Device for holding the opening of a bag

Abstract

Device (1) for holding the opening (2) of a bag (3), in particular in a filling machine (4) for filling coffee powder (5), wherein the bag (3) has a polygonal bag base (6) from which a circumferential bag wall (7) extends upwards and surrounds the opening (2) opposite the bag base (6), wherein the device (1) has holding elements (8) which, in initial positions (9) in a central area (10) of the bag base (6), which lies within an opening area (11) of the opening (2), can be inserted from above into the opening (2) in order to subsequently be moved apart within the opening (2) into deflected positions (12) in order to stretch the bag wall (7) at corners (13),wherein a direction of movement (22) of the retaining elements (8) from the starting positions (9) to the deflected positions (12) is aligned at an approach angle (23) to both wall surface sections (24) of the bag wall (7) that meet in a corner (13) of the bag (3).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a device for holding the opening of a bag open. The device is particularly suitable for holding bags open in filling machines for filling coffee powder.

[0002] Coffee powder is usually filled into bags from above by gravity, with a defined, weighed amount of coffee powder falling into the bag. Additionally, compacting the coffee powder is often useful when filling coffee powder, particularly to remove air from the bag and to ensure the coffee powder is stored in the bag with as little air as possible. Compacting is typically done with a plunger, which compresses the coffee powder already in the bag by pressing down on the coffee powder from above.

[0003] When filling the coffee grounds into the bag, it's important to ensure that as much of the coffee grounds as possible are placed inside. When compacting the coffee grounds, the goal is to compact the coffee grounds as completely and evenly as possible.

[0004] Based on this, the object of the present invention is to disclose a device that, in particular, simplifies or improves the compaction of coffee powder into bags, but also the filling of coffee powder into bags. This object is achieved with the devices and methods according to the features of the independent patent claims. Further advantageous embodiments are specified in the dependent claims as well as in the description and, in particular, in the description of the figures. It should be noted that the person skilled in the art can combine the individual features in a technologically expedient manner and thus arrive at further embodiments of the invention.

[0005] What is to be described here is a device for holding open the opening of a bag, in particular in a filling machine for filling coffee powder, wherein the bag has a polygonal bag base surface from which a circumferential bag wall extends upwards and surrounds the opening opposite the bag base surface, wherein the device has holding elements which can be moved from starting positions into a central region within an opening surface of the opening from above into the opening, in order to then be moved apart within the opening into deflected positions in order to open up the bag wall at corners, wherein a direction of movement of the holding elements from the starting positions to the deflected positions is aligned at an angle of approach to both wall surface sections of the bag wall which meet in a corner of the bag.

[0006] The described device is used in a filling machine for filling coffee powder, preferably between a filling station for filling the coffee powder into the bag and a compacting station for compacting / compressing the coffee powder in the bag. A compacting station normally has a ram that moves into the opening of the bag from above and with which pressure is exerted on the coffee powder contained in the bag. It is desirable to shape a ram so that it is adapted as precisely as possible to the shape of the opening or bag, so that pressure can be exerted as evenly as possible on the surface of the coffee powder in the bag with the ram.

[0007] The bag wall extends upwards from a bag base, which forms the bottom of the bag. The bag wall is preferably perpendicular to the base throughout. An opening area of ​​the opening preferably corresponds to the bag base and lies in a plane parallel to the bag base above the bag wall. An upper edge or an upper end face of the bag wall encloses the opening or the opening area. However, due to deformations (e.g. corrugations) of the bag wall, deviations between the opening area and the base area can occur. These deviations can vary depending on the situation and impair process reliability. If the shape of the punch is precisely adapted to the shape of the opening, collisions can occur between the punch and the upper end face of the bag wall.

[0008] Using the device with the holding elements in the deflected position creates taut wall sections between the corners. The shape of the bag opening becomes more controllable. The ability to compact / compress coffee powder in bags with a plunger is significantly improved.

[0009] However, the use of the device can also be advantageous for filling products into bags because the bag is held in a certain position with the device.

[0010] Preferably, the bag base is square, and the device has four retaining elements for the four corners. Particularly preferably, the bag base is rectangular with a longer and a shorter side. If desired, the bag base can also be square. In various embodiments, however, the bag base can also have a different number of corners, for example, three corners, five corners, or eight corners. The device then has a corresponding number of retaining elements.

[0011] It is particularly advantageous if the bag is made of a monomaterial.

[0012] A monomaterial is, in particular, a material with a single-layer structure. The properties of the material are thus essentially uniform across its thickness. Monomaterials are particularly distinguishable from materials that have a supporting layer and an additional barrier layer applied to prevent, for example, the diffusion of moisture into the bag.

[0013] Monomaterials offer significant advantages over multi-layer materials in terms of their recycling capabilities because they do not represent mixtures of materials and therefore, in principle, no separation is required to ensure particularly good recycling.

[0014] Particularly preferably, the monomaterial of the bag is a material based on polyethylene, which has good barrier properties.

[0015] It is also advantageous if the bag is made from a flat starting material which is formed into a tube with a longitudinal seam.

[0016] Preferably, the bag has additional bottom seams in the area of ​​the bag base or bottom, with which the bag is tightly closed at the bag base.

[0017] The longitudinal seam (and preferably any other seam of the bag) is preferably created using joining processes, with thermal joining processes such as welding being used in particular. This introduces heat into the bag material, which regularly creates internal stresses within the bag material. Such internal stresses promote the occurrence of corrugations. This applies in particular to the longitudinal seam, which extends across the entire length of the bag wall, so that such corrugations can be particularly pronounced. The formation of such corrugations is also referred to as a "figure-8." Such corrugations form particularly inwardly when monomaterials are used for the bag and can therefore pose a particularly high risk of collision with a stamp used to compact / compress the coffee powder in the bag.For this reason, the use of the described device is particularly advantageous for a bag made of such a material. Rippling caused by a longitudinal seam, or its effect on the shape of the opening / opening area of ​​the bag, can be particularly effectively prevented. In particular, sections of the bag wall between the corners are smoothed out.

[0018] It is also advantageous if the holding elements are hook-shaped and have a holding section and a web section which are arranged at a hook angle to one another, wherein the holding sections in the deflected position rest against an inner surface of the bag wall in the corners and a holding length of the web sections specifies the deflected position of the holding sections.

[0019] The holding section holds the bag in the deflected position. The holding section penetrates the bag opening to a depth corresponding to the penetration depth and rests against an inner surface of the bag wall at its corners for a length corresponding to the penetration depth.

[0020] It is preferred that the holding elements are each rotatable about a rotational axis. The movement of the holding elements from the starting position to the deflected position is preferably a rotational movement about the rotational axis. This ensures, in particular, that the holding elements are moved from above into the central region of the opening and then subsequently outwards into the deflected position. In the deflected position, the holding sections preferably run parallel to the bag wall and span the bag wall starting from its inner surface. Previously (in the starting position), the holding sections are inclined relative to the bag wall.

[0021] The web length is the length of the holding section spaced from the rotation axis by the web section. When the holding elements are in the deflected position, the web length is the distance from the rotation axis to the deflected position projected onto a plane of the bag opening. It is also advantageous if the holding elements are designed with a transition curve between the web sections and the holding sections.

[0022] In various designs, the movement of the holding elements from the starting position to the deflected position can also be carried out in several parts, for example with an initial (linear) movement downwards into the central area within the opening surface and then a separate, further (linear) movement outwards. Combinations of linear movements and rotary movements for moving the holding elements from starting positions to deflected positions are also possible. When the holding elements move from the starting position to the deflected position, the movements into the opening and the movement outwards can overlap in time and space. It is not necessary for these movements to occur completely one after the other. What is important is that the holding elements approach the inner surface of the bag wall.Therefore, a movement component of the movement into the opening is preferably at least partially temporally preceded by a movement component of the movement outwards.

[0023] It is further advantageous if the holding elements have a rounded cross-section at least in the area of ​​holding sections that are in contact with the bag wall.

[0024] Preferably, the holding elements are made of a rod element which at least partially forms the holding section and the web section and which is optionally bent to form the described transition curve.

[0025] Particularly preferably, holding elements are designed as round bars which form holding sections and web sections, wherein the holding section and web section merge into one another with a transition base.

[0026] The rounded cross-section of the holding sections is particularly advantageous in ensuring particularly gentle contact between the holding section and the bag wall. The rounded cross-section prevents damage to the bag because there are no sharp edges that could cut into the material of the bag wall.

[0027] Furthermore, it is advantageous if the holding elements are each rotatably mounted on axes of rotation above a bag arranged in the device in order to be movable from the starting positions into the deflected positions with a tilting movement about the respective axis of rotation.

[0028] In the starting position, holding elements are arranged in particular above the opening of the bag. When the holding elements enter the opening area, the holding elements preferably enter the opening (only) through a central area located within the opening area. The central area and the starting positions above the opening are designed such that the holding elements always have a safety distance from the bag wall when entering the opening. This ensures that when the holding elements move in a direction from the starting positions to the deflected positions, the holding elements always move towards an inner surface of the bag wall and are thus designed to clamp the bag wall at the corners starting from the inner surface when they have been moved into the deflected position.

[0029] A direction of movement of the holding elements from the starting positions to the deflected positions is aligned at an approach angle to both wall surface sections of the bag wall that meet in a corner of the bag.

[0030] Such an approach angle ensures reliable opening of the bag. Preferably, the angle of the movement direction to each surface section of the bag wall is at least 25 degrees. The approach angle is an angle between a direction of movement of the holding elements and wall sections of the opened bag wall when the holding elements have each been moved into the deflected positions. For a rectangular bag, the angle between two wall surface sections of the bag that meet at the corner is preferably 90°. The angle of the movement direction is then particularly preferably 45 degrees (with a tolerance of 5 degrees or less).

[0031] Furthermore, the device preferably has at least one drive for moving the holding elements from the starting positions into the deflected positions, wherein the drive is designed to limit a force exerted on the bag wall by the holding elements when approaching the deflected positions.

[0032] Such a limitation of the applied force can be achieved, for example, by a spring element in the drive. A rod gear for transmitting a drive force from the drive to the holding elements can, for example, have a spring section that limits the force exerted by the drive on the holding element.

[0033] If necessary, an electronic control of the drive can also be implemented, which initiates deceleration when the holding element approaches the deflected position. This ensures that the impulses transmitted by the holding element to the bag wall upon contact with the bag wall do not become too large. This prevents the bag wall from tearing when the opening is opened.

[0034] Also to be described here is a filling machine for filling coffee powder into bags, comprising at least one filling station for filling coffee powder through the opening of the bag and further comprising at least one compacting station for compacting coffee powder in the bag with a stamp which can be moved into the opening of the bag from above to compact the coffee powder in the bag, wherein a described device for holding the opening of the bag is arranged in front of the compacting station in order to hold the opening for carrying out the compacting.

[0035] By using the described device in a filling machine, collisions between the bag wall and the punch during compacting / compressing can be effectively prevented.

[0036] It is particularly advantageous if the stamp for compacting the coffee powder with the compacting station has recesses for the holding elements of the device in their deflected position.

[0037] It is also particularly advantageous if the filling machine has a forming device for forming bags from a flat starting material, wherein the forming device is designed to form a tube from the flat starting material with a longitudinal seam in order to subsequently form bags from the tube.

[0038] In this way, the stamp can achieve particularly good coverage of the surface of the coffee powder in the bag and particularly good compaction / compression / compaction of the coffee powder can be achieved.

[0039] A method for filling coffee powder into bags with a described filling machine and / or with a filling machine having a described device for holding the opening of a bag is also to be described here, comprising the following steps: a) providing at least one bag; b) filling the at least one bag with coffee powder in a filling station; c) holding the opening of the at least one bag with the device for holding the opening; and d) compacting the coffee powder in the at least one bag in a compacting station.

[0040] It should be noted that the particular advantages and design features described in connection with the device and the filling machine described above are also applicable and transferable to the method described below.

[0041] The process is particularly advantageous if the bag is made of a monomaterial.

[0042] Furthermore, the process is particularly advantageous if the bag is made from a flat starting material which is formed into a tube with a longitudinal seam.

[0043] The invention and the technical context of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the figures. The figures show preferred embodiments to which the invention is not limited. It should be noted in particular that the figures, and in particular the proportions depicted in the figures, are only schematic. They show: Fig. 1 : a described device with holding element in the starting position; Fig. 2 : the device from Fig. 1 with the holding elements in the deflected position; Fig. 3 : a functional representation of a holding element for a described device; Fig. 4 : a schematic representation of a described filling machine; Fig. 5 : a representation of the processes involved in holding the bag in a view of the bag from above; Fig. 6 : a variant of the device described.

[0044] The Fig. 1 shows a described device 1 with holding elements 8 in the starting position 9. Fig. 2 shows the device 1 from Fig. 1 with holding elements 8 in the deflected position 12. In each case, a bag 3 can be seen with the opening 2 on its upper side. The bag 3 has a bag wall 7 which extends upwards from a bag base 6 and encloses the opening 2 of the bag 3. The bag base 6 corresponds to a bottom of the bag 3. The bag wall 7 extends essentially vertically upwards from the bag base 6 or from the bottom of the bag 3. Accordingly, the opening 2 also essentially has the shape of the bag base 6. The bag wall 7 can have a corrugation 33 in some regions, as a result of which the shape of the opening 2 can deviate from the shape of the bag base 6. The corrugation 33 can occur as a result of a longitudinal seam (not shown separately here), in particular when the bag 3 is made of a monomaterial. In principle, however, such a corrugation 33 can also occur for other reasons.

[0045] The holding elements 8 are provided with at least one Fig. 1 and 2 schematically illustrated drive 25 around rotation axes 21 to move from the starting position 9 according to Fig. 1 into the deflected position 12 according to Fig. 2 According to the Fig. 1 and 2 The drive 25 drives the holding elements 8 via rod gears 34. This is a possible design variant.

[0046] In the starting position 9, the holding elements 8 are located above the opening 2 of the bag 3. In fact, there is even a distance between the opening surface of the opening 2 and the central area or the holding elements 8, which is set such that despite all possible deformations of the bag 3 or the bag wall 7, the holding elements 8 still lie within the opening surface and are always moved from the inside to the bag wall 7 during a movement into the deflected position 12. Because the holding elements 8 are located above the opening 2 of the bag 3 in the starting position 9, the bag 3 can be moved from the side under the holding elements 8.

[0047] When the holding elements 8 move into the deflected position 12, the holding elements 8 are moved downwards and outwards (towards the bag wall 7) into the corners of the bag wall 7. During this movement, the holding elements 8 enter the opening surface 11 of the opening 2 through a central area and always have a safety distance from the bag wall 7. After or parallel to the entry of the holding elements 8 into the opening 2 through the central area, the holding elements 8 are moved outwards and into the deflected positions 12. This opens up the bag 3 or the opening 2 of the bag 3. The corrugation 33 is smoothed out. By having the holding elements 8 in the deflected position 12, it is preferably achieved that the shape of the opening surface 11 or the opening 2 corresponds more precisely to the bag base area 6 than would be the case without the holding elements 8.

[0048] The device 1 preferably has four holding elements 8 with which the opening 2 of a rectangular bag 3 with four corners 13 can be clamped. The rotation axes 21 of the individual holding elements 8 are in the Fig. 1 and 2 partially obscured and therefore not all equally recognizable. For a better understanding, please refer to the following figures and in particular to the Fig. 6 and 7, in which the axes of rotation 21 of all holding elements 8 can be seen.

[0049] A single holding element 8 is used to explain the structure in Fig. 3 in a deflected position 12. It can be seen that the holding element 8 is movable about a rotation axis 21 by means of a drive 25. The holding element 8 consists of a round rod with a round cross-section 31. The holding element 8 has a holding section 15 which rests against the bag wall 7 when the holding element 8 (as in Fig. 2 shown) is brought into the deflected position 12. A holding element 8 designed as a round rod has the advantage that it has no edges that could damage the bag wall 7. The holding section 15 merges into a web section 16 of the holding element 8 in a transition curve 20.

[0050] The web section 16 and the holding section 15 for holding the bag 3 form a hook with a hook angle 17, which is preferably 90 degrees. A precise location of the holding section 15 in the deflected position 12 is defined by a web length 19 of the web section 16 or by a web length 19 from the axis of rotation 21 to the holding section 15. In addition, the web length 19 ensures that the holding element 8, when moving from the starting position to the deflected position 12, is moved not only outwards but also downwards, into the opening 2 of the bag 3. When the holding element 8 is in the deflected position 12, it has penetrated into the opening 2 or the bag 3 with a penetration depth 26 and rests against the inner surface 18 of the bag wall 7 with a length corresponding to the penetration depth 26.The penetration depth 26 is configured such that the retaining element 8 sufficiently holds the bag wall 7 and, in particular, the retaining element 8 cannot slip off the bag wall, but rather the opening 2 is securely clamped by the retaining elements 8. The penetration depth 26 is, for example, more than 5 mm [millimeters] and particularly preferably more than 10 mm.

[0051] The Fig. 4 a schematic representation of a described filling machine 4 with a described device 1. The steps of the method also described here for filling coffee powder 5 into a bag 3 are each assigned to individual stations of the filling machine 4.

[0052] In step a), at least one bag 3 is provided. This may, for example, also include the production of the bag 3 from a flat starting material by forming a tube from the starting material with a longitudinal seam. Furthermore, this may include the separation of the material for a bag 3 from the starting material, as well as the formation of a base by folds and / or further seams. Preferably, step a) also includes the erection of the bag for subsequent filling with coffee powder 5 in a filling station 27 (step b)).

[0053] In particular, to prepare the compaction of the coffee powder 5 in the bag 3, the filling machine 4 has a described device 1 with holding elements 8, with which the opening 2 of the bag 3 can be held open. This corresponds to step c) of the described method. In the filling machine 4 described here, the device 1 is preferably arranged in the filling process direction downstream of a filling station 27 for filling the coffee powder 5 into the bag and upstream of a compacting station 28 for compacting the coffee powder 5. Optionally, however, the device 1 can also be arranged upstream of the filling station 27 and hold the bag 3 or its opening 2 already for filling.

[0054] The bag 3 (before the device 1 with the holding elements 8 engages the opening 2 of the bag 3) usually has a corrugation 33, which occurs, for example, as a result of a longitudinal seam 14, particularly when the bag 3 is made of a single material. This corrugation 33 is spread by the device 1 or the holding elements 8, so that the opening area of ​​the opening 2 essentially corresponds to the bag base area 6 and is, in particular, independent of the exact shape of the corrugation 33.

[0055] The spreading of the corrugation 33 or the ensuring of a uniform opening area 11 of the opening 2 corresponding to the bag base area 6, regardless of the exact shape of the corrugation 33 with the described device 1, is particularly advantageous for the compaction of the coffee powder 5 in the compacting station 28. In the compacting station 28, step d) of the described method is carried out, namely the compaction or compression of the coffee powder 5 with a stamp 29, which presses the coffee powder 5 in the bag 3 from above. The compacting station 28 preferably has a stamp 29, which is moved into the opening 2 in order to exert pressure on the coffee powder 5 located in the bag 3 and to compact the coffee powder 5. The shape and size of the stamp 29 orThe shape and size of a stamping surface of the stamp 29, which comes into contact with the coffee powder 5 in the bag 3, is somewhat smaller than the shape and size of the opening 2. By holding the opening 2 open with the device 1, the shape and size of the stamp 29 can be adapted much more precisely to the opening surface 11 of the opening 2 than would be possible without the use of the device 1. By way of example, recesses 30 of the stamp 29 for the holding elements 8 are also shown here, which enable a more precise adaptation of the shape and size of the stamp 29 to the opening 2 or its opening surface 11 with the holding elements 8 arranged therein in the deflected position.

[0056] For better understanding, the processes involved in using the device 1 for holding the bag 3 in Fig. 5 in a view of the bag from above. This assumes holding elements 8, which are first moved straight from above into the central area 10 of the opening surface 11 of the opening 2 and then outwards. With reference to hook-shaped holding elements 8, which are rotatable about axes of rotation 21, the illustration can be Fig. 5 transferred to the lower end of the respective holding elements 8.

[0057] The bag 3 or the opening 2 of the bag 3 can be seen once (with a dashed line) in a situation in which the holding elements 8 of the device 1 are not yet in the deflected position 12 and once (with a solid line) in a situation in which the holding elements 8 of the device 1 are in the deflected position 12. It can be seen that the bag 3 with the holding elements 8 in the deflected position 12 is stretched at its corners 13, so that stretched wall surface sections 24 are created between the corners 13. The shape of the opening 2 of the bag 3 is essentially rectangular. In contrast, the shape of the opening 2 of the bag 3 without the holding elements 8 in the deflected positions 12 is irregular or partially undefined. This is (as described) due in particular to the longitudinal seam 14 of the bag 3, which causes at least one corrugation 33 in the bag wall 7.

[0058] In Fig. 5 Also shown are the starting positions 9 of the holding elements 8 in a central region 10, which lie within a central region 10 above the opening 2 of the bag 3. The central region 10 or the starting positions 9 preferably have a safety distance 35 from the bag wall 7, which is selected such that, regardless of the exact shape of the corrugation 33, the holding elements 8 are always located within the opening area 11.

[0059] Starting from the starting positions 9, the holding elements 8 are guided along a direction of movement 22 in the corners 13 of the bag wall 7 or of the bag 3 toward the inner surface 18 of the bag wall 7, so that the wall surface sections 24 stretched between the corners 13 are created. The direction of movement 22 is preferably aligned at an approach angle 23 to the wall surface sections 24, which is preferably always more than 25 degrees and in particular approximately 45 degrees + / - 5 degrees.

[0060] The Fig. 6 shows a variant of the described device 1, once in a top view and once in a three-dimensional view. The device 1 is designed here as a double station, in which two bags 3 can be clamped parallel to each other. The holding elements 8 are shown in each case, which are rotatable about the rotation axes 21 in order to be moved from the starting position 9 to the deflected position 12. Fig. 6 shows the holding elements 8 in the deflected position 12. For illustration, Fig. 6 On one of the holding elements 8, the web length 19 of the web section 16 is shown, which is the same for all holding elements 8. As a further special feature, the holding element 8 here has an additional displacement 32 in the direction of the rotation axis 21, which is implemented by a section of the holding element 8 and an additional transition curve 36 in the holding element 8. This enables a better positioning of the holding element 8 relative to the bag 3 for a given construction of the device 1. In Fig. 6 and 7 it can also be seen that such a displacement 32 does not need to be present in all holding elements 8 of a device 1. The left holding elements 8 of the left station of the Fig. 6 The device 1 shown does not have such displacements 32. List of reference symbols

[0061] 1 Device 2 Opening 3 Bag 4 Filling machine 5 Coffee powder 6 Bag base 7 Bag wall 8 Holding element 9 Starting position 10 Central area 11 Opening area 12 Deflected position 13 Corners 14 Longitudinal seam 15 Holding section 16 Web section 17 Hook angle 18 Inner surface 19 Web length 20 Transition bend 21 Rotation axis 22 Direction of movement 23 Approach angle 24 Wall surface section 25 Drive 26 Penetration depth 27 Filling station 28 Compacting station 29 Stamp 30 Recess 31 Cross section 32 Displacement 33 Corrugation 34 Rod gear 35 Safety distance 36 Additional transition bend

Claims

1. Device (1) for holding open the opening (2) of a bag (3), in particular in a filling machine (4) for filling coffee powder (5), wherein the bag (3) has a polygonal bag base (6), from which a circumferential bag wall (7) extends upwards and surrounds the opening (2) opposite the bag base (6), wherein the device (1) has holding elements (8) which can be moved from starting positions (9) into a central region (10) within an opening surface (11) of the opening (2) from above into the opening (2), in order to then be moved apart within the opening (2) into deflected positions (12) in order to stretch the bag wall (7) at corners (13),wherein a direction of movement (22) of the holding elements (8) from the starting positions (9) to the deflected positions (12) is aligned at an approach angle (23) to both wall surface sections (24) of the bag wall (7) meeting in a corner (13) of the bag (3).

2. Device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the holding elements (8) are hook-shaped and have a holding section (15) and a web section (16) which are arranged at a hook angle (17) to one another, wherein the holding sections (15) in the deflected position (12) rest against an inner surface (18) of the bag wall (7) in the corners (13) and a web length (19) of the web sections (16) specifies the deflected position (12) of the holding sections (15).

3. Device (1) according to claim 2, wherein the holding elements (8) are designed with a transition arch (20) between the web sections (16) and the holding sections (15).

4. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the holding elements (8) have a rounded cross-section (31) at least in the region of holding sections (15) which are in contact with the bag wall (7).

5. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the holding elements (8) are each rotatably mounted on axes of rotation (21) above a bag (3) arranged in the device (1) in order to be movable from the starting positions (9) into the deflected positions (12) with a tilting movement about the respective axes of rotation (21).

6. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising at least one drive (25) for moving the holding elements (8) from the starting positions (9) into the deflected positions (12), wherein the drive (25) is designed to limit a force exerted on the bag wall (7) by the holding elements (8) when approaching the deflected positions (12).

7. Filling machine (4) for filling coffee powder (5) into bags (3), comprising at least one filling station (27) for filling coffee powder (5) into the opening (2) of the bag (3) and further comprising at least one compacting station (28) for compacting coffee powder (5) in the bag (3) with a stamp (29) which can be moved from above into the opening (2) of the bag (3) for compacting the coffee powder (5) in the bag (3), wherein a device (1) for holding open the opening (2) of the bag (3) according to one of the preceding claims is arranged upstream of the compacting station (28) in order to hold open the opening (2) during the compacting process.

8. Filling machine (4) according to claim 7, wherein the stamp (29) for compacting the coffee powder (5) with the compacting station (28) has recesses (30) for the holding elements (8) of the device (1) in their deflected position (12).

9. Filling machine (4) according to one of claims 7 or 8, comprising a forming device for forming bags (3) from a flat starting material, wherein the forming device is designed to form a tube from the flat starting material with a longitudinal seam (14) in order to subsequently form bags (3) from the tube.

10. A method for filling coffee powder (5) into bags (3) with a filling machine (4) according to one of claims 7 to 9 and / or with a filling station (27) having a device (1) for holding open the opening (2) of a bag (3) according to one of claims 1 to 6, comprising the following steps: a) providing at least one bag (3); b) filling the at least one bag (3) with coffee powder (5) in a filling station (27); c) holding open the opening (2) of the at least one bag (3) with the device (1) for holding open the opening (2); and d) compacting the coffee powder (5) in the at least one bag (3) in a compacting station (28).

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the bag (3) is made of a monomaterial.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the bag (3) is made from a flat starting material which is formed into a tube with a longitudinal seam (14).

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