A packing apparatus in a sterile environment with a loading and supply system of articles, the apparatus comprising:
- a series of walls assembled to one another and predisposed in such a way as to identify and circumscribe an isolated environment from a surrounding environment, the isolated environment having measures to maintain the isolated environment in a sterile and aseptic condition, and containing at least one line and a series of operating stations associated to the line for performing a packing operation;
- a loading and supply system having a hatch, located on a first wall of the series of walls, positioned to be facing and in proximity to an operating station, and to be at a height from a ground level corresponding to a normal, ergonomic and unified working height for an operator;
- a container element for containing articles having an internal volume for containing articles;
- a first load opening communicating with the internal volume, for loading the articles into the internal volume, and a second unloading opening, communicating with the internal volume, for unloading the articles from the internal volume, the container element being positioned internally within the isolated environment in a zone in proximity to the operating station which is to be supplied with the articles, and being movable both with respect to the operative station and the hatch so as to be positionable in a lowered position at the hatch, so that the first load opening is positioned at the hatch to enable loading of the articles into the internal volume via the hatch and thereafter being movable to a raised position so that the second unloading opening is positioned above the supply zone for the operating station and with an orientation and configuration such that the articles contained in the internal volume remain within the volume, and, when in the raised position, the container element is further movable so that the articles contained in the internal volume are directed towards the second unloading opening for unloading to an outside the container element at the supply zone;
- wherein the loading and supply system has a support frame for supporting the container element, positionable internally within the isolated environment, in a zone in proximity of the operating station, and mounted with respect to a second wall which surrounds the isolated environment, opposite the first wall, and being movable in rotation about a first rotation axis parallel to the second wall, so that the container element is positionable in the lowered position and in the raised position, and further is movable in rotation about a second rotation axis, perpendicular to the first rotation axis and perpendicular to the second wall, such that the container element, when positioned in the raised position, is movable in rotation about the second rotation axis, in such a way that the articles contained in the internal volume are directed towards the second unloading opening for unloading the container element to the outside at the supply zone of the operating station.