The present invention relates to a packaging method for packaging a pourable product in at least one container, by means of which it is obtained an improvement in the flexibility of the packaging machine configured for carrying out the method with regards to the type of the product which is to be packaged, and to a machine configured for carrying out the method.

The invention relates to a gripper system (10) comprising a gripper module carrier (12) and a gripper module (14) for holding workpieces (22), in particular containers or container preforms, the gripper module (14) having a gripper base (16) and two gripper arms (18) with gripping elements (20) for at least partially gripping around a holding region (24) of containers or container preforms, the gripper arms being mounted on the gripper base (16) such that they can pivot relative to one another, the gripper module (14) being releasably connected to the gripper module carrier (12), wherein the gripper system (10) further comprises a locking device (26) for locking the gripper module (14) to the gripper module carrier (12), and wherein the locking device (26) is movable into a locking position for locking the gripper module (14) to the gripper module carrier (12).

A device for transporting a filled container in a rotary device, for example from a rotary filler to a capper, includes a rotary element rotating about an axis of rotation with a holding element for accommodating the container. The holding element is designed such that the filled container is held so that a container axis, which passes through and is perpendicular to a mouth aperture cross-sectional plane of the container, is oriented below the holding element toward the axis of rotation.

An aseptic filling machine and an aseptic filling method are provided with which a petaloid-shape bottle or an unstable bottle which is filled with sterilized content and sealed with a sterilized cap in an aseptic atmosphere is discharged without a delay from an aseptic zone to a non-aseptic zone. Further, even if a petaloid-shape bottle or an unstable bottle falls over on a discharging conveyor when being discharged from an aseptic zone to a non-aseptic zone, a stopping time of the aseptic filling machine can be shortened. A barrier chamber into which air containing a gas of a sterilizer is supplied is provided downstream of a sealing portion that fills content into the bottle and seals the bottle with a cap. Further, a discharge portion chamber that shields a discharge portions provided downstream of the sealing portion that fills content into the bottle and seals the bottle with a cap.

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided herein for reusing containers. A system for container reuse comprises an order database storing a plurality of orders associated with an order fulfillment facility, a conveyor system, and a control circuit. The control circuit being configured to determine container capacity requirements of the plurality of orders in the order database based on dimensions of products in each order, predict container usage for fulfilling orders at the order fulfillment facility based at least on the container capacity requirements of the plurality of orders, determine whether a used container received at the conveyor system should be retained based on a container dimension of the used container and the container usage predicted for the order fulfillment facility, and cause the conveyor system to route the used container to a fulfillment area or a disposal area based on whether the used container should be retained.

A height-adjusting device for a gripping and transporting mechanism for containers having a lifting cylinder comprises a cylinder base, a cylinder tube, a piston arranged sealingly slidable in the cylinder tube, a cylinder cover, and at least one first piston rod connected to the piston. The first piston rod is guided out of the cylinder tube through the cylinder cover in a sealing sliding manner by its end opposite from the piston, is arranged in the cylinder tube, and has at least one first and/or second fluid path. The first fluid path is pressurized by a pressurized fluid at the end of the first piston rod opposite from the piston, the first piston rod passes through the piston and communicates with a first cylinder interior at the cylinder base-side of the piston and/or the second fluid path communicates with a second cylinder interior at the cylinder cover-side of the piston.

A conveying equipment (50) includes a first conveyance line (60) having a first upper rotation conveyance unit (61a) and a first lower rotation conveyance unit (61b) and a second conveyance line (70) having a second upper rotation conveyance unit (71a) and a second lower rotation conveyance unit (71b). In the conveying equipment (50), between the first conveyance line (60) and the second conveyance line (70), an adjustment rotation conveyance unit (80) that rotates while gripping at least one of a flange upper portion (17a) and a flange lower portion (17b) of a bottle (10) is provided. The adjustment rotation conveyance unit (80) has an upper gripping part (81a) that is provided to be openable and closable and grips the flange upper portion (17a), and a lower gripping part (81b) that is provided to be openable and closable and grips the flange lower portion (17b).

A conveying equipment (50) includes a first conveyance line (60) having a first upper rotation conveyance unit (61a) and a first lower rotation conveyance unit (61b) and a second conveyance line (70) having a second upper rotation conveyance unit (71a) and a second lower rotation conveyance unit (71b). In the conveying equipment (50), between the first conveyance line (60) and the second conveyance line (70), an adjustment rotation conveyance unit (80) that rotates while gripping at least one of a flange upper portion (17a) and a flange lower portion (17b) of a bottle (10) is provided. The adjustment rotation conveyance unit (80) has an upper gripping part (81a) that is provided to be openable and closable and grips the flange upper portion (17a), and a lower gripping part (81b) that is provided to be openable and closable and grips the flange lower portion (17b).

To reduce an amount of use of a replacement gas used for replacing air in a container. A gas replacement system includes: a washing machine that washes the container with water; a filling machine that fills the container with a content fluid; a sealing machine that seals the container transferred from the filling machine; a chamber that covers the filling machine and the sealing machine, and contains a replacement gas; and a water discharge mechanism (washing machine) that discharges the water in the container having been carried into the chamber while containing the water out of the container in the chamber. The water in the container is replaced with an ambient gas in the chamber along with the discharge of the water.

A height-adjusting device for a gripping and transporting mechanism for containers having a lifting cylinder comprises a cylinder base, a cylinder tube, a piston arranged sealingly slidable in the cylinder tube, a cylinder cover, and at least one first piston rod connected to the piston. The first piston rod is guided out of the cylinder tube through the cylinder cover in a sealing sliding manner by its end opposite from the piston, is arranged in the cylinder tube, and has at least one first and/or second fluid path. The first fluid path is pressurized by a pressurized fluid at the end of the first piston rod opposite from the piston, the first piston rod passes through the piston and communicates with a first cylinder interior at the cylinder base-side of the piston and/or the second fluid path communicates with a second cylinder interior at the cylinder cover-side of the piston.