Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a sealing unit (8, 8', 108) for sealing an opening in a wall of a container for storing, transporting, and serving a liquid, for instance a beverage, the sealing unit (8, 8', 108) comprising: - an outer housing and an inner housing (20,40) defining a gas flow passage (38') arranged between an outer surface of the inner housing and an inner surface of the outer housing. The inner housing (20) is movable in axial direction between a first axial position wherein the gas flow passage (38') is closed and gas is prevented from flowing into the container or out of the container and a second axial position wherein the gas flow passage (38') is open and gas is allowed to flow in a generally axial direction (PA1) into the container or out of the container, further comprising a biasing element arranged between the outer housing (20) and inner housing (40) and configured to urge the movable inner housing (20) to move to the first axial position.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for manufacturing spouted pouch containers. The method includes arranging an upper and lower strip with their inner sides on top of each other, folding at least one longitudinal edge of the upper strip away from the lower strip to expose both an inner side portion of the folded longitudinal edge of the upper strip and an inner side portion of the lower strip, arranging a spouted cover strip on top of the exposed inner side portions, sealing pairs of side walls of the upper and lower strip to each other and sealing the spouted cover strip to the exposed inner side portion of the lower and upper strips, and cutting the upper strip and lower strip into individual pouch containers. The apparatus is provided for carrying out the manufacturing method.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a discharge apparatus for discharging an assembly of interconnected guiding elements, having a support having at least one support section configured to support the assembly of interconnected guiding elements and the flexible pouch containers carried therein; a gripping unit configured to grip a first guiding element of the guiding element assembly and displace the first guiding element together with one or more interconnected further guiding elements of the guiding element assembly in a transport direction substantially perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the first guiding element; and a disconnection unit configured to disconnect at least the gripped and displaced first guiding element from a neighboring second guiding element, the disconnection unit having a movable wedge and a wedge drive unit configured to move the wedge between the first and second guiding elements, thereby disconnecting the first guiding element from the second guiding element.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a sealing device (1) for sealing a receptacle, the sealing device comprising: —a base (3) comprising a discharge conduit (8), —a valve (4) mounted on the base, the valve comprising a discharge pipe (10) at least partially protruding in the discharge conduit of the base and an end mounted on an upstream end of the discharge pipe, —wherein the end of the discharge pipe is configured to, at least in one mode of the sealing device, cooperate with the discharge conduit to thereby seal the discharge conduit of the sealing device, —wherein the base is configured to be mounted on a receptacle, —the base and the valve are integrally connected at a portion of the sealing device remote from the discharge conduit.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a device (100) and method for handling a sealing device (1) in order to position the discharge pipe (10) of a valve (4) of the sealing device into a storage position. The handling device comprises a cap support (150) to be arranged at the downstream side of the protective cap (61) and configured to support the protective cap, and a pushing device (120) arranged at the upstream side of the base and configured to apply a first pushing force on the base (3) and/or valve housing (25) so to urge the base, valve and protective cap against the cap support and to apply a second pushing force on the discharge pipe of the valve to urge the discharge pipe to its storage position.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a container sleeving device, system and method for arranging sleeves on a plurality of containers, wherein the sleeves are made of tubular foil material made to pass over the circumferential outer surface of a spreading element, the container sleeving device comprising:—a spreading element configured to spread open the tubular foil material passing from a proximal spreading element portion (31) towards a distal spreading element portion (34);—a cutting unit (25) for cutting the spread-open tubular foil material to form a sleeve;—a sleeve discharge unit (28) configured to accelerate the sleeve to move over the outer surface of the distal spreading element portion so as to discharge the sleeve towards a container; wherein the distal spreading element portion and/or the proximal spreading element portion has one or more pressure regulating openings configured to regulate the pressure close to the outer surface of the distal spreading element portion and/or of the proximal spread

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a discharge system for discharging a plurality of containers from a tubular storage assembly having a plurality of interconnected elongated guiding elements, wherein the interconnected elongated guiding elements are configured to be maintained in a tubular arrangement. The discharge system may have a tubular storage assembly support configured to support the tubular storage assembly, and a discharge device configured to receive the containers from the tubular storage assembly in the receiving portion and to move the removed containers from the receiving portion towards the discharge portion. The receiving portion of the discharge device includes a docking ring configured to engage the free ends of respective elongated guiding elements and to position the engaged elongated guiding elements into the predetermined target tubular arrangement.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a cassette for storing a tubular storage assembly, the tubular storage assembly having a plurality of elongated guiding elements onto which containers can be carried, wherein the elongated guiding elements are configured to be maintained in a tubular arrangement, the cassette includes a cassette housing configured to accommodate the tubular storage assembly, the elongated guiding elements of the tubular storage assembly extending in an axial direction of the cassette housing; and a carrier arranged to be movable inside the cassette housing and configured to carry the tubular storage assembly; wherein the cassette housing comprises at least one stop element for stopping movement of the carrier in the axial direction and wherein the carrier and cassette housing are configured to allow the carrier to be essentially freely movable in transverse directions; and wherein the carrier comprises at least one alignment element.

Abstract: The present invention is related to a sleeve applicator system for applying a heat-shrinkable sleeve to an object that moves in a first direction. The present invention further relates to a corresponding method. According to the invention, a second mandrel is mounted in a flexible manner to a first mandrel. A second drive system is used for moving the heat-shrinkable sleeve from the first mandrel over the second mandrel towards the object. The second drive system is further configured to push the second mandrel such that the second mandrel moves along with the moving object during the application of the sleeve.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a discharge apparatus for discharging an assembly of interconnected guiding elements, having a support having at least one support section configured to support the assembly of interconnected guiding elements and the flexible pouch containers carried therein; a gripping unit configured to grip a first guiding element of the guiding element assembly and displace the first guiding element together with one or more interconnected further guiding elements of the guiding element assembly in a transport direction substantially perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the first guiding element; and a disconnection unit configured to disconnect at least the gripped and displaced first guiding element from a neighboring second guiding element, the disconnection unit having a movable wedge and a wedge drive unit configured to move the wedge between the first and second guiding elements, thereby disconnecting the first guiding element from the second guiding element.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for manufacturing spouted pouch containers. The method includes arranging an upper and lower strip with their inner sides on top of each other, folding at least one longitudinal edge of the upper strip away from the lower strip to expose both an inner side portion of the folded longitudinal edge of the upper strip and an inner side portion of the lower strip, arranging a spouted cover strip on top of the exposed inner side portions, sealing pairs of side walls of the upper and lower strip to each other and sealing the spouted cover strip to the exposed inner side portion of the lower and upper strips, and cutting the upper strip and lower strip into individual pouch containers. The apparatus is provided for carrying out the manufacturing method.

Abstract: The invention relates to an assembly for storing a plurality of flexible containers (1) with dispensing spouts, the assembly comprising one or more elongated guiding elements (15) configured to carry rows of dispensing spouts, wherein the guiding elements (15) are configured to be maintained in a substantially tubular arrangement while storing the containers in the interior formed by the tubular arrangement. The guiding elements (15) may be straight elements arranged in a parallel manner to form a tube-like arrangement. The guiding elements are also arranged to allow the containers to be attached in such a manner that they are positioned along a generally helical trajectory in the interior of the tubular arrangement.

Abstract: The application relates to a discharge system (1) for discharging a plurality of flexible containers from a tubular storage assembly, comprising: —a storage assembly support (12) configured to support the tubular storage assembly; —a discharge device (14) configured to remove the containers from the tubular storage assembly and move the containers one by one from the second end of the tubular storage assembly towards a discharge region (15), wherein the discharge device comprises: —a gripper unit (81); —a drive (82, 84) configured to cause the storage assembly and the gripper unit to rotate relative to each other; wherein the gripper unit is configured to grip dispensing spouts of containers successively passing by the gripper unit, to transport the gripped dispensing spouts and associated containers in a substantially axial direction and to collect the dispensing spouts in the discharge region.

Abstract: The present invention is related to a sleeve applicator system for applying a heat-shrinkable sleeve to an object that moves in a first direction. The present invention further relates to a corresponding method. According to the invention, a second mandrel is mounted in a flexible manner to a first mandrel. A second drive system is used for moving the heat-shrinkable sleeve from the first mandrel over the second mandrel towards the object. The second drive system is further configured to push the second mandrel such that the second mandrel moves along with the moving object during the application of the sleeve.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a discharge apparatus for discharging a plurality of flexible spouted containers, the apparatus comprising: a container support comprising a support element with an elongated opening for carrying a row of spouts of a plurality of spouted containers from an inlet to an outlet, wherein the inlet of the support element is configured to receive successive batches of spouted containers in the elongated opening; a biasing unit configured to move at least a subset of the spouts received inside the elongated opening in the support element towards the outlet, wherein the biasing unit further is configured to continuously apply a biasing force to the subset of spouts to continuously discharge the containers from the outlet.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a container sleeving device, system and method for arranging sleeves on a plurality of containers, wherein the sleeves are made of tubular foil material made to pass over the circumferential outer surface of a spreading element, the container sleeving device comprising:—a spreading element configured to spread open the tubular foil material passing from a proximal spreading element portion (31) towards a distal spreading element portion (34);—a cutting unit (25) for cutting the spread-open tubular foil material to form a sleeve;—a sleeve discharge unit (28) configured to accelerate the sleeve to move over the outer surface of the distal spreading element portion so as to discharge the sleeve towards a container; wherein the distal spreading element portion and/or the proximal spreading element portion has one or more pressure regulating openings configured to regulate the pressure close to the outer surface of the distal spreading element portion and/or of the proximal spread

Abstract: The application relates to a discharge system (1) for discharging a plurality of flexible containers from a tubular storage assembly, comprising: —a storage assembly support (12) configured to support the tubular storage assembly; —a discharge device (14) configured to remove the containers from the tubular storage assembly and move the containers one by one from the second end of the tubular storage assembly towards a discharge region (15), wherein the discharge device comprises: —a gripper unit (81); —a drive (82, 84) configured to cause the storage assembly and the gripper unit to rotate relative to each other; wherein the gripper unit is configured to grip dispensing spouts of containers successively passing by the gripper unit, to transport the gripped dispensing spouts and associated containers in a substantially axial direction and to collect the dispensing spouts in the discharge region.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a discharge apparatus for discharging a plurality of flexible spouted containers, the apparatus comprising: a container support comprising a support element with an elongated opening for carrying a row of spouts of a plurality of spouted containers from an inlet to an outlet, wherein the inlet of the support element is configured to receive successive batches of spouted containers in the elongated opening; a biasing unit configured to move at least a subset of the spouts received inside the elongated opening in the support element towards the outlet, wherein the biasing unit further is configured to continuously apply a biasing force to the subset of spouts to continuously discharge the containers from the outlet.

Abstract: The invention relates to an assembly for storing a plurality of flexible containers (1) with dispensing spouts, the assembly comprising one or more elongated guiding elements (15) configured to carry rows of dispensing spouts, wherein the guiding elements (15) are configured to be maintained in a substantially tubular arrangement while storing the containers in the interior formed by the tubular arrangement. The guiding elements (15) may be straight elements arranged in a parallel manner to form a tube-like arrangement. The guiding elements are also arranged to allow the containers to be attached in such a manner that they are positioned along a generally helical trajectory in the interior of the tubular arrangement.