An aseptic liquid cryogen dosing head has a liquid cryogen reservoir in communication with a dosing outlet. An electromagnetic actuator is attached to an upper end of a dosing valve stem and is operable to move the dosing valve stem to open and close the dosing outlet. An air-tight seal extends about the dosing valve stem and separates the liquid cryogen reservoir from a cavity between the seal and the electromagnetic actuator. A controller is operable to perform a head leakage test, including pressurizing the cavity with a pressure higher than a pressure within the reservoir, to check for leakage past the seal; and pressurizing the reservoir to check for leakage from the liquid cryogen reservoir.

An object of the present invention is to make short a manufacturing time at a time of switching a kind of a filling drink. In a cleaning method of a drink filling system provided with a drink supply pipe line for supplying a drink to a filling machine (2) and an aseptic chamber (3) surrounding at least the filling machine, the cleaning method is performed by executing program including at least two of first, second and third programs, wherein the first program corresponds to an aseptic carbonated drink and executes a COP treatment performed for an interior of the aseptic chamber and a CIP treatment performed for an interior of the drink supply pipe line, the second program corresponds to a high acidic drink and executes the COP treatment and an SOP treatment performed for the interior of the aseptic chamber and a CIP treatment and an SIP treatment performed in the interior of the drink supply pipe line, and the third program corresponds to a low acidic drink and executes the COP treatment and the SOP treatment performed for the interior of the aseptic chamber and the CIP treatment and the SIP treatment performed in the interior of the drink supply pipe line, and wherein either one of the three programs is enabled to be selectively executed, and in a case where the drink is an aseptic carbonated drink, the first program is selected, in a case where the drink is a high acidic drink, the second program is selected, and in a case where the drink is a low acidic drink, the third program is selected, to thereby clean the interiors of the aseptic chamber and the drink supply pipe line before filling of the drink in accordance with the selected program.

At least one of COP and SOP treatments is performed by spraying a predetermined working fluid from spray nozzles (17a, 17b) within an aseptic chamber (9) accommodated with a filler (1) in a predetermined order, when such at least one of the COP and SOP treatments is performed, the predetermined working fluid is blasted toward externally of the filler (1) in the predetermined order while moving a movable spray nozzle (17b) opposing to the filler around the filler (1) from an outer periphery thereof, thus performing the filler cleaning operation. Accordingly, downtime at the drink filling working can be reduced.

In an aseptic filling apparatus, a CIP of the content filling station is performed after rotation of a wheel in the content filling station is stopped, a COP or SOP of the content filling station is performed while the wheel in the content filling station is rotating immediately after the CIP is completed, an SIP of the content filling station is performed with rotation of the wheel in the content filling station being stopped immediately after the COP or SOP is completed, and one or both of the COP and SOP of the other stations is performed in a predetermined order while wheels in the other stations are rotating in a period from the start of the CIP to the end of the SIP.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for filling and closing containers. The problem of the present invention is to develop an apparatus for filling and closing containers such that the risk of the apparatus being contaminated by spilled contents is effectively prevented. This problem is solved by an apparatus for filling and closing containers which comprises a first process wheel (1) for filling a container and a second process wheel (2) for closing a filled container and also a transfer device (3) for transferring the filled containers from the first process wheel (1) to the second process wheel (2). The transfer device (3) has a linear transfer route (4).

The invention relates, inter alia, to a container processing system for processing containers, preferably bottles or cans. The container processing system comprises at least one component having a surface with a material that can be photoactivated for the disinfecting of the surface. Advantageously, portions of the container processing system that are relevant to hygiene can be self-sterilizing.

A treatment head for use in a container-treatment machine includes two channels with a spray nozzle connecting to one of the channels. The channel connected to the spray nozzle carries a cleaning medium. The spray nozzle sprays the cleaning medium away from the filling machine

An aseptic liquid cryogen dosing head has a liquid cryogen reservoir in communication with a dosing outlet. An electromagnetic actuator is attached to an upper end of a dosing valve stem and is operable to move the dosing valve stem to open and close the dosing outlet. An air-tight seal extends about the dosing valve stem and separates the liquid cryogen reservoir from a cavity between the seal and the electromagnetic actuator. A controller is operable to perform a head leakage test, including pressurizing the cavity with a pressure higher than a pressure within the reservoir, to check for leakage past the seal; and pressurizing the reservoir to check for leakage from the liquid cryogen reservoir.

A covering device for a filling station has at least one container transfer housing that forms an accommodating space configured to accommodate a container transfer unit of the filling station, which projects from a closed filling space of the filling station. The container transfer housing has at least one transfer opening for passage of the container into and/or out of the accommodating space. The covering device further includes at least one covering which closes the transfer opening in at last one operation state of the covering. The covering is supported movably at the container transfer housing. The covering device further includes at least one cleaning unit arranged within the container transfer housing and is configured, when the transfer opening is closed by the covering, for an automated cleaning of the accommodating space, and includes at least one sensor element for a detection of at least one position of the covering.