Sterilization method

A sterilization method for an outlet-side structure disposed on an outlet side of a filling chamber in which a filling device to fill contents into bottles is disposed,

• the outlet-side structure including:
• an outlet chamber that includes a sterile zone chamber, which inside is kept in a sterile state, disposed downstream of the filling chamber and connected to the filling chamber;
• and a gray zone chamber, that isolates a sterile atmosphere and a non-sterile atmosphere from each other, disposed downstream of the sterile zone chamber and connected to the sterile zone chamber;
• and
• a non-sterile zone, that is a zone where fungi may exist connected to the outlet chamber,
• the sterile zone chamber including a cap fitting device disposed therein to fit a cap to the bottles filled with the contents and a sterile zone conveyor disposed therein to convey the bottles fitted with the cap,
• the gray zone chamber including a gray zone conveyor disposed therein to receive the bottles from the sterile zone conveyor and to convey the bottles,
• the non-sterile zone including a non-sterile zone conveyor disposed therein to receive the bottles from the gray zone conveyor and to convey the bottles,
• wherein the sterilization method comprises:
• a sterilizer supplying step of supplying the sterilizer to the sterile zone conveyor while the sterile zone conveyor is being rotated, before the production of product bottles;
• and
• a sterile water supplying step of supplying sterile water to the sterile zone conveyor while the sterile zone conveyor is being rotated, before the production of product bottles;
• a pressure in the filling chamber is set to be higher than that in the sterile zone chamber, and a pressure in the sterile zone chamber is set to be higher than that in the gray zone chamber.