CAP ANGULAR ORIENTATION

Abstract

 A cap, arrangement and method for determining the orientation of a cap (34) to be arranged on a neck portion of a package (10) is provided. The arrangement (100) comprises a cap holder (150) configured to hold the cap (34), a drive unit, and a sensor arrangement. The drive unit is configured to rotate the holder (150) around its symmetry axis or rotate the sensor arrangement around the holder (150) such that the relative orientation between the cap (34) and the sensor arrangement changes, wherein the cap is provided with at least one marking (36a, 36b), and wherein the sensor arrangement is configured to detect the at least one marking (36a, 36b) during said rotation, and to determine the orientation of the cap (34) based on the at least one detected marking (36a, 36b).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cap, an arrangement and a method for determining the orientation of a cap that is to be arranged on a package.

Background Art

[0002] Food packages are generally provided with an opening device in order to facilitate discharging of the enclosed food product. The opening device may either be an irreversible opening, i.e. once the package is opened it may not be closed again, or a re-closeable opening device. In order to extend the shelf-life and quality of the food product the latter is often desired. A common way of providing a re-closeable opening device is to provide a pouring spout including a threaded neck on the upper part of the package. The threaded neck is designed such that it may receive a cap with complementary internal threads, such that the cap is capable of being unscrewed from the neck. Since the cap covers the open spout of the neck, the enclosed food product is protected from the outer environment and the quality of the product may thus be preserved during some time.

[0003] In the food packaging industry, packages and especially packaging containers with a bottle-like shape are well known. Examples of such packaging containers are Tetra Top™ and Tetra Evero Aseptic™. After a web of paper material is laminated with several outer polymer materials, folded and sealed to form a hollow packaging container body, a top portion comprising a threaded neck part is injection moulded onto the body, which may be of different material than the top portion. In the next step, a cap application unit screws a threaded cap usually made of polymer material onto threaded neck portion of the packaging container comprising complementary threads. In the ensuing step, the hollow side of the packaging container is filled with the foodstuff to be contained, whereafter the hollow end of the container is folded and sealed. It should be mentioned, that in one possible and known implementation of the capping process, the hollow packaging container body including the injection moulded top portion is fed into a rotating drum and rotated to face a screw cap holder while at a distance a screw cap is fed to the screw cap holder. While both the packaging container and the screw cap holder are locked in their radial positions, the screw cap is rotatingly moved towards the top portion of the packaging container and screwed onto its neck portion.

[0004] In prior art systems, a small percentage of the capped package containers display a misalignment between the cap and the neck part of the container. The problem exists also for other types of containers, where the top and the body portion are made of the same material, such as a polymer material. Such misalignment has the effect of not sufficiently sealed containers, tilted caps, damaged threaded portions on the neck part, and the cap itself or too easy opening of the container. Containers with these deviations need to be discarded, which increases the production costs.

[0005] There is thus a need to improve the accuracy of applying the cap to the neck portion of the package in order to reduce faulty packages.

Summary

[0006] It is an object of the invention to at least partly overcome one or more of the above-identified limitations of the prior art. In particular, it is an object to design a cap and an arrangement for applying a cap to a neck portion of a package that allows the cap to be applied to the neck with a higher degree of accuracy.

[0007] In a first aspect, a cap comprising at least one marking for use in the orientation arrangement is provided. The cap to be used for a container for foodstuffs comprises

• a base
• an annual sidewall which extends from the base where the annual sidewall comprises at least one internal thread which is configured to engage with corresponding threads on a neck of a container which is to be sealed by the cap,

[0008] Furthermore, the cap comprises at least one marking which is configured to be detected by a sensor arrangement and based on which the orientation of the cap can be detected.

[0009] In a second aspect, a cap arrangement for determining the orientation of a cap to be arranged on a neck portion of a package is provided. The arrangement comprises a cap holder configured to hold the cap, a drive unit, and a sensor arrangement. The drive unit is configured to rotate the holder around its symmetry axis or rotate the sensor arrangement around the holder such that the relative orientation between the cap and the sensor arrangement changes. The cap is provided with at least one marking. The sensor arrangement is configured to detect the at least one marking during said rotation, and to determine the orientation of the cap based on the at least one detected marking.

[0010] The arrangement identifies the orientation of the cap before applying it to the package. By doing this, the cap can be applied with a much higher degree of accuracy. This avoids problems after capping such as having tilted caps and having caps being arranged with the wrong orientation. Furthermore, the marking eliminates the need of trying to find the thread entrance of the cap and on the neck of the package. This is also beneficial since the tread entrance easily can be missed.

[0011] In a third aspect, a method for determining the orientation of a cap to be arranged on the neck portion of a package is provided. The cap is provided with at least one marking and the method comprises the steps of rotating a cap holder, being configured to hold the cap, around its symmetry axis or rotating a sensor arrangement around the cap holder such that the relative orientation between the cap and the 4sensor arrangement changes, detecting the at least one marking during said rotation, and determining the orientation of the cap based on the at least one detected marking.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012] Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which

Fig. 1 illustrates a package being arranged with a cap;

Fig. 2a illustrates a cross-sectional view of a cap for use with a package;

Fig. 2b illustrates a cross-sectional view of a neck, including a spout, of a package;

Fig. 2c illustrates an isometric view of a cap for use with a package;

Fig. 2d illustrates an isometric view of a cap for use with a package;

Fig. 3a illustrates perspective view of an apparatus for applying a cap to a package;

Fig. 3b illustrates perspective view of an apparatus for applying a cap to a package;

Fig. 4a illustrates a schematic view of parts of the apparatus for applying a cap to a package;

Fig. 4b illustrates a schematic view of parts of the apparatus for applying a cap to a package; and

Fig. 5 illustrates a method of determining the orientation of a cap.

Detailed Description

[0013] A package for food is shown schematically in Fig. 1. The package is formed by a body portion which may be made of a carton-based laminate. The packaging material may be provided as single sheets for creating individual packages in a filling machine, or as a web of packaging material. The web of packaging material is normally distributed in large rolls which the filling machine is configured to feed through various treatment stations, such as sterilizers, forming sections 4, filling sections 5, and distribution sections of the filling machine.

[0014] The packaging material 2 preferably has a multilayer structure comprising a base layer, e.g. of paperboard, covered on both sides with layers of heat-sealable plastic material, e.g. polyethylene. In the case of aseptic packages for long-storage products, such as UHT milk, the packaging material also comprises a layer of oxygen- barrier material, e.g. an aluminium foil, which is superimposed on a layer of heat-sealable plastic material and is in turn covered with another layer of heat-sealable plastic material forming the inner face of the package eventually in contact with the food product in the package.

[0015] In order to facilitate the reforming of the packaging material into shaped packages the packaging material is provided with a suitable pattern of material weakening lines or crease lines defining the folding lines. In addition to facilitating folding the crease lines also when folded contribute to the mechanical strength and stability of the final packages; the packages may thus be stacked and handled without the risk of being deformed or otherwise destroyed under normal handling. Further to this the crease lines may also allow specific geometries and appearances of the packages.

[0016] The package is further formed by a top portion which is preferably made of plastic. The top portion 12 may be provided with a neck 20 forming the upper part of the plastic top portion 12. In one scenario, the neck 20 may be integrally formed with the top portion 12. In that case, the entire top portion 12, including the neck 20, may be manufactured as a single piece. A cap 34 is arranged onto the neck for sealing the spout forming the upper end of the neck 20. The cap 34 may optionally be provided with a tamper ring 40 as is well known in the art.

[0017] Now turning to the Figs. 2a-c details of a neck 20 and cap 34 will be described further according to one embodiment of the present solution. It should however be understood by the person skilled in the art that any type of cap with an internal thread that is arranged to be placed on a container or a package having a complementary outer thread, where the cap is arranged with at least one marking, could benefit from the present invention.

[0018] In one exemplary embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2a, the cap 34 has a base 30 and an annular side wall 37, where both the base 30 and the annular side wall 34 have an outer 35, 39 and an inner surface 36, 38. The cap 34 has a lower portion 31 being provided with internal threads 32 and optionally is provided with a tamper ring 40. The internal threads 32 are configured to engage with corresponding threads 22 of the neck 20. The lower portion 31 of the annual sidewall 37 extends into the upper portion 33 of the annular sidewall 37 which is connected to the base 30 which forms the closed upper end of the cap 34. The interior of the upper portion 33 is provided with means for separating the membrane from the spout 70, as well as for retaining the cut-off membrane.

[0019] For this purpose, following the threads 32, cutting elements 50 may be arranged. The purpose of the cutting elements or knives 50 is to penetrate a section of the spout 70, immediately below the membrane 80, and to separate that membrane 80 from the rest of the spout 70. After that step, the cutting elements 50 serve the purpose of securing the membrane 80 in an axial position (i.e. along the A-axis in Fig. 2A and B) between the cutting elements 50 and the interior of the top part of the upper portion 33. There may be a number of cutting elements 50 distributed around the perimeter of the upper portion 33. The number of cutting elements 50 will depend on several factors and may thus vary. The cutting action is effected when unscrewing the cap 34, and the cutting elements 50 will follow the rotational motion of the cap 34 as well as the axial movement thereof, all relative to the neck 20. In general, one cutting element 50 is sufficient to perform the cutting action in order to separate the membrane 80 from the spout 70. However, it has been found that at least three cutting elements 50 are preferred to perform the cutting and the membrane retaining action, after the membrane has been cut off from the spout 70.

[0020] The annual sidewall 37 of the cap 34 may in the upper part 33 further comprise stop elements 60. These may be arranged at about the same axial position as the cutting elements 50. The stop elements 60 may be realized by stop ledges, i.e. flanges extending from the top part of the upper portion 33 down to a specific axial position, and a small distance radially inwards. The stop ledges 60 may be dimensioned so as to allow for the membrane to fit between them. The purpose of the stop elements 60 is to prevent the cap 34 from being screwed too far down (i.e. in a closing direction) onto the neck 20, and thus to prevent damage to the membrane 80 during application of the cap 34 or when resealing the spout 70 after initial opening. The stop elements 60 of the cap 34 cooperate with a counter element 24 of the neck 20.

[0021] As seen in Figs.2a-c, the cap 34 is arranged with at least one marking 36a-b in the lower portion 31 of the annular sidewall 37. The marking 36a-b is used in order for a manufacturing system to determine the orientation of the cap before and/or during the step of applying the cap 34 to the neck 20 of the package 10 or container. The marking 36a-b could thus be seen as an orientation marking 36a-b. As will be described more in detail with reference to Fig. 4b, the manufacturing system preferably comprises a sensor arrangement arranged to detect and/or read the at least one marking 36a-b arranged on the cap.

[0022] In the embodiment shown in Figs. 2a-d, the cap 34 is arranged with a first and a second marking 36a-b. The markings 36a-b are arranged on the annular sidewall 37 of the cap 34. The markings 36 a-b may either be arranged at the upper portion 33 of the annular sidewall 37 or its lower portion 31. This latter placement may also be at the tamper ring 40. However, the markings 36a-b may also be placed on other parts of the annular sidewall 37, such as the upper part 33 or even at the inner 36 or outer surface 35 of the cap base 30. Returning to Fig. 2a and 2b, the first and the second markings are arranged opposite each other, i.e. on opposite sides of the annular sidewall 37. In one embodiment the marking 36a-b is in the form of an opening. The opening is a through opening or hole. Hence, in the situation where the cap is arranged with two markings being openings, the two openings could be seen as one through hole in the cap 34 (as seen in Fig. 2c).

[0023] In the embodiment shown in Figs. 2c 2 and 2d, the cap 34 is arranged with a first 36a and a second 36b opening. The at least one opening may be circular, rectangular, quadratic or any other suitable shape. The size of the at least one opening is such that it is small in relation to the size of the cap 34. In an exemplary embodiment, the opening is approximately 1 mm in length and 1mm in width.

[0024] In alternative embodiments, the at least one marking 36a-b could be a protrusion and/or a recess. In one embodiment the marking is in the form of a readable pattern. The readable pattern could for example be a QR-code, NFC-tag or an RFID-tag. The readable pattern is then read and/or detected by a sensor arrangement in a system arranged for applying a cap to a neck portion of a container or packet. In these situations, the markings are arranged on the outer side of the cap 34 to allow the capping arrangement 100 to detect the markings.

[0025] An exemplary manufacturing process of a package will now be briefly described. In a first step, the package 10 may be manufactured by forming a sleeve of the carton-based laminate, i.e. a tubular body extending between two open ends. In a second step, performed before, after, or in parallel with the sleeve forming, the plastic top portion 12 is manufactured by molding. The plastic top portion 12 may, as is shown in Fig. 1, comprise a shoulder section 13 arranged below the neck 20 which may be manufactured by injection moulding on top of the tubular body. The shoulder section 13 is thus arranged to connect the sleeve, which forms basis for the body portion 11, to the neck 20. As previously explained, the neck 20 and the shoulder section 13 may moulded as a single piece, or as two separate pieces molded together onto the tubular body of the package.

[0026] The cap 34 is applied onto the top portion 12 of the sleeve by a capping arrangement. In one embodiment, the cap 34 is screwed onto the top portion 12 of the package before filling the sleeve with food content. Preferably, this is done by turning the sleeve and the top portion 12 assembly upside down, such that the remaining open end of the sleeve is facing upwards. After being filled through the open end, the sleeve may be sealed and folded to a flat bottom. Alternatively, the cap 34 is screwed onto the top portion 12 after the package 10 is filled. This may e.g. be the case if the neck 20 is provided with a membrane 80 sealing the spout 70 of the neck 20 as previously described.

[0027] The capping arrangement will now be described with reference to Figs.3a-b. The apparatus for applying a cap to a neck portion of a container comprises a sensor arrangement (as described with reference to Figs. 4a-b). Moreover, the arrangement 100 comprises a drum 130 rotatable around an axis A-A and which comprises tubular openings 132 for receiving partly folded packaging containers. Also, the arrangement 100 comprises a stripper unit 110 which feeds the packaging containers from the drum 130 onto a capping station 120 where a cap is applied to threaded neck portion of the packaging container. The stripper unit 110 then moves the packaging container away from the capping station 120 and places a new packaging container there. While a new packaging container is fed to the capping station 120, a cap application unit 140 moves downward along the B-B axis and forward along the C-C axis in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 4a (forward meaning towards the drum 130) to pick up a screw cap from a cap handling unit (not shown). The cap is fed on a piston (not shown) into a cap holder or chuck 150.

[0028] The capping arrangement may further comprise a processing unit 160 being in communication with the cap holder. The processing unit 160 is configured to record the rotational position of the screw cap holder. The screw cap application unit 140 moves up along the B-B axis in the direction of the arrows and forward along the D-D axis (i.e. towards the drum 130) in order to position the cap holder 150 holding the screw cap in front of the package in the capping station 120. The processing unit 160 may instruct a drive unit (not shown) for the cap holder 150 to rotate and thus rotate the screw cap to the pre-recorded position.

[0029] The orientation of the cap 34 needs to be determined in order to be applied to the package in a favourable position. This step may be performed either at any stage in the manufacturing process before or when the cap is applied to the package. For this the arrangement 100 for applying a cap to a neck portion of a container further comprises a sensor arrangement comprising at least one light detection system 170a, 170b, as seen in Fig. 4b. The sensor arrangement is arranged to detect the at least one marking 36a-b arranged on the cap 34 and by use of the at least one marking determine the orientation of the cap 34. Knowing the exact position and or orientation of the cap 34 before and/or when applying the cap 34 to the package 10 has several benefits. For example, problems such as having a tilted cap 34 and having caps 34 being placed on the package in the wrong direction are eliminated or at least reduced.

[0030] In the situation where the cap is applied to the package after being filled with a food product, the arrangement for determining the orientation of the cap may be a separate unit that is separated from the arrangements filling up the package. This separate arrangement thus comprises, as will be described more in detail later, a cap holder configured to hold the cap, a drive unit, and a sensor arrangement.

[0031] Once the orientation of the cap 34 is determined by the capping arrangement 100, the screw cap application unit 140 rotates the cap holder 150 while the packaging container is axially moved towards the cap holder 150. In this fashion, the cap held in the cap holder 150 is screwed onto the threaded neck portion of the packaging container.

[0032] Once the screwing step has been completed, the stripper unit 110 moves the thus closed packaging container away from the capping station 120 to the package filling step where the packaging containers, which are hollow at the end opposite the cap end, are filled with food content and where the open end of the packaging container is folded together and sealed. At the same time a new packaging container is fed to the capping station 120 and the cap application cycle starts all over again.

[0033] As previously mentioned, the arrangement for applying a cap to a neck portion of a package or container further comprises a sensor arrangement comprising at least one sensor. The sensor arrangement is arranged to detect the at least one marking arranged on the cap 34.

[0034] In one embodiment, the sensor arrangement is arranged in conjunction with the cap holder 150. The cap holder 150 comprises a holding body 152 arranged to receive the cap 34. In one embodiment, the cap holder 150 is in communication with a drive unit (not shown), which is configured to rotate the cap holder 150 around its symmetry axis. The rotation of the cap holder 150 will thus rotate the cap 34 around its symmetry axis. In this embodiment, the sensor arrangement is kept still, so that the cap 34 will rotate relative the sensor arrangement. In an alternative embodiment, the sensor arrangement will rotate around the cap 34, while the cap holder 150 and the cap 34 is held still. In either way, the relative position between the cap 34 and the sensor arrangement will change.

[0035] In the embodiment where the cap is arranged with a first and a second marking 36a, 36b in the form two opposite openings, the sensor arrangement preferably comprises at least one light detection system 170a, 170b for illuminating the cap in order to receive light that has passed through the two openings in order to determine the orientation of the cap 34.

[0036] In one embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5a, the sensor arrangement comprises two light detection systems 170a, 170b. Each light detection system 170a, 170b comprises a light emitting means (such as a light emitter) and light detecting means (such as a light detector). The two light detection systems 170a, 170b are arranged opposite each other. The light emitting means and the light detecting means could be arranged in the same sensor or being two separate sensors. The first light detection system is arranged to illuminate the cap 34 by emitting at least one light beam 172 towards the second light detection system being configured to receive light that has passed through the openings of the cap 34, or vice versa. The light detecting means is preferably an optical sensor and the light emitting means is preferably a light source.

[0037] The processing unit 160 may be in communication with the first light detection system 170a and/or in communication with the second light detection system 170b. Moreover, the processing unit 160 may be in communication with the drive unit for controlling the rotation of the cap holder 150. For example, once the orientation of the cap 34 is determined, the rotation may be stopped by the processing unit 160.

[0038] In one embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5b, the light detection system 170a, 170b comprises one light source 174 and one optical sensor 176. The light source 174 and the optical sensor 176 are arranged opposite each other. The light source 174 is arranged to transmit a light beam 172 towards the optical sensor 176. The light source 174 could for example be a laser or light-emitting diodes. The optical sensor 176 may for example be a monochrome sensor, a spectrophotometer, photodiodes, or the like. The processing unit 160 may be in communication with the light source 174 and/or in communication with the optical sensor 176.

[0039] As previously mentioned, the light detection system 170a, 170b may be in communication with a processing unit. The sensor arrangement may either comprise a processing unit or be in communication with the processing unit 160 arranged in the capping arrangement. The processor 160 is configured to detect that the light has passed through the first and the second openings and based on said information determine the orientation of the cap 34. The processor may further be configured to adjust the position of the screw cap application unit 140 and/or the position of the cap 34. The processing unit 160 is preferably implemented by any commercially available CPU ("Central Processing Unit"), DSP ("Digital Signal Processor") or any other electronic programmable logic device. The processor could by a physical device or be part of a network computing system such as a cloud. The processor 120 may further be configured to read instructions from a memory and to execute these instructions to control the operation of the capping arrangement. The memory may be implemented using any commonly known technology for computer-readable memories such as ROM, RAM, SRAM, DRAM, CMOS, FLASH, DDR, SDRAM or some other memory technology.

[0040] In order to determine the orientation of the cap 34, the capping arrangement 100 will rotate the cap 34 around its central axis or rotate the sensor arrangement around the cap 34. During the rotation the at least one light detection system 170a, 170b of the sensor arrangement will emit at least one light beam 172. When the cap 34 and the sensor arrangement are arranged such that the light beam will pass through the first and the second openings 36a, 36b towards the light receiving sensor, the exact position of the cap is known. The light beam 172 will only pass through both openings 36a, 36b at a specific orientation of the cap.

[0041] In the embodiments where the markings are readable patterns, the sensor arrangement will instead comprise sensors configured to read such patterns. Additionally, if the markings are recesses or protrusions on the outer surface of the cap 34, the sensor arrangement will comprise sensors configured to detect such uneven surfaces.

[0042] The steps of determining the orientation of the cap 34 is illustrated in Fig. 5. In a first step 210, the relative position of the cap 34 in relation the sensor arrangement is changed. In one embodiment, this is done by rotating the cap holder 150, and thus rotating the cap 34, around its symmetry axis. In an alternative embodiment, the sensor arrangement, or parts of the sensor arrangement, is rotated around the cap holder 150 which is held still. Hence, the drive unit is configured to rotate the holder 150 around its symmetry axis or to rotate the sensor arrangement around the holder 150 such that the relative orientation between the cap 34 and the sensor arrangement changes.

[0043] In a next step 220, the at least one marking 36a, 36b arranged on the cap 34 are detected. The detection of the at least one marking 36a, 36b is performed while the orientation of the cap 34 in relation the sensor arrangement is changing. Hence, the detection of the marking is performed either while the cap is rotating or when the sensor arrangement is rotating.

[0044] In step 230, the orientation of the cap 34 is determined. The orientation of the cap is determined based on the at least one detected marking 36a, 36b. The orientation data may be used by the processing unit 160 in order to adapt the movement of other parts of the cap applying arrangement.

[0045] In a further step, which may be performed simultaneously as step 220 and/or step 230, the rotation of the cap holder or the rotation of the sensor arrangement is stopped. The rotation is preferably stopped when the orientation of the cap is determined.

Claims

1. A cap (34) for a container for foodstuffs, comprising

- a base (30)

- an annual sidewall (37) extending from the base (30), the annual sidewall comprising at least one internal thread (32) configured to engage with corresponding threads on a neck of a container to be sealed by the cap (34),

- at least one marking (36a, 36b) configured to be detected by a sensor arrangement and based on which the orientation of the cap (30) can be detected.

2. Cap according to claim 1, the annual sidewall (37) further comprising an upper (33) and a lower (31) portion, the at least one marking (36a, 36b) being located in the lower (31) portion of the annual sidewall (47).

3. Cap according to claims 1 or 2, wherein the at least one marking (36a, 36b) is a hole in the annual sidewall (37) of the cap (34).

4. Cap according to claim 3, wherein the at least one hole is a through-hole.

5. Cap according to claim 1-3, comprising two through-holes located at opposite sides of the annular sidewall (37) of the cap (34).

6. Cap according to claims 1-2, wherein the at least one marking (36a, 36b) is a protrusion or a recess located at the outer surface (39) of the annular sidewall (37).

7. Cap according to claims 1-2, wherein the at least one marking (36a, 36b) is a protrusion or a recess located at the outer (35) or inner surface (36) of the base (30) of the cap (34).

8. An arrangement for determining the orientation of a cap (30) to be arranged on a neck portion of a package (10), the arrangement (100) comprising:

a cap holder (150) configured to hold the cap (34),

a drive unit, and

a sensor arrangement,

wherein the drive unit is configured to rotate the holder (150) around its symmetry axis or rotate the sensor arrangement around the holder (150) such that the relative orientation between the cap (34) and the sensor arrangement changes, wherein the cap is provided with at least one marking (36a, 36b), and
wherein the sensor arrangement is configured to detect the at least one marking (36a, 36b) during said rotation, and to determine the orientation of the cap (34) based on the at least one detected marking (36a, 36b).

9. The arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the cap comprises a first marking (36a) and a second marking (36b) being arranged on opposite side of the cap (34) and wherein the markings are arranged as openings in the cap (34).

10. The arrangement according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the sensor arrangement comprises at least one light detection system (170a, 170b) configured to emit and receive a light beam.

11. The arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the light detection system (170a, 170b) comprises a light source (174) for emitting a light beam (172) and an optical sensor (176) for receiving said light beam (172), and wherein the light source (174) and the optical sensor (176) are arranged on opposite side of the holder (150) and thus on opposite side of the cap (30) arranged therein.

12. The arrangement according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the sensor arrangement comprises two light detection systems (170a, 170b) arranged at opposite side from each other.

13. The arrangement according to any preceding claim, further comprising a processing unit (160) configured to determine the orientation of the cap (34) based on the at least one detected marking (36a, 36b).

14. The arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the processing unit (160) is further configured to adjust the rotation of the holder (150) or the sensor arrangement based on the determined orientation of the cap (34).

15. The arrangement according to any preceding claim, wherein the drive unit is further configured to move the holder (150) from a cap feeding position to a cap application position.

16. The arrangement to claim 15, wherein the cap application position is the position where the symmetry axis of the cap holder (150) and the symmetry axis of the neck portion of the package are aligned.

17. The arrangement according to claim 15 or 16, further comprising a feeding unit configured for feeding the cap (34) into the holder (150) when the holder is in the cap feeding position.

18. A method for determining the orientation of a cap (34) to be arranged on the neck portion of a package, wherein the cap is provided with at least one marking (36a, 36b), the method (200) comprising the steps of:

rotating (210) a cap holder, being configured to hold the cap (34), around its symmetry axis or rotating a sensor arrangement around the cap holder such that the relative orientation between the cap (34) and the sensor arrangement changes,

detecting (220) the at least one marking during said rotation, and

determining (203) the orientation of the cap (34) based on the at least one detected marking (36a, 36b).

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising the step (240) of stopping said rotation when the at least one marking (36a, 36b) is detected.

20. The method according to claim 18 or 19, wherein the cap comprises at first marking (36a) and a second marking (36b) being arranged on opposite side of the cap (30) and wherein the markings are openings in the cap (34), and wherein the sensor arrangement comprises at least one light detection system (170a, 170b) configured to:

emitting a light beam towards the cap (34), and

receiving said light beam on the opposite side of the cap (34).

Drawing