Abstract: There is described a spout for a package having a designated pour opening and being filled with a pourable product. The spout comprises at least a collar extending along a longitudinal axis, carrying a pouring outlet at a first axial end and an inlet opening for the pourable product at a second axial end and delimiting a flow channel for the pourable product extending between the pouring outlet and the inlet opening a closing element configured to interrupt a fluidic connection between the pouring outlet and the inlet opening. The closing element is interposed between the inlet opening and the pouring outlet and is rupturably fixed to an inner surface of the collar.

Abstract: A spout is for a package having a designated pour opening and being filled with a pourable product. The spout comprises a collar carrying a pouring outlet, an inlet opening and a closing element controllable between an active position in which the closing element interrupts a fluidic connection between the pouring outlet and the inlet opening and an inactive position in which the closing element is configured to allow a fluidic connection between the pouring outlet and the inlet opening. The closing element comprises a peripheral portion contacting prior to a first control of the closing element from the active position to the inactive position an inner surface of the collar along an initial contact portion. The inner surface comprises a main surface portion extending from the initial contact portion towards the pouring outlet and an auxiliary surface portion extending from the initial contact portion to the inlet opening.

Abstract: There is described a drinking straw (3, 3?) for a package (2) being filled with a pourable food product. The drinking straw (3, 3?) comprises at least an inlet opening (11) for allowing the introduction of the pourable food product into the drinking straw (3, 3?), a tubular main portion (16) configured to be inserted, in use, into the package (2), having the inlet opening (11) and a sleeve (22, 22?) superimposed on and/or surrounding at least a section of the tubular main portion (16). The sleeve (22, 22?) is configured to allow for the insertion and/or introduction of the drinking straw (3, 3?) into the package (2) and to impede and/or hinder and/or block a removal and/or separation of the drinking straw (3, 3?) from the package (2) after introduction and/or insertion of the drinking straw (3, 3?) into the package (2).

Abstract: A lid for an opening device for a container includes a body having a longitudinal axis and provided with a top wall and with a side wall internally provided with a thread element suitable for cooperating with a further thread element of a spout of the opening device, the lid further including at least one driving element arranged to receive the fingers of a user during unscrewing of the lid from the spout and during screwing of the lid on the spout, the at least one driving element being delimited by an upper wall and by a lower wall extending from the side wall and spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal axis, the lower wall diverging from the upper wall when moving away from the side wall.

Abstract: A lid for an opening device for a container includes a body having a longitudinal axis and provided with an end wall and with a side wall internally provided with a thread element suitable for cooperating with a further thread element of a spout of the opening device, the lid further includes at least one driving element having a first side arranged to receive the fingers of a user during unscrewing of the lid from the spout and a second side arranged for receiving the fingers of a user during screwing of the lid on the spout, the first side being defined by a wall and the second side being defined by a cavity.

Abstract: A lid for an opening device for a container includes a body having a longitudinal axis and provided with a top wall and with a side wall internally provided with a thread element suitable for cooperating with a further thread element of a spout of the opening device, the lid further including at least one driving element arranged to receive the fingers of a user during unscrewing of the lid from the spout and during screwing of the lid on the spout, the at least one driving element being delimited by an upper wall and by a lower wall extending from the side wall and spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal axis, the lower wall diverging from the upper wall when moving away from the side wall.

Abstract: A lid for an opening device for a container includes a body having a longitudinal axis and provided with an end wall and with a side wall internally provided with a thread element suitable for cooperating with a further thread element of a spout of the opening device, the lid further includes at least one driving element having a first side arranged to receive the fingers of a user during unscrewing of the lid from the spout and a second side arranged for receiving the fingers of a user during screwing of the lid on the spout, the first side being defined by a wall and the second side being defined by a cavity.

Abstract: An apparatus for injection molding an opening device on a sheet packaging material having a hole possessing an axis, formed through a first layer and sealed by a cover portion of a second layer; comprises a mold cavity coaxially housing the cover portion and comprising a first chamber adapted to be filled with molten plastic material on a first side of the cover portion, and a second tubular chamber projecting along the axis from the first chamber and adapted to be filled with the molten plastic material coming from the first chamber through an annular peripheral portion of the cover portion to form, on a second side of the cover portion, a spout; an annular rib delimiting a passage connecting the first and second chamber and defining, when filled with the plastic material, an annular tearable membrane connection portion between the spout and the plastic material covering the cover portion.

Abstract: A method for optimizing energy consumption in a data-processing system comprising a set of data-processing units is disclosed. In one embodiment, such a method includes indicating a set of data-processing jobs to be executed on a data-processing system during a production period. An ambient temperature expected for each data-processing unit during the production period is estimated. The method calculates an execution scheme for the data-processing jobs on the data-processing system. The execution scheme optimizes the energy consumed by the data-processing system to execute the data-processing jobs based on the ambient temperature of the data-processing units. The method then executes the data-processing jobs on the data processing system according to the execution scheme. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method and system for simulating an animation effect during the display of a digitally encoded picture, including the steps of: storing a plurality of predetermined animation effects; identifying at least one selected portion of the picture by means of a main subject identification algorithm; selecting at least one of the predetermined animation effects; modifying the display of the picture according to the selected at least one predetermined animation effect, so that the at least one selected portion of the picture is emphasized.

Abstract: An apparatus for injection molding an opening device on a sheet packaging material having a hole possessing an axis, formed through a first layer and sealed by a cover portion of a second layer; comprises a mold cavity coaxially housing the cover portion and comprising a first chamber adapted to be filled with molten plastic material on a first side of the cover portion, and a second tubular chamber projecting along the axis from the first chamber and adapted to be filled with the molten plastic material coming from the first chamber through an annular peripheral portion of the cover portion to form, on a second side of the cover portion, a spout; an annular rib delimiting a passage connecting the first and second chamber and defining, when filled with the plastic material, an annular tearable membrane connection portion between the spout and the plastic material covering the cover portion.

Abstract: A method for optimizing energy consumption in a data-processing system comprising a set of data-processing units is disclosed. In one embodiment, such a method includes indicating a set of data-processing jobs to be executed on a data-processing system during a production period. An ambient temperature expected for each data-processing unit during the production period is estimated. The method calculates an execution scheme for the data-processing jobs on the data-processing system. The execution scheme optimizes the energy consumed by the data-processing system to execute the data-processing jobs based on the ambient temperature of the data-processing units. The method then executes the data-processing jobs on the data processing system according to the execution scheme. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method and system for simulating an animation effect during the display of a digitally encoded picture, including the steps of: storing a plurality of predetermined animation effects; identifying at least one selected portion of the picture by means of a main subject identification algorithm; selecting at least one of the predetermined animation effects; modifying the display of the picture according to the selected at least one predetermined animation effect, so that the at least one selected portion of the picture is emphasised.

Abstract: A method, system and computer product for accessing, by means of a telephone, a database containing data arranged in at least one table including a plurality of table entries, each table entry including a plurality of information elements. The invention retrieves identifiers of the information elements from the table. Each of the retrieved identifiers of the information elements are associated with a choice key, wherein the choice keys are adapted to be input by a user through a telephone. The invention presents, through the telephone, the identifiers of the information elements together with the respective choice keys to a user. Once a choice key input by the user is received through the telephone, the invention retrieves data from the table using the input choice key, wherein said retrieved data includes the content of the information element in at least one table entry whose identifier corresponds to the input choice key. The retrieved data is presented to the user through the telephone.

Abstract: A solution (400) for scheduling execution of jobs is proposed. The submission of the jobs is generally controlled according to a production plan (406), which specifies a required finish time of critical jobs. In the proposed solution, a current progress of each critical job is monitored (427-430)—such as comparing a (measured) number of processor cycles dedicated to the critical job with an estimated total number thereof (required to complete the critical job, as inferred from previous executions thereof). At the same time, an expected progress of each critical job is estimated (433)—such as by the ratio between a time elapsed from an actual start time of the critical job and an allowable duration thereof (from the actual start time to the required finish time). The current progress of each critical job is then compared with its expected progress, so as to identify (436) the critical jobs that are late in their execution.