The present invention relates to a method for filling a fluid into a container without using measuring means and to a filling apparatus therefor which comprises an attachment having a predetermined volume V.sub.A, said attachment comprising a valve attachment which has a gas valve and a liquid valve with a valve seat in a housing. Said valve seat surrounds a displacement element that can be moved along the longitudinal axis relative to the housing, and forms an annular gap. According to said method, the attachment is tightly placed onto a container (1) while the displacement element is inserted into the container (1). When the liquid valve (5) is opened, the filling fluid flows into the nominal volume V.sub.N of the container (1), and said nominal volume is flooded with the filling fluid; the liquid valve is then closed. The displacement element is withdrawn from the container (1) and the flooded remaining volumes top up the contents in the container (1), the volumina V.sub.VA and V.sub.FV equaling the volume V.sub.Rohr of a portion of the displacement element in the flooded portion so that identical containers (1) are filled with identical fill levels.

A method for filling a container (2) with a filling product, comprising the steps of: positioning the container (2) in a filling station (1) so that its mouth (2b) is below the filling valve (9); separating a treatment volume (40) of the neck (2a) comprised between the filling valve (9) and at least one part of the neck (2a) of the container (2) from an external environment (6) containing the body (2d) of the container (2); dispensing plasma into the treatment volume (40) so that it flows over the neck (2a) of the container (2); enabling the filling valve (9) to dispense the filling product into the container (2).

A method for decontaminating a tube of which a first open end forms an inner neck towards the inside of the tube and an outer neck towards the outside of the tube, the method including: initially raising the temperature of the tube, then subjecting the tube to ultraviolet radiation, that includes emitting ultraviolet radiation by radiation emission apparatus, and subjecting the inside of the tube, the outer neck and the inner neck to the ultraviolet radiation, in which the first end is inserted into a cavity arranged to reflect the ultraviolet radiation emitted by the emission apparatus and to direct this ultraviolet radiation into the tube through the first end, onto the outer neck of the tube and onto the inner neck of the tube.

A drink filling system including: a bottle molding section; a sterilizing section that sterilizes a molded bottle; a rinsing section that rinses the bottle; a filling section that fills and seals the bottle; and a conveying unit that conveys the bottle from the molding section to the filling section. A chamber covers a portion extending from the sterilizing section to the filling section, an atmosphere shut-off chamber is between a sterilizing section chamber and a rinsing section chamber, an exhaust unit for exhausting the atmosphere shut-off chamber and/or the sterilizing section chamber, a clean air supply unit for flowing a clean air from a filling section chamber into the atmosphere shut-off chamber through the rinsing section chamber or for further flowing the air into the sterilizing section chamber, and the air-flow flowing therein is exhausted by the exhaust unit.

A drink filling system including: a bottle molding section; a sterilizing section that sterilizes a molded bottle; a rinsing section that rinses the bottle; a filling section that fills and seals the bottle; and a conveying unit that conveys the bottle from the molding section to the filling section. A chamber covers a portion extending from the sterilizing section to the filling section, an atmosphere shut-off chamber is between a sterilizing section chamber and a rinsing section chamber, an exhaust unit for exhausting the atmosphere shut-off chamber and/or the sterilizing section chamber, a clean air supply unit for flowing a clean air from a filling section chamber into the atmosphere shut-off chamber through the rinsing section chamber or for further flowing the air into the sterilizing section chamber, and the air-flow flowing therein is exhausted by the exhaust unit.

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.

A dual needle assembly comprising a housing comprising a first sterility filter, and a second sterility filter, a first needle for transporting a liquid comprising a first end coupled to the housing; and a second end extending from the housing, a second needle for transporting a stream of air comprising a third end coupled to the housing, and a fourth end extending from the housing. The first sterility filter is in-line with the first needle, such that the liquid transported via the first needle passes through the first sterility filter. The second sterility filter is in-line with the second needle, such that the stream of air transported via the second needle passes through the second sterility filter. The first sterility filter can be a fluid filter. The second sterility filter can be an air filter.

In a method for filling a bottle, a balloon body extends through an axial through bore of a cap and is connected seal-tightly with an upper circumferential rim to the cap above a radial opening of the cap. An elongate support associated with the balloon body is connected to the cap. Balloon and elongate support are inserted into the bottle. The cap is positioned at a spacing above the bottle neck to form a ring-shaped intermediate gap. Air contained in the bottle interior is forced out through the intermediate gap by inflating the balloon body with an expansion medium. Subsequently, the cap is fluid-tightly fitted on the bottle neck. The expansion medium is allowed to escape from the balloon body and liquid is supplied through radial and axial openings of the cap into the space between outer surface of the balloon body and inner bottle wall.

A method for decontaminating a tube of which a first open end forms an inner neck towards the inside of the tube and an outer neck towards the outside of the tube, the method including: initially raising the temperature of the tube, then subjecting the tube to ultraviolet radiation, that includes emitting ultraviolet radiation by radiation emission apparatus, and subjecting the inside of the tube, the outer neck and the inner neck to the ultraviolet radiation, in which the first end is inserted into a cavity arranged to reflect the ultraviolet radiation emitted by the emission apparatus and to direct this ultraviolet radiation into the tube through the first end, onto the outer neck of the tube and onto the inner neck of the tube.

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.