Patent ID: 8685337

Claim:
An apparatus for sterilizing closures for closing containers, said apparatus comprising: a sterilizing region for sterilizing closures, said sterilizing region including at least one of a treatment section and a treatment chamber, a bunker for storing closures prior to sterilization thereof, an ejector device for ejecting closures following sterilization thereof, closure-accommodating baskets, each of which accommodates closures, a circulating conveying element for moving said closure-accommodating baskets along a conveying direction in a closed loop from said bunker, where they are loaded with closures, through said sterilizing region, where said closures are sterilized, to said ejector device, where said basket is emptied of said closures, and back to said bunker, wherein the closures accommodated in the closure-accommodating basket, at least in the conveying direction have a defined position and/or orientation with reference to the circulating conveying element.