Filling device and filling method

Abstract

A filling method is provided. The filling method has a filling step in which a valve at the tip of a vertically movable nozzle of a filling device is disposed within a container and a liquid containing at least either or both of cells of a microorganism and a substance treated thereby transferred from a storage tank is sprayed from the valve. In the filling step, either or both of an initial flow rate for filling and a later stage flow rate for filling are less than the maximum flow rate. In addition, the initial filling stage in this filling step, the valve at the tip of the movable nozzle is disposed in the proximity of the bottom surface of the container, and thereafter, the movable nozzle is made to rise according to the filling conditions for the liquid in the container.

1 . A filling device for filling a liquid containing at least either or both of bacterial cells of a microorganism and a treatment substance obtained therefrom stored in a storage tank into a container, which is equipped with
 a nozzle that is disposed in a container, and discharges the liquid transferred from the storage tank into the container, wherein the liquid discharge section of the nozzle is disposed in the filling liquid in the middle of the filling process of the liquid.   
     
     
         2 . A filling device for filling a liquid containing at least either or both of bacterial cells of a microorganism and a treatment substance obtained therefrom stored in a storage tank into a container, which is equipped with
 a nozzle that discharges the liquid transferred from the storage tank into the container; a detection means that detects the status of the filling of the liquid in the container; and a flow rate-controlling means that controls the flow rate of the liquid discharged from the nozzle depending on the status of the filling of the liquid in the container.   
     
     
         3 . A filling device for filling a liquid containing at least either or both of bacterial cells of a microorganism and a treatment substance obtained therefrom stored in a storage tank into a container, which is equipped with
 a vertically movable nozzle that discharges the liquid transferred from the storage tank into the container; a detection means that detects the status of the filling of the liquid in the container; and a nozzle position-controlling means that controls the position of the tip of the movable nozzle depending on the status of the filling of the liquid in the container.   
     
     
         4 . The filling device according to  claim 1 , which is constituted such that the storage tank is positioned upward from the filling device, and the liquid is filled into the container by the gravity. 
     
     
         5 . The filling device according to  claim 1 , wherein at least either or both of bacterial cells of a microorganism and a treatment substance obtained therefrom have nitrile hydratase activity. 
     
     
         6 . A filling method for filling a liquid containing at least either or both of bacterial cells of a microorganism and a treatment substance obtained therefrom stored in a storage tank into a container, the filling method comprising a filling step in which the tip of a nozzle of a filling device is positioned in the container, and the liquid is discharged from the tip, wherein the filling device is equipped with a nozzle that discharges the liquid transferred from the storage tank into the container; a detection means that detects the status of the filling of the liquid in the container; and a flow rate-controlling means that controls the flow rate of the liquid discharged from the nozzle depending on the status of the filling of the liquid in the container, and wherein
 in the filling step, at least either or both of the flow rate at the initial stage for filling and the flow rate at the later stage for filling are less than the maximum flow rate.   
     
     
         7 . The filling method according to  claim 6 , wherein the flow rate at the initial stage for filling of the filling step is equal to or less than a half of the maximum flow rate. 
     
     
         8 . The filling method according to  claim 6 , wherein the flow rate at the later stage for filling of the filling step is equal to or less than a half of the maximum flow rate. 
     
     
         9 . A filling method for filling a liquid containing at least either or both of bacterial cells of a microorganism and a treatment substance obtained therefrom stored in a storage tank into a container,
 the filling method comprising a filling step in which the tip of a movable nozzle of a filling device is positioned in the container, and the liquid is discharged from the tip, wherein the filling device is equipped with   
       a vertically movable nozzle that discharges the liquid transferred from the storage tank into the container; a detection means that detects the status of the filling of the liquid in the container; and the nozzle position-controlling means that controls the position of the tip of the movable nozzle depending on the status of the filling of the liquid in the container, and wherein
 the tip of the movable nozzle is positioned in the proximity of the bottom surface of the container at the initial stage for filling of the filling step, and thereafter, the movable nozzle is made to rise depending on the status of the filling of the liquid in the container. 
 
     
     
         10 . The filling method according to claim  6 , wherein at least either or both of the bacterial cells of a microorganism and the treatment substance obtained therefrom have nitrile hydratase activity. 
     
     
         11 . The filling device according to  claim 2 , which is constituted such that the storage tank is positioned upward from the filling device, and the liquid is filled into the container by the gravity. 
     
     
         12 . The filling device according to  claim 3 , which is constituted such that the storage tank is positioned upward from the filling device, and the liquid is filled into the container by the gravity. 
     
     
         13 . The filling device according to  claim 2 , wherein at least either or both of bacterial cells of a microorganism and a treatment substance obtained therefrom have nitrile hydratase activity. 
     
     
         14 . The filling device according to  claim 3 , wherein at least either or both of bacterial cells of a microorganism and a treatment substance obtained therefrom have nitrile hydratase activity. 
     
     
         15 . The filling device according to  claim 4 , wherein at least either or both of bacterial cells of a microorganism and a treatment substance obtained therefrom have nitrile hydratase activity. 
     
     
         16 . The filling method according to  claim 7 , wherein the flow rate at the later stage for filling of the filling step is equal to or less than a half of the maximum flow rate. 
     
     
         17 . The filling method according to  claim 7 , wherein at least either or both of the bacterial cells of a microorganism and the treatment substance obtained therefrom have nitrile hydratase activity. 
     
     
         18 . The filling method according to  claim 8 , wherein at least either or both of the bacterial cells of a microorganism and the treatment substance obtained therefrom have nitrile hydratase activity. 
     
     
         19 . The filling method according to  claim 16 , wherein at least either or both of the bacterial cells of a microorganism and the treatment substance obtained therefrom have nitrile hydratase activity. 
     
     
         20 . The filling method according to  claim 9 , wherein at least either or both of the bacterial cells of a microorganism and the treatment substance obtained therefrom have nitrile hydratase activity.