Filling system for filling containers with a fluid filling material and filling machine

An apparatus comprising a source of filling material and a filling element for controlled output of said filling material into a container that is sealed against said filling element during a filling phase, said source being one of a tank and a pipe, wherein said filling element extends along a filling-element axis and comprises a filling-element housing, a channel through which said filling material flows, said channel being formed in said filling-element housing, a gas pipe aligned with said filling-element axis, said gas pipe forming a flow path for fluid, said flow path being connected, during said filling phase, with said container's interior, a valve arranged along said channel, said valve comprising a valve body that is shifted in a controlled manner along said filling-element axis for causing said valve to transition between an open state and a closed state, said valve body being formed in said gas pipe, which acts as a valve tappet, a radar for measuring fill level in said container during filling thereof, and an antenna connected to said radar, said antenna being disposed along said flow path for providing said radar with a signal indicative of a measurement of a level of said filing material in said container, wherein said gas pipe has a lower end that is open and said antenna is arranged inside said gas pipe at said lower end.