Use of a resiliently bendable long material comprising two free ends for stretching an opening edge of an opening of a flexible container, long material for a use of this kind, and holding device for holding the flexible container having an opening edge stretched by the long material

A long material for stretching an opening edge of an opening of a flexible container,

• the long material being resiliently bendable and comprising two free ends,
• the long material being able to be brought, by means of resilient bending, from a non-use position, in which it is not used for stretching the opening edge, into an insertion position in which it is preloaded and endeavours to assume the non-use position,
• the long material being able to be inserted into the opening in the insertion position, and
• the long material inside the opening being able to be brought into a use position, in which it is preloaded and endeavours to assume the non-use position, in such a way that the opening edge is stretched in a dimensionally stable manner, the free ends of the long material are spaced apart from one another and hold a portion of the opening edge therebetween in a straight stretched manner, and dimensionally stable stretching takes place exclusively in a region of the opening of the container, while the container remains flexible in the remaining region of the container,
• wherein at least a side of the long material which comes into contact with the container, in the use position, comprises an anti-slip surface for increasing static friction between the side and the container, in order to make it more difficult for the opening edge of the container to slide off the long material, in addition to the effect of the preload of the long material, the anti-slip surface being formed by an anti-slip coating.

A holding device for holding a flexible container comprising an opening having an opening edge, the opening edge being stretched in a dimensionally stable manner by means of a long material, the long material being resiliently bendable and comprising two free ends, the long material being able to be brought, by means of resilient bending, from a non-use position, in which it is not used for stretching the opening edge, into an insertion position in which it is preloaded and endeavours to assume the non-use position, the long material being able to be inserted into the opening in the insertion position, the long material inside the opening being able to be brought into a use position, in which it is preloaded and endeavours to assume the non-use position, in such a way that the opening edge is stretched in a dimensionally stable manner, the free ends of the long material are spaced apart from one another and hold a portion of the opening edge therebetween in a straight stretched manner, and dimensionally stable stretching takes place exclusively in a region of the opening of the container, while the container remains flexible in a remaining region of the container, the free ends being formed by handling means for holding the long material in the insertion position in a form-fitting manner, during insertion of the long material into the opening, the handling means being formed by end portions of the long material, which form a starting angle, relative to a longitudinal axis of the long material, which is greater than 0°, and the long material being formed by a strip-like flat material, wherein the end portions are bent out of a flat material plane of the flat material;

• and
• wherein the holding device comprises:
• a holding means for holding the holding device against falling down on account of gravity, and
• a first receiving means for receiving a holding portion of the long material and an opening edge region of the opening edge resting on the holding portion, the holding portion together with the opening edge region being insertable into a receiving cavity of the first receiving means substantially by way of a movement directed counter to the effect of gravity.