out to the supply source 1 side through the container pipe 93. If the weight of the filling container 90 has not reached the target weight range, the operator skips this step without performing it and executes (2) of the liquid return step STEP108.

[0037] Perform liquid return control (STEP108, liquid return step). The liquid return control includes the following two controls performed according to the filling status of the filling container 90. (1) Liquid return control when the target filling amount is reached (2) Liquid return control when the target filling amount is not reached The following will explain each of them.

[0038] (1) Liquid return control when the target filling amount is reached This control is performed when the filling of the filling liquid with the target filling amount into the filling container 90 is completed, that is, when it enters the first state. FIG. 5 shows the filling device 100 during the execution of the liquid return control. The operator operates the liquid return start switch of the control unit to start the control for returning the filling liquid. In the liquid return control, the air supply valve 35 is opened, and the filling liquid existing at least inside the container pipe 93 of the container pipe 93 and the connection pipe portion 40 is replaced with the air existing in the air supply portion 30, and the filling liquid is sucked by the pump 20 to the supply source 1 side. First, the control unit opens the air supply valve 35. Then, the filling liquid existing in the container pipe 93 and the like flows downward by gravity and is replaced with the air existing in the air supply portion 30. Immediately after that, or simultaneously, the control unit operates the pump 20 in the reverse direction with respect to the filling operation, and the filling liquid existing in the pipe portions through which the filling liquid of the container pipe 93, the connection pipe portion 40, the air supply portion 30, and the supply pipe portion 10 passes is sucked to the supply source 1 side. By the liquid return control, the filling liquid existing inside the container pipe 93 and the connection pipe portion 40 of the filled container 90 after filling can be recovered. Alternatively, the control unit can be configured to automatically perform this control continuously as soon as it detects the completion of filling of the filling container 90.

[0039] In FIG. 5, the connection pipe portion 40 with air existing inside is shown in white. Also, there is filling liquid between the filling container 90 side from the clamp C of the container pipe 93, between the main connector 36 and the three-way connector 37, and inside the supply pipe portion 10, and it is shown in black. The control unit stops after continuously controlling the reverse operation of the pump 20 for a predetermined time. The predetermined time is the operation time of the pump 20 for returning the filling liquid existing in at least the container pipe 93 of the container pipe 93 and the connection pipe portion 40 and replacing it with air. If at least the filling liquid existing inside the container pipe 93 can be recovered, when a predetermined portion of the container pipe 93 is welded and cut after the filling is completed, it can be prevented that the filling liquid leaks and is wasted.

[0040] (2) Liquid return control when the target filling amount is not reached This control is performed when, during the filling process in STEP106, it is in a second state where the filling amount of the filling container 90 has not reached the target weight range after filling is executed. This is the case, for example, when the entire amount of the filling liquid in the supply source 1 has been supplied to the filling device 100 and it has become empty, and there is not enough filling liquid to fill up to the target weight range. In this case, the entire amount of the filling liquid in the filling container 90 is returned to the supply source 1. When the supply source 1 has become empty and a certain period of time has elapsed, the presence or absence of the filling container 90 that has not been filled up to the target weight range is detected. For this detection, for example, a known clamp-on type flow sensor (not shown) can be used. The flow sensor can detect both the flowing flow rate and whether the filling liquid is flowing. The mounting position of the flow sensor is preferably, for example, the other end 12 of the supply pipe portion 10, or the other end 43 of the connection pipe portion 40 to which the filling container 90 to be filled is connected.

[0041] The liquid return control of the filling liquid in the filling container 90 that does not reach the target weight range can be performed by the operator manually operating the control unit. Or, the control unit can also be configured to automatically perform this control continuously as soon as it detects that the filling of the filling container 90 is incomplete. In this case, the operation ends. When continuing the filling, the supply source 1, all the pipes from the supply pipe portion 10 to the connection pipe portion 40, and the filling container 90 are replaced, and the filling operation is repeated.

[0042] When the filling amount of the filling container 90 reaches the target filling amount, after clamping, the container pipe 93 of the filling container 90 is welded and cut (STEP109, welding and cutting process). The operator welds and cuts a predetermined location slightly on the supply source 1 side from the mounting position of the clamp device C on the container pipe 93 while the clamp device C is attached. Thereby, the filling container 90 is sealed. After the container pipe 93 is cut, the clamp device C is removed.

[0043] Remove the filling container 90 (STEP110, removal process). The operator removes the sealed filling container 90 from the filling device 100. After that, when continuing the filling into another filling container 90, a new filling container 90 is attached. The above is the filling operation procedure 1.

[0044] [Filling Operation Procedure 2] Next, the case of simultaneously filling a plurality of filling containers 90 will be described. Basically, it is the same as the filling operation procedure 1, but there are differences in the attachment and detachment operations of the plurality of filling containers compared to the filling operation procedure 1, the point of simultaneously filling a plurality of filling containers 90, and the countermeasures when there is a filling container 90 with a filling amount less than the target filling amount. The differences from the filling operation procedure 1 are the attachment of the plurality of filling containers 90 (STEP103), filling (STEP106), clamping and welding of the container piping 93 (STEP107), liquid return (STEP108), cutting of the container piping 93 (STEP109), and the removal of all after the filling is completed (STEP110). The rest is carried out in the same manner as the filling operation procedure 1. Hereinafter, the filling process (STEP106) to the liquid return process (STEP108) will be described, and the rest will be omitted.

[0045] After a plurality of filling containers 90 are attached, filling is performed (STEP106, filling process). Basically, it is carried out in the same manner as the filling operation procedure 1. During filling, the control unit constantly monitors the weight of each connected filling container 90 and compares it with the filling target weight range. The control unit is configured to be able to execute control to end the filling operation for each filling container 90 according to the measured weight of each filling container 90 measured by the weight measurement unit 84 during filling. The control to end the filling operation includes the control performed respectively when it is in the first state where a predetermined amount of filling liquid is filled in the filling container 90, and when the supply of the filling liquid from the supply source 1 ends and it is in the second state where a predetermined amount of filling liquid is not filled in the filling container 90. The control unit can automatically end the filling when the weight of each filling container 90 reaches within the target weight range. Also, as will be described later, the control unit detects that the supply of the filling liquid from the supply source 1 has ended, and even when there is a filling container 90 whose weight has not reached the target weight range, it can automatically end the filling operation for the corresponding filling container 90.

[0046] Clamp the container piping 93 of the filling container 90 (STEP107, clamping process). The filling containers 90 to be clamped are all the filling containers 90 whose filling amounts have reached the target filling amount and the filling containers 90 whose filling amounts have reached the target filling amount when there are filling containers 90 with filling amounts less than the target filling amount. The method of clamping the container piping 93 is the same as that in the filling operation procedure 1. When there is a filling container 90 whose filling amount has not reached the target filling amount, close the filling valve 45 of the connection piping part 40 connected to the corresponding filling container 90, and perform the clamping operation on the filling container 90 whose filling amount has reached the target filling amount.

[0047] Perform liquid return control (STEP108, liquid return process). The liquid return control includes the following two controls performed according to the filling status of the filling container 90. The purposes and general operation methods of the following controls (1) and (2) are the same as those of (1) and (2) in [Filling Operation Procedure 1], respectively. (1) Liquid return control when all filling containers 90 have reached the target filling amount (2) Liquid return control when there is a filling container 90 that has not reached the target filling amount The following will explain each of them.

[0048] (1) Liquid return control when all filling containers 90 have reached the target filling amount The operator operates the control unit to start the liquid return control. When there is a filling container 90 whose filling amount is less than the target filling amount, it is performed after closing the filling valve 45 of the connection piping part 40 connected to the corresponding filling container 90. The control unit opens the air supply valve 35 while keeping the filling valves 45 of each connection piping part 40 of the filling container 90 where filling is completed open. Then, the filling liquid existing inside at least the container piping 93 of each container piping 93 and each connection piping part 40 up to the clamping positions of the plurality of filling containers 90 is replaced with the air existing in the air supply part 30. Subsequently, the control unit operates the pump 20 in the reverse direction to the filling time, and sucks the filling liquid existing in the piping parts of the container piping 93, the connection piping part 40, the air supply part 30, and the supply piping part 10 to the supply source 1 side. As soon as the control unit detects the completion of filling of all filling containers 90, it automatically performs this control subsequently.

[0049] (2) Liquid return control when there is a filling container 90 that has not reached the target filling amount This control is continued after (1) when there is one or more filling containers 90 whose filling amount is less than the filling target weight range after the filling execution in the filling process STEP106, and is not performed if there is none. In this process, the total amount of the filling liquid in the filling container 90 that did not reach the target filling amount is sucked into the supply source 1. In the filling operation, after the supply source 1 becomes empty and a certain period of time has elapsed, the presence or absence of the filling container 90 that has not been filled up to the target weight range is detected. For detecting whether the supply source 1 has become empty, for example, a known clamp-on type flow sensor (not shown) can be used. The mounting position of the flow sensor is preferably, for example, the other end 12 of the supply pipe portion 10 at least when filling a plurality of filling containers 90 simultaneously.

[0050] The operator operates the control unit to perform this control. The control unit opens the filling valve 45 of the connection pipe portion 40 connected to the filling container 90 that does not reach the target filling amount, operates the pump 20 in the reverse direction to the filling time, and sucks the filling liquid existing between the filling container 90 and the supply pipe portion 10 into the supply source 1.

[0051] [Filling operation procedure 3] Next, the case of continuously filling a plurality of filling containers 90 one by one will be described. Basically, it is the same as the filling operation procedure 1, but the points of detaching and attaching a plurality of filling containers, starting filling the next filling container 90 after filling one filling container 90, and controlling to continuously fill all one by one, and the countermeasures when there is a filling container 90 that does not reach the target filling amount are different. The differences from the filling operation procedure 1 are the attachment (STEP103), filling (STEP106), clamping and welding of the container pipe 93 (STEP107), liquid return (STEP108), cutting of the container pipe 93 (STEP109), and removal of all after the filling is completed (STEP110) of a plurality of filling containers 90. The rest is performed in the same manner as the filling operation procedure 1. Hereinafter, the filling process (STEP106) to the liquid return process (STEP108) will be described, and the rest will be omitted.

[0052] After a plurality of filling containers 90 are attached, filling is performed (STEP106, filling process). Basically, it is performed in the same manner as the filling operation procedure 1. During filling, the control unit constantly monitors the weight of each connected filling container 90 and compares it with the filling target weight range. In the case of continuously filling the plurality of filling containers 90 one by one, control is configured to be executable to end the filling operation for the filling container 90 according to the weight of the filling container 90. The control to end the filling operation includes both controls when it is in the first state where all the filling containers 90 are filled with a predetermined amount of filling liquid and when it is in the second state where one or more filling containers 90 are not filled with a predetermined amount of filling liquid when the supply source 1 becomes empty. The control unit measures the weight of each filling container 90 by the weight measurement unit 84 during filling. As soon as one filling container 90 during filling reaches the target filling weight range, the filling of that filling container 90 is ended, and the filling of another filling container 90 is automatically started. This is repeated to fill all the connected filling containers 90. Also, when the supply source 1 becomes empty during filling and the supply of the filling liquid is interrupted, the control unit detects that unfilled filling containers 90 have occurred and automatically ends the filling operation for the corresponding filling containers 90.

[0053] Clamp the container piping 93 of the filling container 90 (STEP107, clamping process). The filling containers 90 to be clamped are all the filling containers 90 whose filling amounts have reached the target filling amounts. The method of clamping the container piping 93 is the same as that of the filling operation procedure 1. If there is a filling container 90 whose target filling amount has not been reached, after closing the filling valve 45 of the connection piping section 40 connected to the corresponding filling container 90, the clamping operation of the filling container 90 whose target filling amount has been reached is performed.

[0054] Perform liquid return control (STEP108, liquid return process). The liquid return control includes the following two controls performed according to the filling status of the filling container 90. (1) Liquid return control when the target filling amount is reached (2) Liquid return control when there is a filling container 90 whose target filling amount has not been reached These will be described below respectively.

[0055] (1) Liquid return control when the target filling amount is reached The operator operates the control unit to start the liquid return control. If there is a filling container 90 whose filling amount is less than the target filling amount, it is performed after closing the filling valve 45 of the connection pipe portion 40 connected to the corresponding filling container 90. The control unit opens the air supply valve 35 while keeping the filling valves 45 of the connection pipe portions 40 of the filling containers 90 where filling has been completed open. Then, the filling liquid existing in each container pipe 93 up to the clamp positions of the plurality of filling containers 90 and at least inside the container pipe 93 of each connection pipe portion 40 is replaced with the air existing in the air supply unit 30. Subsequently, the control unit operates the pump 20 in the reverse direction to the filling time, and sucks the filling liquid existing in the pipe portions of the container pipe 93, the connection pipe portion 40, the air supply unit 30, and the supply pipe portion 10 to the supply source 1 side. As soon as the control unit detects the completion of filling of all the filling containers 90, it automatically performs this control subsequently.

[0056] (2) Liquid return control when there is a filling container 90 that has not reached the target filling amount This control is performed when, in the filling process of STEP106, there is one or more filling containers 90 whose filling amount is less than the filling target weight range after filling. In this case, the total amount of the filling liquid in the filling container 90 in the second state that is less than the filling target weight range is returned to the supply source 1. When filling one or more filling containers 90, when the supply source 1 becomes empty and a certain period of time has elapsed, the presence or absence of a filling container 90 that has not been filled up to the filling target weight range is detected. For detecting whether the total amount of the filling liquid has been supplied from the supply source 1, for example, a known clamp-on type flow sensor (not shown) can be used. The mounting position of the flow sensor is preferably the container pipe 93 of at least the last filling container 90 when filling the plurality of filling containers 90 one by one, for example, the container pipe 93 at the top of the right column in FIG. 1.

[0057] The operator performs this control by operating the control unit. The control unit opens the filling valve 45 of the connection pipe unit 40 connected to the filling container 90 that does not meet the filling target weight range, operates the pump 20 in the direction opposite to the filling direction, and sucks the filling liquid existing in the supply pipe unit 10 from the filling container 90 to the supply source 1 side.

[0058] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 4, the effects of the filling device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention and the filling method using the filling device 100 will be described.

[0059] The filling device 100 includes a supply pipe unit 10 to which the filling liquid is supplied from one end 11 side, a pump 20 that pumps the filling liquid, and a control unit that controls at least the pump 20. The other end 12 of the supply pipe unit 10 is connected to the filling container 90 via a pipe member including the main connector 36 or directly. The control unit has a supply control for pumping the filling liquid in the direction of filling the filling container 90 and a liquid return control for pumping the filling liquid in the direction opposite to the supply control.

[0060] Even in the filling device 100 configured without the air supply unit 30, it is possible to suck the filling liquid existing inside the container pipe 93 or the like to the supply source 1 side. When the pump 20 operates to suck the filling liquid inside the container pipe 93 or the like, the container pipe 93, the connection pipe unit 40, the supply pipe unit 10, etc. can suck the filling liquid by appropriately collapsing and deforming each pipe. In the above configuration, if the entire container pipe 93 of the filling device 100 is arranged at a position higher than the supply pipe unit 10, the filling liquid existing inside the container pipe 93 or the like will flow more easily due to gravity and will be more easily sucked, which is preferable.

[0061] The control unit of the filling device 100 of the present invention can supply the filling liquid by operating the pump 20 so as to pump the filling liquid in the direction of filling the filling container 90 by supply control. On the other hand, the control unit can recover the filling liquid by operating the pump 20 so as to pump the filling liquid in the direction opposite to the supply control by liquid return control. By having the liquid return control in the filling device 100, it is possible to make the filling device that can perform the filling operation efficiently without wasting the filling liquid as much as possible.

[0062] The condition for performing the liquid return control of the control unit of the filling device 100 of the present invention includes that the corresponding filling container 90 is in a state of being filled with a predetermined amount of filling liquid.

[0063] The condition for performing the liquid return control of the control unit is that, since the corresponding filling container 90 is in a state of being filled with a predetermined amount of filling liquid, for the container pipe 93, connection pipe section 40, main connector 36, air supply section 30, and supply pipe section 10 connected to the filling container 90 in which the filling of the predetermined amount of filling liquid has been completed, the filling liquid in the path can be efficiently recovered. Therefore, it is possible to make the filling device that can perform the filling operation efficiently without wasting the filling liquid as much as possible.

[0064] The condition for performing the liquid return control of the control unit of the filling device 100 of the present invention includes that the corresponding filling container 90 is in a state of not being filled with a predetermined amount of filling liquid.

[0065] The condition for performing the liquid return control of the control unit is that, since the corresponding filling container 90 is in a state of not being filled with a predetermined amount of filling liquid, even if a filling container 90 in which the predetermined amount of filling liquid cannot be filled occurs due to the filling being terminated halfway or the like of the filling liquid, for the filling container 90 and the container pipe 93, connection pipe section 40, main connector 36, air supply section 30, and supply pipe section 10 connected to the filling container 90, the filling liquid in the path can be efficiently recovered. Therefore, the filling operation can be performed efficiently without wasting the filling liquid as much as possible.

[0066] The filling device 100 of the present invention is a filling device 100 for filling a filling liquid into a filling container 90 having a container pipe 93 provided to protrude from a connection part 92 of a container body 91 of the filling container 90. One end 15 is connected to a main connector 36, and an extension pipe part 14 is provided which is arranged higher as it goes from one end 15 to the other end 16. One end 15 is connected to the main connector 36, and the other end 16 is configured to be connectable to the container pipe 93. One or more connection pipe parts 40 having a filling valve 45 are provided between one end 15 and the other end 16. The extension pipe part 14 has the connection pipe parts 40 respectively connected between one end 15 and the other end 16 of the extension pipe part 14.

[0067] The filling device 100 is provided with the extension pipe part 14, and one or more connection pipe parts 40 are respectively connected between one end 15 and the other end 16, so that a plurality of filling containers 90 can be easily connected. Therefore, a large number of filling containers 90 can be efficiently filled with the filling liquid in a short time. Also, since the extension pipe part 14 is arranged so as to be higher as it goes from one end 15 to the other end 16, the filling liquid and air inside the extension pipe part 14 remaining at the end of filling can be easily replaced by gravity. Thus, the filling device 100 can efficiently recover the filling liquid after the filling is completed.

[0068] The filling device 100 is provided with an air discharge part 50 connected to the main connector 36. Thereby, useless air can be discharged at the start of filling, and the filling operation can be performed efficiently.

[0069] The filling device 100 is provided with an air discharge part 50 connected to the other end 16 of the extension pipe part 14. Thereby, even when the extension pipe part 14 is connected to the main connector 36, useless air can be discharged at the start of filling via the extension pipe part 14, and the filling operation can be performed efficiently.

[0070] The filling device 100 has one or more weight measuring units 84 capable of measuring the weights of the filling containers 90 respectively. The control unit is configured to be able to execute control to measure the respective weights of the filling containers 90 during filling by the weight measuring unit 84 and to end the filling operation for each filling container 90 according to the measured weights. Thereby, it is possible to accurately fill the filling amount without overfilling the filling liquid.

[0071] The control unit of the filling device 100 is configured to be selectively executable either by a method in which an operator fills a plurality of filling containers 90 simultaneously or by a method in which the operator fills them one by one. Thereby, when filling a plurality of filling containers 90, the operator can select an appropriate filling method and proceed with the filling operation efficiently.

[0072] The filling device 100 is a filling device 100 that fills a filling liquid into a filling container 90 having a container pipe 93 provided to protrude from a connection portion 92 of a container body 91 of the filling container 90. One end 31 is connected to a main connector 36, the other end 32 has an air supply device 34, and an air supply unit 30 having an air supply valve 35 between the one end 31 and the air supply device 34. One end 42 is connected to the main connector 36, the other end 43 is configured to be connectable to the container pipe 93, and one or more connection pipe portions 40 having a filling valve 45 between the one end 42 and the other end 43 are provided. The other end 43 of the supply pipe portion 40 is connected to either the main connector 36 or the air supply unit 30 between the main connector 36 and the air supply valve 35. The air supply unit 30 is configured such that the entire air supply unit 30 is disposed lower than the main connector 36 and the container body 91 can be held so that the connection portion 92 of the container pipe 93 is at a position higher than the main connector 36. The filling valve 45 is provided at a position where the connection pipe portion 40 and the container pipe 93 can be held such that the height of the filling valve 45 is the same as or higher as they get closer to the container body 91 from one end 42 of the connection pipe portion 40.

[0073] The filling device 100 used in the filling method of the present invention includes a supply pipe portion 10 through which a filling liquid is supplied from the one end 11 side, a pump 20 for pumping the filling liquid, and a control portion for controlling at least the pump 20. The other end 12 of the supply pipe portion 10 is connected to the filling container 90 via a pipe member including a main connector 36 or directly. The filling method of the present invention includes a filling step of supplying the filling liquid to the filling container 90 through the supply pipe portion 10, and a liquid return step of pumping the filling liquid in a direction opposite to that during the filling step after the filling step is performed.

[0074] The filling method of the present invention has a filling step of filling the filling liquid into the filling container 90 and a liquid return step of operating the pump 20 so as to pump the filling liquid in a direction opposite to the supply control to efficiently recover the filling liquid. Therefore, it is possible to provide a filling method that can perform the filling operation efficiently without wasting the filling liquid as much as possible.

[0075] The filling device 100 used in the filling method of the present invention is a filling device 100 that fills a filling liquid into a filling container 91 having a container pipe 93 provided to protrude from a connection portion 92 of a container body 91 of the filling container 90. One end 32 is connected to a main connector 36, the other end 33 has an air supply device 34, and an air supply valve 35 is provided between the one end 32 and the air supply device 34. An air supply unit 30, and one end 42 is connected to the main connector 36, the other end 43 is configured to be connectable to the container pipe 93, and one or more connection pipe portions 40 having a filling valve 45 between the one end 42 and the other end 43 are provided. The other end 12 of the supply pipe portion 10 is connected to either the main connector 36 or the air supply unit 30 between the main connector 36 and the air supply valve 35. The air supply unit 30 can hold the container body 91 such that the entire air supply unit 30 is disposed lower than the main connector 36 and the connection portion 92 of the container pipe 93 is at a position higher than the main connector 36. The filling valve 45 is provided at a position where the connection pipe portion 40 and the container pipe 93 can be held such that the height of the filling valve 45 is the same as or higher as they get closer to the container body 91 from one end 42 of the connection pipe portion 40. The liquid return process is a filling method performed by operating the pump 20 while introducing air from the air supply device 34.

[0076] The filling method of the present invention is a filling method using a filling device 100. The liquid return process included in the filling method is a filling method performed by operating the pump 20 while introducing air from the air supply device 34. Therefore, when the liquid return control is executed, the container pipe 93 of the container body 90 is clamped by an operator, and while the filling valve 45 remains open, the air supply valve 35 is opened. Thereby, the filling liquid existing inside the pipe portion constituted by the container pipe 93, the connection pipe portion 40, and the air supply portion 30 flows into the inside of the pipe 31 between the air supply device 34 of the air supply portion 30 and the air supply valve 35 filled with air by gravity. In other words, the filling liquid existing above the pipe portion is replaced by the air existing below the pipe portion by gravity. When the pump 20 operates in this state, the filling liquid existing inside the pipe 31 between the air supply device 34 of the air supply portion 30 and the air supply valve 35 is sucked, and finally the filling liquid is recovered. Therefore, the filling device 100 can perform the filling operation efficiently without wasting the filling liquid to be filled as much as possible.

[0077] <Modification Example of Embodiment> The modification example of the above filling device 100 will be described below. In the above, the embodiment in which the filling device 100 includes the extension pipe portion 14 has been described. However, for example, the filling device 100 may not include the extension pipe portion 14. In this case, the air discharge portion 50 is connected to the main connector 36. If the number of filling containers 90 to be connected is one or about 2 to 4, the pipe length can be shortened with such a configuration.

[0078] The other end 12 of the supply pipe portion 10 has been described as being connected between the main connector 36 and the air supply valve 35 of the air supply portion 30. This may be configured such that the other end 12 of the supply pipe portion 10 is connected to the main connector 36. In this way, the pipe length can be shortened.

[0079] The other end 12 of the supply pipe section 10 of the filling device 100 is configured to be connected to the filling container 93 via a pipe member including the main connector 36 or directly. Here, the pipe member includes pipes such as the supply pipe section 10 and connectors of any shape for connecting the pipes. The pipe member including the main connector 36 is, for example, the main connector 36 and the connecting pipe section 40, as in the filling device 100 described above. Or, the pipe member including the main connector 36 may be, for example, only the main connector 36. In that case, the other end 12 of the supply pipe section 10 may be connected to the container pipe 93 of the filling container 90 via the main connector 36. In addition to connecting the other end 12 of the supply pipe section 10 via a pipe member including the main connector 36, the other end 12 may be directly connected to the filling container 93. That is, the filling device 100 may be configured not to include the main connector 36 and the pipe member including the supply pipe section 10. By adopting any of the above configurations, the filling device 100 can be configured more simply. In the filling device 100 not provided with the air supply section 30, when performing liquid return control for sucking the filling liquid, the corresponding pipes such as the container pipe 93, the connecting pipe section 40, and the supply pipe section 10 are appropriately crushed and deformed, and the filling liquid is sucked.

[0080] Although the embodiment using the filling container 90 having the container pipe 93 has been described for the filling device 100, the filling container 90 not having the container pipe 93 can also be used. In this case, the other end 43 of the connecting pipe section 40 is directly connected to the container body 91 of the filling container 90. Or, the other end 12 of the supply pipe section 10 is directly connected to the container body 91 of the filling container 90. By adopting any of the above configurations, the filling device 100 can be configured more simply.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0081] 10 Supply pipe section 11, 15, 32, 42, 52 One end 12, 16, 33, 43, 53 The other end 14 Extension pipe section 17 Sub-connector 20 Pump 30 Air supply section 34 Air supply device 35 Air supply valve 36 Main connector 40 Connection pipe section 45 Filling valve 50 Air discharge section 55 Air discharge valve 84 Weight measurement section 86 Support member 90 Filling container 91 Container body 92 Connection part 93 Container pipe 88 Position holding device 100 Filling device

Claims

1. A filling device for filling a filling container having a container body and a container piping with a filling liquid, comprising: a supply pipe section to which the filling liquid is supplied from one end side; A pump for pumping the filling liquid; and A control unit for controlling at least the pump is provided. The other end of the supply pipe section is connected to the filling container directly or via a pipe member including a main connector, the control unit has a supply control for pressure-feeding the filling liquid in a direction for filling the filling container, and a liquid return control for pressure-feeding the filling liquid in a direction opposite to the supply control, The liquid return control includes control of operating the pump in the reverse direction while the container piping is blocked to prevent the filling liquid from flowing, thereby collapsing and deforming the piping to suck in the filling liquid, in a filling device.

2. The filling device according to claim 1 , wherein the condition for performing the liquid return control includes a state in which the corresponding filling container is filled with a predetermined amount of the filling liquid.

3. the filling device includes an extension pipe portion having one end connected to the main connector and disposed higher from the one end toward the other end, the other end is configured to be connectable to the container pipe, and includes one or more connection pipe sections having a filling valve between the one end and the other end; The filling device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the extension pipe portion has the connection pipe portion connected between the one end and the other end of the extension pipe portion.

4. 3. A filling device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, further comprising an air exhaust connected to the main connector.

5. 4. The filling device according to claim 3, further comprising an air discharge portion connected to the other end of the extension pipe portion.

6. one or more weight measuring units capable of measuring the weight of each of the filled containers; The filling device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit is configured to measure the weight of each of the filling containers during filling using the weight measuring unit, and to execute control to terminate the filling operation into each of the filling containers in accordance with each measured weight.

7. The filling device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit is configured to selectively perform either simultaneous filling or one-by-one filling of the plurality of filling containers.

8. The filling device includes an air supply unit having one end connected to the main connector and an air supply device at the other end, and an air supply valve between the one end and the air supply device; the other end is configured to be connectable to the container pipe, and includes one or more connection pipe sections having a filling valve between the one end and the other end; the other end of the supply piping section is connected to either the main connector or an air supply section between the main connector and the air supply valve; The air supply unit is disposed such that the entire air supply unit is lower than the main connector, The container body can be held so that the connection portion of the container pipe is at a higher position than the main connector, The filling valve is provided in a position where the connection piping section and the container piping can be held at the same height as or higher than the height of the filling valve as the connection piping section approaches the container body from one end of the connection piping section.

9. A filling method using a filling device for filling a filling container having a container body and a container piping with a filling liquid, comprising: The filling device includes a supply pipe section to which the filling liquid is supplied from one end side; A pump for pumping the filling liquid; and A control unit for controlling at least the pump is provided. The other end of the supply pipe section is connected to the filling container directly or via a pipe member including a main connector, The filling method includes a filling step of supplying the filling liquid to the filling container via the supply piping portion; A liquid returning step is provided for pumping the filling liquid in a direction opposite to that in the filling step after the filling step is performed, The liquid return process is a filling method including a control in which the pump is operated in the reverse direction to that during filling while the container piping is blocked so that the filling liquid does not flow, thereby collapsing and deforming the piping to suck in the filling liquid.

10. The filling device includes an air supply unit having one end connected to the main connector and an air supply device at the other end, and an air supply valve between the one end and the air supply device; the one end is connected to the main connector, the other end is configured to be connectable to the container piping, and the one end and the other end are provided with one or more connection piping sections having a filling valve between the one end and the other end; the other end of the supply piping portion is connected to either the main connector or the air supply portion between the main connector and the air supply valve; The air supply unit is disposed such that the entire air supply unit is lower than the main connector, The container body can be held so that the connection portion of the container pipe is at a higher position than the main connector, the filling valve is provided at a position where the connection pipe section and the container pipe can be held so that the height of the filling valve is equal to or higher than the height of the container body from the one end of the connection pipe section, The filling method according to claim 9, wherein the liquid returning step is performed by operating the pump while introducing air from the air supply device.

Images