Beverage filling method and apparatus

A beverage filling apparatus comprising:

• a molding section (7) for molding a bottle (1) from a heated preform (6) through a blow molding process;
• a sterilization section (9) for sterilizing the bottle (1) molded in the molding section (7) with hydrogen peroxide mist or hydrogen peroxide gas;
• a filling section (10) for filling the bottle (1) sterilized in the sterilization section (9) with beverage (a) and then sealing the bottle (1), the molding section (7), the sterilization section (9) and the filling section (10) being coupled continuously with each other;
• bottle travelling means disposed for continuously travelling the bottle (1) on a travelling path from the molding section to the filling section through the sterilization section, wherein the bottle travelling means is provided with wheels (19a, 19b, 36a, 36b, 36c, 58a, 58h, 58c, 58d) disposed in a row from the molding section (7) toward the filling section (10);
• characterized in that
• grippers (28) turn around the wheels while gripping the bottle neck portion (1a) and transfer the bottle (1) from an upstream side wheel to a downstream side wheel;
• the bottle (1) is travelled with a neck portion (1a) directed upward;
• a lower end of a spray tube (59) is opened toward the neck portion (1a) of the bottle (1), a part of the mist or gas of the hydrogen peroxide supplied into the spray tube (59) is continuously blown toward the bottle neck portion (1a) through the spray tube (59) so that the blown mist or gas of the hydrogen peroxide flows into the travelling bottle (1), and sterilizes the inner surface of the bottle (1), and a remaining part of the mist or gas of the hydrogen peroxide flows outside of the bottle (1) so as to sterilize simultaneously the outer surface of the bottle (1).