Patent ID: 8567160

Claim:
A method for gas filling a handle portion of a container of a collapsible type, the handle portion being defined by two opposite side walls of the container and communicating, via a duct defined by said side walls, with an opening formed in one of the side walls, said duct having, in an inflated state, a cross-sectional area being significantly smaller than a cross-sectional area of the handle portion, the method comprising supplying, at a gas filling station, a gas to the handle portion via said opening and said duct, moving said container laterally to a sealing station by a pinching member arranged to grip said container such that a blocking of the duct is obtained by a squeezing action to retain the gas supplied to the handle portion, and sealing the duct, at said sealing station, by a weld seal extending transverse said duct while maintaining the squeezing action, so as to permanently enclose the gas in said handle portion.