ELECTRON BEAM IRRADIATION TYPE ASEPTIC VACUUM FILLING METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE SAME

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and an apparatus by which a liquid can be filled into a container, for which a sterilization treatment is applied through the irradiation with an electron beam under an aseptic state, and in addition, the production can economically be performed.SOLUTION: On the end of a carrying path 10 which carries the container 1, first and second sterilizing-filling lines 20A and 20B equipped with openable/closable shutters 21A, 21B, 22A and 22B on the carrying-in side and the carrying-out side are installed side by side. On the end section of the carrying path 10, a sorting mechanism 11 is installed, and a plurality of the containers 1 are carried in and housed by switching the sorting mechanism 11 to each sterilizing-filling line 20A or 20B side. For respective sterilizing-filling lines 20A and 20B, a vacuumizing means such as a vacuum pump VP which alternately vacuumizes the inside of each housed container 1, an electron beam irradiation means 23A and 23B which sterilize each housed container 1 by irradiating each container 1 with the electron beam, and filling mechanism sections 27A and 27B which are connected and operated after the vacuumization and simultaneously fill the liquid from a liquid storage tank 26 into each container 1 are installed. Thus, the vacuum sterilizing process operation and the vacuum filling operation are executed.