A bundle of tubular and/or rod-shaped glass articles is provided that includes a longest dimension, a plurality of layers (N.sub.L) of the glass articles, and a thread-like element. The longest dimension extends in a first direction. The glass articles in each layer are arranged side by side in a second direction. The plurality of layers are arranged side by side in a third direction. The first, second, and third directions being perpendicular to one another. The thread-like element is around two of the glass articles in at least one layer so that the two glass articles are spaced apart. The thread-like element has a cross section between at least 0.25 mm and at most 4.0 mm.

Method for packaging electrical insulators (4) for high voltage or very high voltage, such as electrical line insulators made with a dielectric material chosen from glass or porcelain, and more specifically, electrical insulators with a protective hydrophobic silicone elastomer coating covering the surface of the electrical insulators, under vacuum or under inert gas.

To provide a packaged medical device which is hard to cause a variation in the fixed states of the medical devices. Specifically, provided is a packaged medical device comprising a container having an opening portion, a medical device housed inside the container, and a gas impermeable film sealing the opening portion by heat-sealing, in which the inside of the container is set to a negative pressure to the atmospheric pressure and the medical device is pressed by the gas impermeable film.

A taco shell is produced by applying a plasticizing agent to a targeted region including a base or spine portion of a hard taco shell and lower sections of taco shell sidewalls, thereby softening the targeted region, preferably across a strip width between 16 mm-20 mm, and enabling the sidewalls of the hard taco shell to engage each other without cracking or otherwise breaking the taco shell. As a further result, when the taco shell is bitten, the softened targeted region has some hinging flexibility or pliability which reduces the potential for any crack propagation. Therefore, the structural integrity of the hard taco shell can be better maintained during packaging and while be eaten, resulting in retention of the fillings and less mess. If desired, an anti-migration agent can also be applied to assure containment of the plasticizing agent in the targeted region.

A taco shell is produced by applying a plasticizing agent to a targeted region including a base or spine portion of a hard taco shell and lower sections of taco shell sidewalls, thereby softening the targeted region, preferably across a strip width between 16 mm-20 mm, and enabling the sidewalls of the hard taco shell to engage each other without cracking or otherwise breaking the taco shell. As a further result, when the taco shell is bitten, the softened targeted region has some hinging flexibility or pliability which reduces the potential for any crack propagation. Therefore, the structural integrity of the hard taco shell can be better maintained during packaging and while be eaten, resulting in retention of the fillings and less mess. If desired, an anti-migration agent can also be applied to assure containment of the plasticizing agent in the targeted region.

A shielding bag gripping apparatus includes a first suction part extending in a first direction, a second suction part extending in the first direction and spaced apart from the first suction part in a second direction crossing the first direction, a first compression part below the first suction part, and a second compression part below the second suction part. The first suction part may include a first suction surface having a normal line parallel to the second direction, a first suction hole exposed by the first suction surface and a first placement hole vertically penetrating the first suction part, and the second suction part may include a second suction surface facing the first suction surface and a second suction hole exposed by the second suction surface.

A protective product, such as, e.g., an envelope or pouch, is provided that includes at least one expanded slit paper sheet in an expanded state, and an embossed paper sheet facing the expanded slit paper sheet and fixed to the expanded slit paper sheet along at least a portion of a length in an expansion direction of the expanded slit sheet paper. In the preferred embodiments, the embossed paper sheet has a plurality of embossings that increase the rigidity of the embossed paper sheet, thereby inhibiting deformation of the embossed paper sheet that is fixed to the expanded slit sheet paper.

In response to a request to package item(s), embodiments determine characteristic data for the item(s), which include an indication of a volume of each item. Container(s) for packaging the item(s) is determined based at least on the volume of each item. An arrangement of the item(s) in the container(s) is determined. One or more protective structures including one or more features are configured to position the item(s) in the container(s) according to the arrangement. Relative positions are determined for a plurality of modular elements to form the one or more protective structures. Subsets of the plurality of modular elements are deposited to corresponding relative positions to form at least one of the protective structures. The item(s) are packaged in the container(s) with the one or more protective structures to position the item(s) in the container(s) in the arrangement.

In response to a request to package item(s), embodiments determine characteristic data for the item(s), which include an indication of a volume of each item. Container(s) for packaging the item(s) is determined based at least on the volume of each item. An arrangement of the item(s) in the container(s) is determined. One or more protective structures including one or more features are configured to position the item(s) in the container(s) according to the arrangement. Relative positions are determined for a plurality of modular elements to form the one or more protective structures. Subsets of the plurality of modular elements are deposited to corresponding relative positions to form at least one of the protective structures. The item(s) are packaged in the container(s) with the one or more protective structures to position the item(s) in the container(s) in the arrangement.

A container filling apparatus of the present invention includes: a first supply apparatus configured to supply a content; a rotational body having a placement portion configured to carry the contents supplied by the first supply apparatus, the rotational body being configured to rotate with respect to an axis thereof to turn the placement portion; a second supply apparatus configured to place a container from above on the content placed in an upward-facing state on the placement portion; and an engagement portion provided on the rotational body and configured to engage with the container that is placed over the content by the second supply apparatus, wherein the container is disengageable from the engagement portion by the container being rotated by the rotational body at an angle.