Container processing system

Abstract

To provide a container processing system capable of processing processes in synchronization even if processes with different processing times are mixed.SOLUTION: A container processing system 2 includes a filing apparatus 3 (main processing apparatus) having first processing means (13 to 16) that performs a process to a container 1 held by a gripper G6 (first holding means) at each of stop positions P6-1 to P6-6 by rotating a sixth rotating body R6 (main rotating body) while intermittently stopping, and a sterilization apparatus 5 (sub-processing apparatus) having a servo motor M for stopping the container 1 held by a gripper G2 (second holding means) at required processing positions P2-1, P2-2 by driving a second rotating body R2 (sub-rotating body). During one intermittent operation in the filling apparatus 3, the sterilization apparatus 5 rotates the one gripper G2 of the second rotating body R2 one time to move and stop from a receiving position B of the container 1 at the processing positions P2-1, P2-2, and move the gripper G2 to a passing position C.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a container processing system, and more particularly to a container processing system having a processing apparatus including a rotating body that intermittently stops and moves a holding means for holding a container.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a container processing system for filling a container with a beverage or the like, there is known a system including a rotating body provided with a plurality of holding means for holding a container at equal intervals on the outer periphery, and performing processing such as filling a beverage into the container held by the holding means while intermittently stopping the holding means at a plurality of processing positions (Patent Document 1). In such a container processing system, processing means such as a filling means and a capper perform processing on the container in a state where the rotating body intermittently stops the holding means.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Here, in a container processing system such as that of Patent Document 1, the time required for one intermittent operation until the holding means moves from one processing position to an adjacent processing position and stops needs to be adjusted according to the time required for the operation of the processing means having the longest processing time. Here, when performing aseptic filling of a beverage, it is necessary to sterilize the container in advance before filling. As such a sterilization treatment procedure, it is known that first, a sterilizing gas is injected into the container, and then hot air is injected into the container to activate the sterilizing gas. In order to effectively activate the sterilizing gas, it is necessary to inject hot air immediately after injecting the sterilizing gas. However, when a plurality of processing positions are provided on a single rotating body as in Patent Document 1, since the holding means moves for each intermittent operation, there is a problem that it is impossible to immediately move to the next processing position and perform the processing. Thus, depending on the difference in the processing time at each processing position, it may not be possible to set these processing positions on a single rotating body that operates intermittently, and a container processing system capable of synchronously processing such processes with different processing times has been desired. In view of such problems, the present invention provides a container processing system capable of synchronously processing processes with different processing times even when they are mixed.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] That is, the container processing system according to the invention of claim 1 includes a main rotating body provided with a plurality of first holding means for holding containers at equal intervals on the outer periphery, a driving means for rotating the main rotating body while intermittently stopping it, and intermittently stopping the first holding means at a plurality of stop positions, and a main processing device including a first processing means provided at at least one of the plurality of stop positions and performing processing on the containers held by the first holding means, a sub-rotating body provided with one second holding means for holding a container on the outer periphery, a servo motor for driving the sub-rotating body to stop the second holding means at a required processing position, and a second processing means for performing processing on the container held by the second holding means at the processing position, and a transfer rotator provided between the main processing device and the sub-processing device and having one third holding means for holding a container on its outer periphery, and a servo motor for driving the transfer rotator to move the third holding means, the transfer device has, in the sub-processing device, when the second processing means performs processing on the container held by the second holding means of the sub-rotating body, the container is via the third holding means of the transfer rotator delivered to the first holding means of the main rotating body of the main processing device, and further, a container processing system in which the main rotating body intermittently rotates and transfers the container while the first processing means performs processing. In the main processing device, the main rotating body stops the first holding means at the stop position where the first processing means is arranged, the first processing means processes the container held by the first holding means, and further, during an intermittent operation until the main rotating body moves the first holding means to an adjacent stop position and stops, The transfer device rotates the third holding means of the transfer rotator once, and during that time, synchronizes the movement of the third holding means of the transfer rotator with the movement of the second holding means of the sub-processing device on the upstream side so that the third holding means receives the container from the second holding means, and synchronizes the movement of the third holding means holding the container with the movement of the first holding means of the main processing device on the downstream side to transfer the container from the third holding means to the first holding means. At the same time, the sub-processing device rotates the second holding means of the sub-rotating body once, and during that time, an operation of moving the second holding means of the sub-rotating body from the container receiving position to the processing position of the second processing means and stopping, an operation of the second processing means processing the container at the processing position, and further an operation of moving the second holding means of the sub-rotating body from the processing position to transfer the container to the third holding means of the transfer device the position are performed.

Advantages of the Invention

[0006] According to the above invention, in the main processing device, the holding means intermittently stops and moves by the main rotating body, while by driving the sub-rotating body of the sub-processing device by a servo motor, the holding means of the sub-processing device can be moved independently of the intermittent movement of the holding means of the main processing device. On the other hand, since the sub-processing device rotates the sub-rotating body once during an intermittent operation of the main processing device to receive and transfer the container, the main processing device and the sub-processing device operate synchronously. That is, according to the container processing system according to the present invention, in the main processing device and the sub-processing device, it is possible to synchronously process processes with different processing times.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

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Figure 13

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] Regarding the following illustrated embodiments, FIG. 1 shows a container processing system 2 for filling a beverage into a container 1. In particular, the container processing system 2 of the present embodiment can fill the container 1 with a beverage in the same process as a production line for mass production, and is a system suitable for small-lot production. The container 1 in the present embodiment is a PET bottle. As shown in FIG. 3, a flange portion 1a is provided at the neck formed at the upper part of the container 1, and it is configured to be conveyed while gripping the upper or lower part of the flange portion 1a by a gripper described later.

[0009] The above-described container processing system 2 is controlled by control means (not shown), and includes a filling device 3 as a main processing device for filling the container 1 with a beverage, a cleaning device 4 provided upstream of the filling device 3 as a sub-processing device for cleaning the container 1, and a sterilization device 5 provided further upstream of the cleaning device 4 as a sub-processing device for sterilizing the container 1. Also, between the upstream side of the sterilization device 5, between the sterilization device 5 and the cleaning device 4, and between the cleaning device 4 and the filling device 3, first to third transfer devices 6 to 8 are provided for receiving the container 1 from the upstream processing device and delivering the container 1 to the downstream processing device, respectively. These filling device 3, cleaning device 4, sterilization device 5, first to third transfer devices 6 to 8 each include first to sixth rotors R1 to R6 provided rotatably. A supply conveyor 9 for supplying the container 1 is connected to the first rotor R1 located on the most upstream side, and a discharge conveyor 10 for discharging the container 1 is connected to the sixth rotor R6 located on the most downstream side. And at the adjacent transfer positions A to G (or receiving positions A to G) of these supply conveyor 9, first to sixth rotors R1 to R6, and discharge conveyor 10, the container 1 is transferred between them.

[0010] In the container processing system 2 of this embodiment, in order to perform aseptic filling of the beverage into the container 1, the sterilization device 5 sterilizes the container 1, and the filling device 3, cleaning device 4, sterilization device 5, and first to third transfer devices 6 to 8 are housed in an aseptic chamber 11. The aseptic chamber 11 is partitioned into a plurality of rooms 11a to 11d having openings (not shown), and the filling device 3, cleaning device 4, sterilization device 5, and first transfer device 6 are respectively housed in different rooms 11a to 11d. Each of the rooms 11a to 11d is provided with pressure control means 12 for controlling the internal pressure of each of the rooms 11a to 11d. The room 11a in which the filling device 3 is accommodated is set to the highest positive pressure, and then the room 11b in which the cleaning device 4 is accommodated, the room 11c in which the sterilization device 5 is accommodated, and the room 11d in which the first transfer device 6 is accommodated are set in this order so that the positive pressure gradually decreases. A supply chamber 11e through which the supply conveyor 9 passes is connected to the room 11d in which the first transfer device 6 is accommodated, and a discharge chamber 11f through which the discharge conveyor 10 passes is connected to the room 11a in which the filling device 3 is accommodated.

[0011] Regarding the filling device 3 as the main processing device, the filling device 3 includes a plurality of grippers G6 as first holding means on its outer periphery, a sixth rotating body R6 as a main rotating body that moves while intermittently stopping the grippers G6 at a plurality of stop positions, and first to third filling means 13 to 15 for filling the container 1 with a beverage and capping means 16 for attaching a cap to the container 1 as first processing means for performing processing on the container 1 at a required stop position. The sixth rotating body R6 is driven by a servo motor M as a driving means controlled by a control means. In this embodiment, the sixth rotating body R6 is rotated while being intermittently stopped by 60° each time. Also, two sets of six grippers G6 provided at 60° intervals are provided on the outer periphery of the sixth rotating body R6, and each set of grippers G6 is provided for gripping containers 1 having different diameters at the neck. Thereby, when processing the container 1, one set of grippers G6 grips the container 1 for processing, and the other set of grippers G6 does not grip the container 1. Six stop positions P6-1 to P6-6 are set on the outer periphery of the sixth rotating body R6 at 60° intervals (see FIG. 13). The control means controls the sixth rotating body R6 to intermittently stop and move one set of grippers G6 at these stop positions P6-1 to P6-6.

[0012] As described above, by providing two sets of grippers G6 on the sixth rotating body R6, when changing the mold to fill containers 1 with different neck diameters with a beverage, the control means controls the servo motor M to change the rotational position of the sixth rotating body R6, and the corresponding other set of grippers G6 may be moved to the stop positions P6-1 to P6-6. In addition, when the gripper G6 is configured to be replaced during mold change, it is not necessary to control the rotational position of the sixth rotating body R6, so it is not always necessary to use the servo motor M as the driving means.

[0013] FIG. 2 shows a plan view for explaining the opening and closing of the gripper G6 provided on the sixth rotating body R6, where (a) shows the open state and (b) shows the closed state. The gripper G6 is composed of a pair of gripping members 21 swingably provided on the sixth rotating body R6, a stopper 22 provided between both gripping members 21, and a swing mechanism 23 for swinging the gripping members 21. The bases of the gripping members 21 are respectively fixed to a rotating shaft 21a rotatably provided on the sixth rotating body R6, and a claw portion 21b that engages with the neck portion of the container 1 is formed at the tip of the gripping member 21. The stopper 22 is fixed to the sixth rotating body R6, and a concave contact portion 22a that contacts the neck portion of the container 1 is formed at the tip thereof. With such a configuration, when the gripping member 21 is in the closed state, the claw portion 21b of the gripping member 21 and the contact portion 22a of the stopper 22 are tilted against the neck portion of the container 1, and the container 1 is held so as not to fall off.

[0014] Although the swing mechanism 23 is described in a simplified manner, it is composed of a gear 21c formed at the base of the gripping member 21, an arm 23a connected to the base of one of the gripping members 21, a cam follower 23b provided at the tip of the arm 23a, and a cam 23c fixed separately from the sixth rotating body R6. When the cam follower 23b moves in the radial direction of the sixth rotating body R6 by the cam 23c, the gripping member 21 connected to the arm 23a swings accordingly, and in conjunction with this, the other gripping member 21 swings via the gear 21c, so that the gripping member 21 opens and closes.

[0015] FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the first filling means 13 provided at the first filling position P6-2 as the stop position P6-2. Since the second and third filling means 14 and 15 at the second and third filling positions P6-3 and 4 have the same configuration, detailed description thereof is omitted. Above the first filling position P6-2, a filling nozzle 13a is provided, and the filling nozzle 13a is connected to a beverage supply means (not shown). In this embodiment, when the sixth rotating body R6 positions the gripper G6 holding the container 1 at the first filling position P6-2, the filling nozzle 13a fills the inside of the container 1 with a beverage. And when the filling of the beverage is completed, the sixth rotating body R6 moves the gripper G6 holding the container 1 to the downstream second filling position P6-3.

[0016] Here, the first to third filling means 13 to 15 can each fill different types of beverages. For example, the first filling means 13 is configured to fill a beverage with solids by a cylinder piston method, the second filling means 14 is configured to fill a non-carbonated beverage by non-gas filling in a flow meter type, and the third filling means 15 is configured to fill a carbonated beverage by gas filling in a flow meter type, respectively. Therefore, for example, even if the first filling means 13 fills the container 1 with a beverage at the first filling position P6-2 and the container 1 is located at the second and third filling positions P6-3 and 4, it is possible to control the container 1 to standby and prevent the second and third filling means 14 and 15 from operating. On the other hand, for example, it is also possible to control the first filling means 13 to fill a beverage with solids in a predetermined amount, and then, without filling by the second filling means 14, control the third filling means 15 to fill the remaining volume with a carbonated beverage, enabling the filling of various types of beverages.

[0017] Since the capping means 16 shown in FIG. 4 is conventionally well-known, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. However, above the capping position P6-5 as the stop position P6-5, a capping head 16a that moves up and down by a lifting means (not shown) is provided, and the capping head 16a is connected to a cap supply means (not shown). When the gripper G6 that holds the container 1 by the sixth rotating body R6 moves to and stops at the capping position P6-5, the capping means 16 lowers the capping head 16a to perform capping. After the capping is completed, the lifting means disengages the capping head 16a above the container 1, and then the sixth rotating body R6 moves the gripper G6 that holds the container 1 to the downstream delivery position G.

[0018] FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the delivery position G as the stop position P6-6 for discharging the container 1 from the filling device 3 to the discharge conveyor 10, and the discharge conveyor 10 is provided at the delivery position G. The sixth rotating body R6 is configured to stop the gripper G6 at the delivery position G, and the locus of the cam 23c is set so that the gripper G6 is in an open state at the delivery position G. Also, the height of the discharge conveyor 10 can be adjusted up and down according to the height of the bottom of the container 1 conveyed by the gripper G6. When the gripper G6 stops at the delivery position G, the container 1 is placed on the discharge conveyor 10. When the container 1 is placed on the discharge conveyor 10, the discharge conveyor 10 conveys the container 1 downstream, and the container 1 is configured to be detached from the gripper G6 in the open state.

[0019] Next, the sterilization device 5 as the sub-processing device will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8. The sterilization device 5 includes a second rotating body R2 as a sub-rotating body having a gripper G2 as a second holding means on its outer periphery, and as a second processing means, a sterilizing gas injection means 31 for injecting sterilizing gas into the container 1 and a hot air injection means 32 for injecting hot air into the container 1. The second rotating body R2 is driven by a servo motor M controlled by a control means, and the gripper G2 is stopped at a sterilizing gas injection position P2-1 as a processing position and a hot air injection position P2-2 on the downstream side in the rotation direction thereof (see FIG. 13). Two grippers G2 are provided at positions facing each other at intervals of 180 degrees on the outer periphery of the second rotating body R2, and these two grippers G2 are each configured to grip containers 1 having different diameters at the necks. Therefore, during mold change, the control means only needs to control the second rotating body R2 so that one of the corresponding grippers G2 is stopped at the sterilizing gas injection position P2-1 and the hot air injection position P2-2. When the gripper G2 is replaced during mold change, it is sufficient if one gripper G2 is provided on the second rotating body R2.

[0020] Since the gripper G2 is conventionally well-known, a detailed description thereof will be omitted, but it is constituted by a pair of gripping members that are constantly biased in the closing direction by the biasing force of a spring. At a receiving position B where the gripper G2 of the second rotating body R2 receives the container 1 from the first rotating body R1 adjacent to the upstream side, while the gripper G1 of the first rotating body R1 holds the container 1, the container 1 is pushed between the gripping members of the gripper G2. As a result, when the gripping member opens against the biasing force of the spring and then the container 1 is gripped by the gripping member, the gripper G1 is then released, and the container 1 is transferred to the gripper G2. On the other hand, at the delivery position C where the container 1 is delivered from the gripper G2 of the second rotating body R2 to the third rotating body R3 adjacent to the downstream side, with the gripper G2 gripping the container 1, the gripper G3 of the third rotating body R3 grips the container 1. Thereafter, as the gripper G3 separates while pulling out the container 1 along with the rotation of the third rotating body R3, the gripping member opens against the biasing force of the spring, and the container 1 is disengaged from the gripper G2.

[0021] FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the sterilizing gas injection means 31 as the second processing means, and FIG. 7 shows a plan view. The sterilizing gas injection means 31 includes an internal nozzle 31a provided above the sterilizing gas injection position P2-1 for injecting sterilizing gas into the container 1, an external nozzle 31b for injecting sterilizing gas outside the container 1, and a housing 31c for preventing the scattering of the sterilizing gas. The internal nozzle 31a is moved up and down by a lifting means (not shown) and is connected to a sterilizing gas supply means (not shown). When the gripper G2 stops the container 1 at the sterilizing gas injection position P2-1, the lifting means lowers the internal nozzle 31a and inserts its tip into the container 1, and sterilizing gas is injected in this state. After the injection of the sterilizing gas is completed, the lifting means raises the internal nozzle 31a to disengage it from the container 1, and then the second rotating body R2 moves the gripper G2 to the next hot air injection position P2-2. The external nozzle 31b is connected to a sterilizing gas supply means (not shown), and its tip is branched into a plurality of parts and arranged to surround the container 1 stopped at the sterilizing gas injection position P2-1. By injecting sterilizing gas from the injection ports formed at each tip part, the sterilizing gas is injected over the entire outer surface of the container 1. The housing 31c is formed to cover the vicinity of the sterilizing gas injection position P2-1, and a space is formed along the movement locus of the container 1, and it is provided so as to prevent the scattering of the sterilizing gas injected from the external nozzle 31b as much as possible.

[0022] FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view of the hot air injection means 32 as the second processing means. The hot air injection means 32 is provided above the hot air injection position P2-2 and includes a hot air nozzle 32a that injects hot air into the container 1. The hot air nozzle 32a is connected to a hot air supply means (not shown). When the gripper G2 is moved by the second rotating body R2 to the hot air injection position P2-2 and stopped with the container 1, the mouth of the container 1 approaches the tip of the hot air nozzle 32a, and by injecting hot air from the hot air nozzle 32a, the sterilizing gas injected into the container 1 can be activated. After the injection of the hot air is completed, the second rotating body R2 is configured to move the gripper G2. Here, in order to activate the sterilizing gas injected into the container 1 with hot air, it is desirable to minimize the time from when the sterilizing gas is injected into the container 1 to when the hot air is injected. Therefore, when the sterilizing gas is injected into the container 1 at the sterilizing gas injection position P2-1, the control means immediately moves the gripper G2 to the hot air injection position P2-2 by the second rotating body R2, and causes the hot air injection means 32 to inject hot air.

[0023] Next, the cleaning device 4 as the auxiliary processing device will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11. The cleaning device 4 includes a fourth rotating body R4 as an auxiliary rotating body having a gripper G4 as a second holding means on its outer periphery, a reversing mechanism 41 for reversing the gripper G4 together with the container 1, and a cleaning means 42 as a second processing means for injecting a cleaning liquid into the container 1. The fourth rotating body R4 is driven by a servo motor M controlled by a control means, and as processing positions, it is stopped at an inversion position P4-1 for rotating the container 1 gripped by the gripper G4 from an upright state to an inverted state with the neck down, a cleaning position P4-2 where the cleaning means 42 cleans the container 1, and a return position P4-3 for returning the inverted container 1 to the upright state (see Fig. 13). One gripper G4 is provided on the outer periphery of the fourth rotating body R4, and the following gripping members corresponding to the diameter of the neck are to be replaced during mold change. Similar to the second rotating body R2 of the sterilizing device 5, two grippers G4 corresponding to different neck diameters may be provided on the fourth rotating body R4.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 9, the gripper G4 of the fourth rotating body R4 is composed of a bracket 43 rotatably provided by the inversion mechanism 41, a pair of plate-like members 44 provided at both ends of the bracket 43, a pair of gripping members 45 provided at the tip ends of the plate-like members 44 for gripping the neck of the container 1, and a pair of springs 46 for biasing the plate-like members 44 in the closing direction. An arc-shaped contact portion 45a is formed on the gripping member 45 according to the diameter of the neck of the container 1, and during mold change, the gripping member 45 formed with the contact portion 45a corresponding to the diameter of the neck is to be replaced. At the receiving position D where the gripper G4 of the fourth rotating body R4 receives the container 1 from the third rotating body R3 adjacent to the upstream side, with the gripper G3 of the third rotating body R3 still gripping the container 1, the container 1 is pushed between the gripping members 45 of the gripper G4. Thereby, the gripping member 45 opens against the biasing force of the spring 46, and then when the container 1 fits into and is gripped by the contact portion 45a of the gripping member 45, the gripper G3 is opened and the container 1 is transferred to the gripper G4. On the other hand, at the delivery position E where the container 1 is delivered from the gripper G4 of the fourth rotating body R4 to the fifth rotating body R5 adjacent to the downstream side, with the gripper G4 gripping the container 1, the gripper G5 of the fifth rotating body R5 grips the container 1. Subsequently, as the gripper G5 separates while the fifth rotating body R5 rotates as it is, the container 1 is pulled out, so that the gripping member 45 opens against the biasing force of the spring 46, and the container 1 is disengaged from the gripper G4.

[0025] The above-described inversion mechanism 41 includes a rotating shaft 47 fixed to the bracket 43 of the gripper G4, a shaft support portion 48 fixed to the fourth rotating body R4 and having a substantially U-shaped cross section in plan view for pivotally supporting the rotating shaft 47, a pinion 47a provided at the tip of the rotating shaft 47, a rack 49 meshing with the pinion 47a, and an air cylinder 50 as driving means for advancing and retracting the rack 49. The rotating shaft 47 is horizontally provided so as to face the tangential direction of the fourth rotating body R4. Thus, when the rotating shaft 47 is rotated by 180°, the bracket 43 rotates and the container 1 together with the gripping member 45 can be inverted so that the neck faces downward. The air cylinder 50 is configured to advance and retract the rack 49 in the radial direction of the fourth rotating body R4. When the rack 49 is moved to the inner peripheral side of the fourth rotating body R4, the pinion 47a rotates and the container 1 can be inverted from the upright state shown in FIG. 10 to the inverted state shown in FIG. 11. Conversely, when the rack 49 is moved to the outer peripheral side, the container 1 can be returned from the inverted state to the upright state. Note that the driving means for driving the rack 49 is not limited to the air cylinder 50, and it is also conceivable to be constituted by a cam follower connected to the rack 49 and a cam for advancing and retracting the cam follower in the radial direction of the fourth rotating body R4. It is also conceivable to directly rotate the rotating shaft 47 by a motor.

[0026] FIG. 11 shows a cross-sectional view of the cleaning means 42 as the second processing means. The cleaning means 42 is provided below the cleaning position P4-2 and includes a cleaning liquid nozzle 42a for injecting cleaning liquid into the container 1. The cleaning liquid nozzle 42a moves up and down by lifting means (not shown) and is connected to a cleaning liquid supply means (not shown). When the gripper G4 moves the inverted container 1 to the cleaning position P4-2 and stops, the lifting means raises the cleaning liquid nozzle 42a and inserts its tip into the container 1. When the cleaning liquid is sprayed from the cleaning liquid nozzle 42a in this state, the sprayed cleaning liquid cleans the inner surface of the container 1 and then falls downward from the mouth of the container 1. After the spraying of the cleaning liquid is completed, the lifting means lowers the cleaning liquid nozzle 42a to separate it from the container 1, and then the fourth rotating body R4 moves the gripper G4 to the next return position P4-3 and stops, returning the container 1 from the inverted state to the upright state.

[0027] Next, the configurations of the first to third transfer devices 6 to 8 will be described with reference to FIG. 12. Since the configurations of the first to third transfer devices 6 to 8 are the same, the first transfer device 6 will be described here, and the descriptions of the second and third transfer devices 7 and 8 will be omitted. The first transfer device 6 has a first rotating body R1 as a transfer rotating body provided with a gripper G1 as a third holding means on its outer periphery. In this embodiment, in order to correspond to containers 1 with different neck diameters, two grippers G1 with different gripping diameters are provided at opposite positions of the first rotating body R1. The first rotating body R1 is driven by a servo motor M controlled by a control means, and stops the container 1 gripped by the gripper G1 at a receiving position A as a standby position P1-1 (see FIG. 13) connected to the supply conveyor 9.

[0028] The gripper G1 is composed of two gripping members 51a, 51b and a swing mechanism 52 for swinging one of the gripping members 51b. One of the gripping members 51a is fixed to the first rotating body R1, and an arc-shaped contact portion is formed at the tip of the fixed gripping member 51a to match the neck of the container 1. The other gripping member 51b is swingably provided on the first rotating body R1, and the swing gripping member 51b is provided at a position adjacent to the downstream side in the rotation direction of the first rotating body R1 with respect to the fixed gripping member 51a, and an arcuate contact portion is formed at the tip. With such a configuration, when the swing gripping member 51b is in the closed state by the swing mechanism 52, the outer circumference of the neck portion of the container 1 is surrounded by more than half a circumference by the contact portion of the fixed gripping member 51a and the contact portion of the swing gripping member 51b, and the container 1 can be gripped.

[0029] The swing mechanism 52 includes an arm 51c connected to the base portion of the swing gripping member 51b that swings the tip portion of the swing gripping member 51b to open to the downstream side in the rotation direction, a spring 53 elastically mounted between the arm 51c and the first rotating body R1, a cam follower 51d provided at the tip of the arm 51c, and a cam 54 that moves the cam follower 51d in the radial direction of the first rotating body R1. With the above configuration, the spring 53 biases the arm 51c to maintain the closed state in which the swing gripping member 51b approaches the fixed gripping member 51a. On the contrary, when the cam follower 51d is moved outward by the cam 54, the arm 51c swings against the biasing force of the spring 53, the swing gripping member 51b is opened, and the first gripper G1 is in the open state.

[0030] Regarding the supply conveyor 9 that supplies the container 1 to the first rotating body R1, the supply conveyor 9 includes a rail 55 that supports and conveys the flange portion 1a of the container 1, a container supply means 56 provided upstream of the rail 55, and a stopper 57 provided on the rail 55 to stop the supplied container 1. The rail 55 is provided with the width of the neck portion of the container 1, and is configured to slide and convey while supporting the flange portion 1a from below. The container supply means 56 supplies the container 1 to the first rotating body R1 without a gap, and conveys the container 1 such that the upstream container 1 presses the downstream container 1. Further, the portion of the rail 55 adjacent to the first rotating body R1 is bent toward the rotation direction of the first rotating body R1, and the bent portion 55a is formed along the movement locus of the container 1 moved by the gripper G1 of the first rotating body R1.

[0031] The receiving position A where the gripper G1 of the first rotating body R1 of the present embodiment receives the container 1 from the supply conveyor 9 is set at the base of the bent portion 55a of the rail 55, and the first rotating body R1 is adapted to stop the gripper G1 at the receiving position A. Furthermore, the cam 54 is set so that the gripper G1 is in an open state at the receiving position A, and the cam 54 is set so that the gripper G1 closes while moving downstream from the receiving position A. Therefore, until the gripper G1 moves to a closed state, the container 1 is supported by the bent portion 55a of the rail 55, so that the container 1 does not fall off.

[0032] The stopper 57 includes a pin 57a that protrudes and retracts by a control means, and by protruding the pin 57a, the container 1 is stopped at a position separated upstream from the base of the bent portion 55a in the rail 55. Then, when the gripper G1 of the first rotating body R1 receives the container 1 at the receiving position A and then the gripper G1 is again positioned at the receiving position A, the pin 57a retracts and allows one container 1 to pass through, and then protrudes again to stop the container 1.

[0033] With such a configuration, in the supply conveyor 9, the stopper 57 causes the pin 57a to protrude and retract, and supplies the containers 1 one by one to the open gripper G1 stopped at the receiving position A. Then, the container 1 enters between the two gripping members 51a and 51b of the gripper G1, and then the control means rotates the first rotating body R1 to start the movement of the gripper G1. Then, the swinging gripper member 51b is gradually swung in the closing direction by the cam 54 to be in a closed state, and the container 1 is received by the gripper G1. Thereafter, at the delivery position B where the gripper G1 delivers the container 1 to the second rotating body R2 adjacent to the downstream side of the first rotating body R1, with the gripper G1 gripping the container 1, the gripper G2 of the second rotating body R2 is forcibly opened to grip the container 1. Thereafter, as the gripper G1 separates from the second rotating body R2 as the first rotating body R1 rotates, the gripper G1 is opened from the closed state to the open state by the cam 54, and thereby the container 1 can be delivered to the second rotating body R2.

[0034] The third rotating body R3 as the delivery rotating body constituting the second delivery device 7 includes a gripper G3 as the third holding means having the same configuration as the gripper G1 of the first rotating body R1. Similarly, the fifth rotating body R5 as the delivery rotating body constituting the third delivery device 8 also includes a gripper G5 as the third holding means having the same configuration as the gripper G1. Note that the description of the delivery operation of the container 1 between these grippers G3 and G5 and the adjacent rotating bodies is omitted. As shown in FIG. 13, the standby position P3-1 where the third rotating body R3 constituting the second delivery device 7 stops the gripper G3 and waits is set between the delivery position D to the fourth rotating body R4 and the receiving position C from the second rotating body R2 in the third rotating body R3. On the other hand, the fifth rotating body R5 constituting the third delivery device 8 is configured to stop the gripper G5 at two standby positions P5-1 and 2 and wait, and these are set within the respective sections between the delivery position F to the sixth rotating body R6 and the receiving position E from the fourth rotating body R4 in the fifth rotating body R5.

[0035] The operation of the container processing system 2 having the above configuration will be described below. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the movement of the grippers G1 to G6 of the first to sixth rotators R1 to R6 constituting the filling device 3, the sterilizing device 5, the cleaning device 4, and the first to third transfer devices 6 to 8. The stop positions, processing positions, and standby positions where the grippers G1 to G6 stop are indicated by circles. First, the operator prepares the containers 1 to be used and the beverages to be filled, and sets this information in the above control means. Here, the diameter and height of the neck of the container 1 to be used, and which filling means among the first to third filling means 13 to 15 in the filling device 3 is to be used for filling the beverage to be filled, etc. are set. The control means controls the rotational positions of the first to third, fifth, and sixth rotators R1 to R3, R5, and R6 according to the above settings, and positions the grippers G1 to G3, G5, and G6 optimal for the diameter of the neck of the container 1 to be processed at the above stop positions, processing positions, and standby positions. Also, the operator exchanges the gripper G4 of the fourth rotator R4 according to the diameter of the neck of the container 1. Furthermore, the control means sets the height of the discharge conveyor 10 adjacent to the sixth rotator R6 of the filling device 3. Note that the operator may manually set the height of the discharge conveyor 10. Then, when the operator instructs the start of beverage filling via the above control means, the container processing system 2 starts filling the beverage into the container 1 as follows.

[0036] First, the operation in the filling device 3 as the main processing device will be described. The sixth rotator R6 as the main rotator moves while intermittently stopping the gripper G6 at regular intervals. At the first to third filling positions P6-2 to P6-4, the required first to third filling means 13 to 15 operate as the first processing means to fill the beverage. After that, at the capping position P6-5, the capping means 16 as the first processing means attaches a cap to the container 1, and at the transfer position G (P6-6), the container 1 is discharged by the discharge conveyor 10. Further, the stop position adjacent to the upstream side of the first filling position P6-2 is set to a standby position P6-1 where no processing is performed, and a receiving position F for receiving the container 1 from the fifth rotating body R5 of the third transfer device 8 is set between the transfer position G (P6-6) and the standby position P6-1.

[0037] In the filling device 3, the sixth rotating body R6 moves the gripper G6 while intermittently stopping it in the order of the stop positions P6-1 to P6-6 as described above. For example, the gripper G6 is stopped for 9 seconds at each stop position, and then moved to and stopped at the stop position adjacent to the downstream side over 3 seconds. That is, one intermittent operation from when the sixth rotating body R6 as the main rotating body stops the gripper G6 at the required stop position until the gripper G6 is moved to and stopped at the adjacent stop position takes 12 seconds. The time required for this intermittent operation is determined by the processing time of the processing means with the longest processing time among the first to third filling means 13 to 15 or the capping means 16. For example, even if it only takes 4 seconds to fill the beverage by the second filling means 14 at the second filling position P6-3, it is necessary to wait for the gripper G6 for 9 seconds.

[0038] The sterilization device 5 and the cleaning device 4 as the sub-processing devices and the first to third transfer devices 6 to 8 are configured to operate in synchronization with one intermittent operation of the filling device 3 as the main processing device. Specifically, within the 12 seconds required for one intermittent operation, the first to fifth rotating bodies R1 to R5 as the sub-rotating bodies or transfer rotating bodies constituting these are each rotated once, and during that time, processing is performed on the container 1, and the container 1 is transferred from the rotating body on the upstream side to the rotating body on the downstream side. Note that the "operating in synchronization with one intermittent operation" mentioned here does not require controlling the operations of the sterilization device 5 and the cleaning device 4 as the sub-processing devices and the first to third transfer devices 6 to 8 in accordance with the start timing and end timing of one intermittent operation of the filling device 3 as the main processing device. That is, it is also possible to start the operation from the middle of an intermittent operation of the filling device 3, and during the 12 seconds required for one intermittent operation of the filling device 3 at any timing, the sub-rotating body constituting the sterilizing device 5 and the cleaning device 4 and the transfer rotating body constituting the first to third transfer devices 6 to 8 may perform an operation of rotating once.

[0039] First, in the first transfer device 6, the supply conveyor 9 supplies the empty containers 1 one by one to the first rotating body R1. At this time, the first rotating body R1 waits with the gripper G1 at the receiving position A (waiting position P1-1) connected to the supply conveyor 9. At the receiving position A, the gripper G1 is in an open state. When a new container 1 is supplied to the gripper G1, the control means moves the first rotating body R1 of the first transfer device 6. The gripper G1 starts moving from the receiving position A, and then transfers the container 1 while passing through the transfer position B to the second rotating body R2 of the sterilizing device 5, and then rotates once and stops at the receiving position A. At this time, the time from when the gripper G1 starts moving from the receiving position A until the gripper G1 stops at the receiving position A again and starts moving again is set to be the same as the time of one intermittent operation of the filling device 3.

[0040] While the first rotating body R1 rotates the gripper G1 once, the control means can change the rotation speed of the first rotating body R1 according to the position of the gripper G1 and change the moving speed of the gripper G1. Specifically, a section continuous with the downstream side in the rotation direction of the first rotating body R1 with respect to the receiving position A is set as an acceleration section, and a section continuous with the upstream side in the rotation direction of the receiving position A is set as a deceleration section, and an isometric section where the gripper G1 moves at a constant speed is set between these acceleration section and deceleration section. The handover position B to the second rotating body R2 is set in the constant speed section. For the handover of the container 1 at the handover position B, the moving speed of the gripper G1 by the first rotating body R1 and the moving speed of the gripper G2 by the second rotating body R2 are set to be the same. Therefore, the control means starts the movement of the gripper G1 from the standby position P1-1 (receiving position A), and controls the standby time at the standby position P1-1 and the acceleration in the acceleration section and the deceleration section so that the timing when the gripper G1 passes through the handover position B coincides with the timing when the gripper G2 of the second rotating body R2 passes through the receiving position B.

[0041] Next, in the sterilization device 5, the second rotating body R2 is rotated once during the intermittent operation in the filling device 3. In this embodiment, the hot air injection position P2-2 is set as the standby position of the gripper G2. Thereby, the gripper G2 starts moving from the hot air injection position P2-2, then hands over the container 1 while passing through the handover position C to the third rotating body R3 of the second handover device 7, and then receives the container 1 while passing through the receiving position B from the first rotating body R1 of the first handover device 6. When it stops at the sterilization gas injection position P2-1 and the treatment by the sterilization gas injection means 31 is performed, it rotates once and stops again at the hot air injection position P2-2, and the treatment by the hot air injection means 32 is performed. Also in this second rotating body R2, during one rotation of the gripper G2, the control means changes the moving speed according to the position of the gripper G2. A deceleration section is set on the upstream side in the rotation direction of the sterilization gas injection position P2-1, and an acceleration section is set on the downstream side in the rotation direction of the hot air injection position P2-2, and a constant speed section is set between them. The receiving position B from the first rotating body R1 and the handover position C to the third rotating body R3 are located in the constant speed section. For the handover of the container 1, the moving speed of the gripper G2 by the second rotating body R2 is set to be the same as the moving speed of the gripper G1 by the first rotating body R1 and the moving speed of the gripper G3 by the third rotating body R3. On the other hand, the moving speed of the gripper G2 between the sterilizing gas injection position P2-1 and the hot air injection position P2-2 can be set to an optimal moving speed in order to activate the sterilizing gas injected into the container 1 by the hot air as described above. As described above, in the sterilizing apparatus 5, while an intermittent operation in the filling apparatus 3 is being performed, the second rotating body R2 stops the gripper G2 at the sterilizing gas injection position P2-1 and the hot air injection position P2-2, and performs processing respectively. That is, it is possible to make the processing times by the sterilizing gas injection means 31 and the hot air injection means 32 in the sterilizing apparatus 5 different from the processing time of the processing means constituting the filling apparatus 3. In particular, in the sterilizing apparatus 5, it is possible to perform a plurality of processes at a plurality of processing positions during one intermittent operation.

[0042] Next, in the second transfer device 7, the third rotating body R3 is rotated once during the intermittent operation in the filling device 3. In this embodiment, the standby position P3-1 of the gripper G3 is set between the transfer position D to the fourth rotating body R4 of the cleaning device 4 and the receiving position C from the second rotating body R2 of the sterilizing device 5. Thereby, the gripper G3 starts moving starting from the standby position P3-1, first receives the container 1 while passing through the receiving position C from the second rotating body R2 of the sterilizing device 5, then passes the transfer position D to the fourth rotating body R4 of the cleaning device 4 while passing the container 1, and then rotates once and stops again at the standby position P3-1. Also in this third rotating body R3, while the gripper G3 is rotated once, the control means changes the moving speed according to the position of the gripper G3. A deceleration section is set on the upstream side in the rotation direction of the standby P3-1, an acceleration section is set on the downstream side in the rotation direction, and an equal speed section is set between them. Since the receiving position C from the second rotating body R2 and the delivery position D to the fourth rotating body R4 are located in the constant speed section, the moving speed of the gripper G3 by the third rotating body R3 is set to be the same as the moving speed of the gripper G2 by the second rotating body R2 and the moving speed of the gripper G4 by the fourth rotating body R4.

[0043] Next, in the cleaning device 4, during the intermittent operation in the filling device 3, the fourth rotating body R4 is rotated once. In this embodiment, the cleaning position P4-2 is set as the standby position of the gripper G4. Thereby, when the gripper G4 starts moving from the cleaning position P4-2 as a starting point, and then stops at the return position P4-3 to return the container 1 from the inverted state to the upright state, the container 1 is delivered while passing through the delivery position E to the fifth rotating body R5 of the third delivery device 8, and then the container 1 is received while passing through the receiving position D from the third rotating body R3 of the second delivery device 7. Further, when the container 1 is stopped at the inversion position P4-1 and inverted, it rotates once and stops at the cleaning position P4-2 again, and the processing by the cleaning means 42 is performed. Also in this fourth rotating body R4, during one rotation of the gripper G4, the control means changes the moving speed according to the position of the gripper G4. A deceleration section is set on the upstream side in the rotation direction of the inversion position P4-1, an acceleration section is set on the downstream side in the rotation direction of the return position P4-3, and a constant speed section is set between them. Since the receiving position D from the third rotating body R3 and the delivery position E to the fifth rotating body R5 are located in the constant speed section, the moving speed of the gripper G4 by the fourth rotating body R4 is set to be the same as the moving speed of the gripper G3 by the third rotating body R3 and the moving speed of the gripper G5 by the fifth rotating body R5. On the other hand, for the section from the inversion position P4-1 to the return position P4-3, the gripper G4 can be moved at an arbitrary moving speed, and it can be arbitrarily set according to the standby time at the cleaning position P4-2. As described above, also in the cleaning device 4, while an intermittent operation is being performed in the sixth rotating body R6 of the filling device 3, the fourth rotating body R4 stops the gripper G4 at the inversion position P4-1, the cleaning position P4-2, and the return position P4-3, respectively, and can perform processes. During an intermittent operation of the filling device 3, it is possible to perform a plurality of processes at a plurality of process positions. In the cleaning device 4 of the present embodiment, the operations of inverting and returning the container 1 are performed by stopping at the inversion position P4-1 and the return position P4-3. However, the inversion mechanism 41 may be operated while moving without stopping the gripper G4. In this case, the process position in the cleaning device 4 is only the cleaning position P4-2.

[0044] In the third transfer device 8, the fifth rotating body R5 is rotated once during the intermittent operation in the filling device 3. In the present embodiment, the gripper G5 is set at a first standby position P5-1 set downstream of the receiving position E from the fourth rotating body R4 of the cleaning device 4 and a second standby position P5-2 set downstream of the transfer position F to the sixth rotating body R6 of the filling device 3. It is designed to standby. The gripper G5 starts moving from the first standby position P5-1. First, it transfers the container 1 while passing through the transfer position F to the sixth rotating body R6 of the cleaning device 3. Then, after stopping at the second standby position P5-2 and waiting for a predetermined time, it receives the container 1 while passing through the receiving position E from the fourth rotating body R4 of the cleaning device 4, and then rotates once and stops again at the first standby position P5-1. Also in this fifth rotating body R5, while the gripper G5 is rotated once, the control means changes the moving speed according to the position of the gripper G5. A deceleration section is set upstream in the rotation direction of the first standby position P5-1 and the second standby position P5-2, and an acceleration section is set downstream in the rotation direction, and an isometric section is set between these. Among these, the isometric section where the receiving position E from the fourth rotating body R4 is set is synchronized with the moving speed of the gripper G4 by the fourth rotating body R4 at the receiving position E. On the other hand, in the constant speed section where the delivery position F to the sixth rotating body R6 is set, the moving speed of the fifth gripper G5 is synchronized with the moving speed of the gripper G6 by the sixth rotating body R6 at the delivery position F. Therefore, the fifth rotating body R5 of the third delivery device 8 sets the first and second standby positions P5-1 and P5-2, so that the moving speed of the gripper G5 in the constant speed section set therebetween is different, and the moving speed is made to match the gripper of the adjacent rotating body in each constant speed section.

[0045] In this way, when the gripper G6 of the sixth rotating body R6 of the filling device 3 receives the container 1 from the fifth rotating body R5 of the third delivery device 8, in the filling device 3, as described above, the sixth rotating body R6 moves the gripper G6 while intermittently stopping it at a predetermined time interval, fills the container 1 with the beverage using the first to third filling means 13 to 15, and the capping means 16 attaches a cap to the container 1. Thereafter, when the gripper G6 moves to and stops at the delivery position G (P6-6) where the discharge conveyor 10 is located, the gripper G6 is in an open state, and the opened container 1 is carried out by the discharge conveyor 10.

[0046] As described above, according to the container processing system 2 of the present embodiment, since the sixth rotating body R6 constituting the filling device 3 fills the beverage while intermittently stopping the gripper G6, although it is for small lot production in terms of capacity, it is possible to perform aseptic filling similar to the actual production line for mass production by the sterilization device 5 and the cleaning device 4. Therefore, it can be said that the container processing system 2 of the present embodiment is a suitable system for filling small lots of containers 1 with beverages for the development of new products. Here, in the present embodiment, while the filling device 3 as the main processing device performs an intermittent operation, it is possible to rotate the second rotating body R2 as the sub-rotating body of the sterilization device 5 as the sub-processing device by the servo motor M. By doing so, while the filling device 3 fills the container with the beverage, the sterilization device 5 can perform the injection of the sterilizing gas and the injection treatment of the hot air on the container 1, and the sterilizing gas injected into the container 1 can be effectively activated. That is, for the processes that must be performed in a processing time shorter than the processing time in the filling device 3, it is possible to perform the processes by using the sub-processing device.

[0047] On the other hand, during an intermittent operation in which the filling device 3 fills the container with the beverage, the sterilization device 5 injects the sterilizing gas and the hot air into the container 1, and transfers the container 1 from the upstream rotating body to the downstream rotating body. That is, it is possible to synchronize the processing in the filling device 3 and the processing in the sterilization device 5, and thus each device constituting the container processing system 2 can perform a series of processes synchronously. Conventionally, when aseptic filling of a beverage is desired during the development of a new product, there is no choice but to use the original production line, and for this reason, costs such as the labor and power for mold change equivalent to producing a product on the market are required. Also, during the test, the production line cannot be used for the production of products on the market, so production losses also occurred during that period.

[0048] Further, in this embodiment, a third transfer device 8 is provided between the filling device 3 as the main processing device and the cleaning device 4 as the sub-processing device, and the fifth rotating body R5 as the transfer rotating body of the third transfer device 8 transfers the container from the gripper G4 of the fourth rotating body R4 of the cleaning device 4 to the gripper G6 of the sixth rotating body R6 of the filling device 3. In this embodiment, since the transfer rotating body rotates once during an intermittent operation of the filling device 3 to make the gripper go around once, it is only necessary to provide one gripper for each transfer rotating body, and it is possible to set the diameter of the rotating body small. Therefore, it is possible to make the overall configuration of the container processing system 2 compact.

[0049] In addition, with respect to the above-described embodiment, the third transfer device 8 may be omitted, the fourth rotating body R4 of the cleaning device 4 and the sixth rotating body R6 of the filling device 3 may be made adjacent to each other, and the container 1 may be directly transferred from the fourth rotating body R4 to the sixth rotating body R6. In this case, the control means may synchronize the moving speed of the gripper G4 with the moving speed of the gripper G6 in the sixth rotating body R6 at the transfer position from the fourth rotating body R4 to the sixth rotating body R6. Similarly, it is also possible to omit the second transfer device 7 provided between the sterilization device 5 and the cleaning device 4 and the first transfer device 6 provided upstream of the sterilization device 5. In this case, however, it is necessary for one of the adjacent grippers to be provided with an opening / closing mechanism.

[0050] In the above-described embodiment, the container 1 is gripped using the grippers G1 to G6. However, some of the grippers may be configured to support, for example, the bottom of the container 1. As long as the container can be transferred between the rotating bodies, other conventionally known holding means can be adopted.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0051] 1 Container 2 Container processing system 3 Filling device (main processing device) 4 Cleaning device (sub-processing device) 5 Sterilization device (sub-processing device) 6 - 8 First - third transfer devices 13 - 15 First - third filling means (first processing means) 16 Capping means (first processing means) 31 Sterilizing gas injection means (second processing means) 32 Hot air injection means (second processing means) 42 Cleaning means (second processing means) R1, 3, 5 First, third, fifth rotating bodies (transfer - use rotating bodies) R2, 4 Second, fourth rotating bodies (sub - rotating bodies) R6 Sixth rotating body (main rotating body) G1 - G6 Grippers (holding means) M Servo motor P1 - 1 Receiving position P2 - 1 Sterilizing gas injection position P2-2 Hot air injection position P3-1 Standby position P4-1 Inversion position P4-2 Washing position P4-3 Return position P5-1, 2 Standby positions P6-1 Standby position P6-2~4 First~Third filling positions P6-5 Capping position P6-6 Delivery position

Claims

1. A main rotating body having a plurality of first holding means for holding containers at equal intervals on its outer periphery, a driving means for rotating the main rotating body while intermittently stopping it to intermittently stop the first holding means at a plurality of stop positions, and a first processing means provided at at least one of the plurality of stop positions and performing processing on the containers held by the first holding means, a main processing apparatus comprising: A sub-rotating body having one second holding means for holding a container on its outer periphery, a servo motor for driving the sub-rotating body to stop the second holding means at a required processing position, and a second processing means for performing processing on the container held by the second holding means at the processing position, a sub-processing apparatus comprising: A transfer apparatus provided between the main processing apparatus and the sub-processing apparatus, having a transfer rotating body having one third holding means for holding a container on its outer periphery, and a servo motor for driving the transfer rotating body to move the third holding means; In the sub-processing apparatus, when the second processing means has performed processing on the container held by the second holding means of the sub-rotating body, the container is transferred to the first holding means of the main rotating body of the main processing apparatus via the third holding means of the transfer rotating body, and further, while the main rotating body intermittently rotates and transfers the container, a container processing system in which the first processing means performs processing; In the main processing apparatus, during an intermittent operation until the main rotating body stops the first holding means at the stop position where the first processing means is disposed, the first processing means performs processing on the container held by the first holding means, and further the main rotating body moves the first holding means to an adjacent stop position and stops; The transfer apparatus rotates the third holding means of the transfer rotating body once, and during that time, synchronizes the movement of the third holding means of the transfer rotating body with the movement of the second holding means of the upstream sub-processing apparatus to receive the container from the second holding means, and synchronizes the movement of the third holding means holding the container with the movement of the first holding means of the downstream main processing apparatus to transfer the container from the third holding means to the first holding means, and The sub-processing device rotates the second holding means of the sub-rotating body once, and during that time, performs an operation of moving and stopping the second holding means of the sub-rotating body from the receiving position of the container to the processing position of the second processing means, an operation of the second processing means performing processing on the container at the processing position, and further an operation of moving the second holding means of the sub-rotating body from the processing position to the position where the container is delivered to the third holding means of the delivery device. A container processing system characterized by this.

2. The sub-processing device moves and stops the second holding means of the sub-rotating body at a plurality of processing positions during an intermittent operation in the main processing device, and the second processing means performs processing at each processing position. The container processing system according to claim 1, characterized by this.

3. The first processing means of the main processing device is a filling means for filling the container with a beverage at the stop position. The second processing means of the sub-processing device is a sterilizing gas injection means provided at an upstream processing position for injecting sterilizing gas into the container, and a hot air injection means provided at a downstream processing position for injecting hot air into the container. The container processing system according to claim 2, characterized by this.

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