Guide member

A filler device for filling a container with a product stored in a filler bowl, the filler device comprising:

• a filling valve for filling the container with the product and provided with a filling port configured to be opened and closed;
• a container supporting unit configured to be lifted and lowered relative to the filling valve such that the filling port opens when the container supporting unit is lifted and closes when the container supporting unit is lowered;
• and
• a guide member comprising:
• an upper main body having an inner surface and an outer surface, the upper main body positioned to permit the filling valve to pass through the inner surface of the upper main body, and be movable in a vertical direction relative to the filling valve;
• and
• a lower main body slidably coupled to the upper main body, configured to be slidable on the outer surface of the upper main body,
• wherein the lower main body is provided with an abutting portion that protrudes inward relative to an inner surface of the lower main body and that is configured to abut against at least an opening portion of the container for filling, and
• the guide member is configured to allow the container to be lifted while keeping the abutting portion abutted against the opening portion, thereby guiding the opening portion to an appropriate position relative to the filling valve,
• wherein the filling valve further includes:
• a housing that is tubular and penetrates through a bottom surface of the filler bowl;
• an outer valve body that is tubular and is inserted into the housing;
• an inner valve body that is tubular, an upper end thereof being fixed to the housing, and is inserted into the outer valve body, and wherein the filling port is provided in a lower end of the inner valve body;
• and
• a biasing unit that biases the outer valve body downward relative to the housing, the outer valve body is provided with a press-target portion that is configured to be pressed upward by an opening portion of the container,
• the filling valve is configured such that an opening of the container mounted on the container supporting unit presses the press-target portion and moves the outer valve body upward as a result of the container supporting unit being lifted thereby opening the filling port, and the outer valve body is moved downward as a result of the container supporting unit being lowered thereby closing the filling port by a lower end of the outer valve body,
• the biasing unit includes compression coil springs provided between the housing and the press-target portion,
• the compression coil springs include an upper spring having an upper end fixed to an upper fixing portion provided at a position closer to the housing than the press-target portion, and a lower spring having a lower end fixed to a lower fixing portion provided at a position closer to the press-target portion than the housing,
• a lower end of the upper spring and an upper end of the lower spring are coupled to each other by a coupling portion that is provided so as to be slidable on an outer surface of the outer valve body,
• the upper main body includes an upper case and a lower case that is detachably attached to the upper case,
• the upper case is located above the lower fixing portion, and is configured to be restricted from moving downward upon a lower end of the upper case coming into contact with the lower fixing portion, and
• the lower case is configured to extend downward relative to the lower fixing portion, and is configured to allow the press-target portion to slide on an inner surface of the lower case.