# US 10,870,506 B2 · Filling system

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- Number: US 10,870,506 B2
- Document ID: US10870506B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/332,992
- Filed: 2017-09-13
- Published: 2019-09-12
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2016-09-14
- Assignees: Shibuya Corporation
- Applicants: Shibuya Corporation
- Inventors: Yukinobu Nishino; Katsunori Tanikawa; Koji Kaya; Kengo Ikeda; Shigeki Koishi; Masaaki Eda
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10870506B2

## CPC

- B65B 3/04: Methods of, or means for, filling the material into the containers or receptacles
- B67C 3/00: Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus; Filling casks or barrels with liquids or semiliquids
- B67C 3/001: {Cleaning of filling devices}
- B67C 3/22: Details
- B67C 7/0046: {Infeed and outfeed devices}
- B67C 7/0073: {Sterilising, aseptic filling and closing (B67C3/2642 takes precedence)}
- B67C 2003/228: {Aseptic features}
- B67C 2003/2688: {Means for filling containers in defined atmospheric conditions}
- B65B: MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING (bundling and pressing devices for cigars A24C1/44; devices for tensioning and securing binders adapted to be supported by the article or articles to be bound B25B25/00; applying closure members to bottles, jars or similar containers B67B1/00-B67B6/00; concurrent cleaning, filling and closing of bottles B67C7/00; emptying bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels or similar containers B67C9/00)
- B67C: CLEANING, FILLING WITH LIQUIDS OR SEMILIQUIDS, OR EMPTYING, OF BOTTLES, JARS, CANS, CASKS, BARRELS, OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; FUNNELS

## Abstract

A filling system includes a conveyance chamber that conveys vessels, a filling chamber provided with a filling head that fills content into the vessels, a pressure control means that controls the pressure conditions of each chamber, an intermediate chamber that is provided between the conveyance chamber and the filling chamber, and a shutter that can separate the conveyance chamber and the intermediate chamber. When the filling chamber is separated by the shutter, the pressure control means controls the pressure of the intermediate chamber to become lower than the pressure of the conveyance chamber and the filling chamber.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A filling system comprising:
a conveyance chamber that conveys vessels;
a plurality of filling chambers provided with filling heads for filling contents into the vessels;
an intermediate chamber provided between the conveyance chamber and at least one of the plurality of filling chambers;
a pressure controller that controls the pressure conditions of each of the: conveyance chamber, the at least one of the plurality of filling chambers, and the intermediate chamber; and
an opening/closing door configured to separate the at least one of the plurality of filling chambers from the conveyance chamber by closing an opening provided between the at least one of the plurality of filling chambers and the conveyance chamber,
wherein, in a state in which the opening is closed by the opening/closing door, the conveyance chamber is provided on one side of the door and both the intermediate chamber and the at least one of the plurality of filling chambers are provide on other side of the door such that the at least one of the plurality of filling chambers is capable of being washed while the opening is closed, and wherein,
in the state in which the opening is closed by the opening/closing door, the pressure controller is configured to control the pressure of the intermediate chamber to become lower than the pressure of the conveyance chamber and the at least one of the plurality of filling chambers.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The filling system according to claim 1, wherein the pressure controller controls the pressure of the at least one of the plurality of filling chambers to become lower than the conveyance chamber.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The filling system according to claim 1, wherein, in the state in which the opening is closed by the opening/closing door, other of the plurality of filling chambers is configured to be operated while the at least one of the plurality of filling chambers is washed.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The filling system according to claim 3, wherein, in the state in which the opening is closed by the opening/closing door and the at least one of the plurality of filling chambers is washed, the pressure controller is configured to create a negative pressure environment such that an atmosphere inside the at least one of the plurality of filling chambers is prevented from leaking out from the opening and flowing into the conveyance chamber.