Packaging method and stretch hood system

1. A stretch-hood device for wrapping an article with a tubular film portion, the stretch-hood device comprising:

a tube-opening device configured to open the tubular film portion, the mbe-opening device including multiple suction boxes configured to engage and releasably retain part of the tubular film portion;

a drawing-over device separate from the tube-opening device and including two reefing fingers;

a reefing device separate from the tube-opening device and configured to reef the tubular film portion onto the reefing fingers and unreef the tubular film portion from the reefing fingers; and

an inflating device configured to direct gas into an interior of the tubular film portion during the reefing, one of the reefing fingers including the inflating device.

2. The stretch-hood device of claim 1 , wherein the inflating device is a first inflating device of a first one of the reefing fingers, and wherein a second of the reefing fingers includes a second inflating device.

3. The stretch-hood device of claim 1 , wherein the inflating device comprises an outlet opening through which the gas is expelled from the inflating device.

4. The stretch-hood device of claim 3 , wherein the inflating device further comprises a closure element configured to selectively close the outlet opening.

5. The stretch-hood device of claim 4 , wherein the outlet opening is arranged on a side of the reefing finger opposite a reefing-on surface of the reefing finger.

6. The stretch-hood device of claim 1 , wherein the suction boxes are movable relative to one another to open the tubular film portion.

7. The stretch-hood device of claim 1 , wherein the inflating device comprises one of a tan and a compressed air source.

8. A method for wrapping an article with a tubular film portion, the method comprising:

opening, via a tube-opening device, the tubular film portion by engaging and releasably retaining part of the tubular film portion with multiple suction boxes and moving the suction boxes radially outwardly;

reefing, via a reefing device separate from the tube-opening device, the tubular film portion onto two reefing fingers of a drawing-over device separate from the tube-opening device;

while moving the drawing-over device relative to the article, unreefing, via the reefing device, the tubular film portion from the reefing fingers onto the article; and

directing gas into in interior of the tubular film portion via an inflating device during the reefing, the inflating device being part of the reefing device.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein directing the gas into the interior of the tubular film portion causes the tubular film portion to inflate such that the tubular film portion is tau t at its open lower end.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising welding, via a welding device, in upper end of the tubular film portion to close the upper end of the tubular film portion.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein directing the gas into the interior of the tubular film portion occurs during or after the welding.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising inserting the reefing fingers into an open lower end of the tubular film portion while directing the gas into the interior of the tubular film portion and while the tube-opening device holds the tubular film portion.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising changing a flow rate of the gas via an adjusting device.