Embodiments of product handling systems facilitate transfer of individual product items from incoming bulk form into dedicated trays for inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging. Inspection may comprise interrogation of product items within a tray by electromagnetic (e.g., optical, hyperspectral) or other (e.g., physical, acoustic, gas sensing, etc.) techniques. Prior to packaging, product items disposed within the tray may be stored in a moveable carousel responsible for controlling environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, illumination, ambient gases, product-to-product interactions, and/or others. Movement of product items from a carousel's transfer station to an outside staging position may be accomplished using robots and/or conveyor belts. Embodiments may allow rapid, low-cost consumer selection of specific individual product items based upon their accompanying metadata (e.g., source, identifier), in combination with the results of inspection (e.g., visual appearance). Embodiments may receive product items pre-packaged in tray format to expedite inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging.

Provided is a boxing apparatus that pushes a plurality of articles into a box, whose opening may face sideways, from the side and, thereafter, change the posture of the box by rotating the box so that the opening faces upward, wherein the possibility that the articles fly out of the box when changing the posture is reduced and the posture of the box can be changed in a short period of time. The boxing apparatus may include a push-in mechanism, a holding and posture changing mechanism, and a guide/holding member.

An apparatus and method for filling bulk materials into open-mouth bags is provided, which includes the following steps: a) an open-mouth bag is placed beneath a filling spout of a filling station; b) the filling spout is lowered and the open-mouth bag is appended to the filling spout; c) the filling spout with the appended open-mouth bag travels upwardly so that the bottom end of the open-mouth bag is freely suspended; and d) the filling process is started and bulk material is introduced into the open-mouth bag so that the freely suspended bottom end of the open-mouth bag unfolds.

Embodiments of product handling systems facilitate transfer of individual product items from incoming bulk form into dedicated trays for inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging. Inspection may comprise interrogation of product items within a tray by electromagnetic (e.g., optical, hyperspectral) or other (e.g., physical, acoustic, gas sensing, etc.) techniques. Prior to packaging, product items disposed within the tray may be stored in a moveable carousel responsible for controlling environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, illumination, ambient gases, product-to-product interactions, and/or others. Movement of product items from a carousel's transfer station to an outside staging position may be accomplished using robots and/or conveyor belts. Embodiments may allow rapid, low-cost consumer selection of specific individual product items based upon their accompanying metadata (e.g., source, identifier), in combination with the results of inspection (e.g., visual appearance). Embodiments may receive product items pre-packaged in tray format to expedite inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging.

Embodiments of product handling systems facilitate transfer of individual product items from incoming bulk form into dedicated trays for inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging. Inspection may comprise interrogation of product items within a tray by electromagnetic (e.g., optical, hyperspectral) or other (e.g., physical, acoustic, gas sensing, etc.) techniques. Prior to packaging, product items disposed within the tray may be stored in a moveable carousel responsible for controlling environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, illumination, ambient gases, product-to-product interactions, and/or others. Movement of product items from a carousel's transfer station to an outside staging position may be accomplished using robots and/or conveyor belts. Embodiments may allow rapid, low-cost consumer selection of specific individual product items based upon their accompanying metadata (e.g., source, identifier), in combination with the results of inspection (e.g., visual appearance). Embodiments may receive product items pre-packaged in tray format to expedite inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging.

The invention relates to a nozzle for inflating a spout film bag, the lateral surface of which nozzle is designed in such a way that the nozzle can be inserted at least partially into the spout of the spout film bag and also at least partially into the interior of the spout film bag, wherein the lateral surface of the part of the nozzle that can be inserted has a bulging design. The invention further relates to a method for inflating a spout film bag by using said nozzle, comprising the following steps: providing the nozzle; inserting the nozzle into the spout of the spout film bag and lowering the nozzle in the spout to a first position; after the first position has been reached, wherein the lateral surface of the inserted nozzle interacts with the internal form of the spout in such a way that the interior of the spout film bag is substantially sealed, introducing flushing or inflating air into the interior of the spout film bag by means of the nozzle.

The invention relates to a nozzle for inflating a spout film bag, the lateral surface of which nozzle is designed in such a way that the nozzle can be inserted at least partially into the spout of the spout film bag and also at least partially into the interior of the spout film bag, wherein the lateral surface of the part of the nozzle that can be inserted has a bulging design. The invention further relates to a method for inflating a spout film bag by using said nozzle, comprising the following steps: providing the nozzle; inserting the nozzle into the spout of the spout film bag and lowering the nozzle in the spout to a first position; after the first position has been reached, wherein the lateral surface of the inserted nozzle interacts with the internal form of the spout in such a way that the interior of the spout film bag is substantially sealed, introducing flushing or inflating air into the interior of the spout film bag by means of the nozzle.

Provided is a boxing apparatus that may repeatedly push products packaged in a soft packaging material into a box through a lateral opening and to pack the products in a plurality of rows, wherein product-filled rate may be easily enhanced without damaging the products. A boxing apparatus 10 may pack a plurality of rows of bagged products into a box. The boxing apparatus may be provided with a push-in mechanism 50, a shutter, a vertical movement mechanism, and a controller 41. The push-in mechanism may push the products into the box through a lateral opening in the box. The shutter may enter and exit the box through the opening. The vertical movement mechanism may move the box and the shutter up and down relative to each other.

A packaging box hoisting device includes a fixing arm arranged vertically. A lifting mechanism for driving the lifting of the fixing arm is arranged at a side of the fixing arm. Multiple operation stations are arranged in the fixing arm from top to bottom. A driving device for driving the operation station to move and fixing or releasing a packaging box in the operation station is arranged at an end of the operation station. A braking mechanism for keeping the packaging box in the operation station stationary at least when the driving device drives to release the packaging box in the operation station is also arranged at the side of the fixing arm. The packaging box hoisting device contributes to the completion of various processes for product packaging in the vertical direction.

Embodiments of product handling systems facilitate transfer of individual product items from incoming bulk form into dedicated trays for inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging. Inspection may comprise interrogation of product items within a tray by electromagnetic (e.g., optical, hyperspectral) or other (e.g., physical, acoustic, gas sensing, etc.) techniques. Prior to packaging, product items disposed within the tray may be stored in a moveable carousel responsible for controlling environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, illumination, ambient gases, product-to-product interactions, and/or others. Movement of product items from a carousel's transfer station to an outside staging position may be accomplished using robots and/or conveyor belts. Embodiments may allow rapid, low-cost consumer selection of specific individual product items based upon their accompanying metadata (e.g., source, identifier), in combination with the results of inspection (e.g., visual appearance). Embodiments may receive product items pre-packaged in tray format to expedite inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging.