DE102016214736A1 - Tool head, gripping and / or manipulation device with such a tool head and method for handling piece goods or containers - Google Patents

Abstract

It is a within a defined and / or delimited movement space movable and / or about a vertical or inclined to a vertical axis (28) rotatable tool head (10) discloses at least one approximately horizontally outward about an article to be detected or a to be registered piece goods and / or containers (16) and / or about a to be detected article, piece goods or bundle groupable closed belt (30) carries, the at least one controllable tensioning device (38) for varying a circumference and a tension of the belt ( 30) for at least temporarily forming a static friction between the contact surfaces of the article, cargo or container (16) and / or the grouping and the at least one belt (30) for the purpose of receiving and handling the article, cargo or container (16) and / or is assigned to the grouping. Furthermore, a method for handling and / or grouping articles, piece goods, groupings and / or containers (16) is disclosed. A gripping and / or manipulation device (12) with a tool head (10) rotatable above a support plane and / or a conveying section within the movement space and / or rotatable about a vertical or vertical axis (28) serves to detect and manipulate Articles, goods, groups and / or containers (16) within the movement space.

Description

The present invention relates to a tool head having the features of independent claim 1. Furthermore, the invention relates to a movable within a movement space gripping and / or manipulation device with a rotatable about a vertical or relative to a vertical axis rotatable tool head with the features of claim 9. Die The invention also relates to a method for handling and / or grouping articles, piece goods, groupings and / or containers with the features of the independent method claim 11.

For handling articles, cargo, containers and / or compilations of several such items, general cargo, containers, etc., different arrangements are known. In particular in connection with the handling and transport of beverage containers, containers from several combined containers are known and commonly used, e.g. four, six or more beverage containers can be wrapped and held together by means of shrink films. In alternative container variants, the containers can also be held together by means of strapping and equipped with a carrying handle.

In the context of transport, handling, palletizing and / or packaging, numerous packages usually have to undergo various handling steps in which individual packages or groups of packages are picked up, rotated, positioned, transferred, moved or otherwise influenced and handled, among other things have to. Since the individual packaged goods or containers of the respective containers are normally held together stably, the packs can be picked up as a whole and, as a rule, treated like homogeneous packaged goods.

For handling, for example, manipulators with gripping jaws are used, as they are approximately from the EP 2 597 042 A1 are known. An alternative embodiment of a gripping and / or manipulation unit with a plurality of mutually deliverable gripping elements is also from the DE 10 2014 218 040 A1 known.

If it is only about turning and / or moving containers on a non-slip surface, for example. Facilities can be used, which intervene vertically from above into the gaps between the containers within the container and produce in this way a positive connection to the container. Such a handling device is from the DE 10 2011 087 045 A1 known.

In order to move the gripping devices together with the containers to be handled in different spatial directions, suitable manipulators are required, for example, as a gantry robot, as so-called. Multi-axis robot or as a parallel kinematic robot can be formed. Such a parallel kinematic robot with deliverable against each other and as a gripping unit in pairs rotatable gripping jaws for receiving, for turning and for handling piece goods or containers can be found approximately in the EP 020 513 A1 or in the DE 10 2014 223 389 A1 described.

The basic structure of such a parallel kinematics robot with a freely movable tool head within a defined range of motion at a high actuating speed can also be found in FIG WO 2016/078906 A1 or in the WO 2016/078953 A1 described. The most diverse gripping and / or handling tools can be fastened to the tool head, gripping tools known per se being used in particular for handling containers in connection with the bundle grouping and the layer formation in order to prepare palletizing steps. Another embodiment of such gripper jaws for gripping, for holding, for receiving and generally for handling larger containers and / or container groupings is approximately in the DE 10 2015 113 740 A1 disclosed.

Basically, the above-mentioned gripping tools can be combined with their deliverable against each other gripper jaws with virtually any type of manipulator, such as with the aforementioned portal robots or with the most diverse types of multi-axis robots.

As is clear from the examples known from the prior art, the gripper tongs or gripper jaw pairs typically used require a certain amount of design effort for the actuator of the movable, displaceable and / or pivotable gripping tongs which are closed for gripping the containers while producing a clamping force and when releasing the container must be opened again. Not least because of the required actuators and adjusting mechanisms, these gripper heads are relatively heavy.

In view of the disadvantages of the prior art, an overriding object of the present invention is to provide a simply constructed, reliably functioning and very cost-effectively producible gripping and / or manipulator tool for handling articles, piece goods, containers and / or groups of several articles, General cargo and / or containers. In addition to the properties to be met, the manipulator tool to be created is said to have little weight and thus relieve the actuators of the manipulators or robots used.

These objects of the invention are achieved with the objects of the independent claims. Features of advantageous developments of the invention can be found in the respective dependent claims.

To achieve the above objects, the invention proposes a movable within a defined and / or demarcated space and / or rotatable about a vertical or relative to a vertical axis tool head with the features of the independent claim 1, the at least one in an approximately horizontal course to the outside an article to be detected, or a piece goods and / or containers to be detected and / or a belt, which carries at least one controllable tensioning device for varying a circumference and a tension of the belt at least temporarily Forming a static friction between the contact surfaces of the article, cargo or container and / or the grouping and the at least one belt for the purpose of picking up and handling of the article, cargo or container and / or the grouping is assigned. In particular, this tool head according to the invention can be part of a handling and / or manipulation device with which articles, general cargo, containers or groupings with a plurality of articles, piece goods or containers can be detected, recorded, rotated, moved, converted or manipulated in any other way.

In addition, the tool head according to the invention can in particular be an essential component of a manipulation and / or handling robot, with which containers, piece goods, articles etc. can be grouped and, for example, brought into palletizable and / or stackable layer arrangements, pushed together in subsequent handling or processing steps to be stacked and / or palletized. It should therefore be emphasized at this point that the present invention equally includes a gripping and / or manipulation device which a support level and / or a conveying section of a device for handling, conveying, grouping, palletizing and / or packaging of articles, cargo, groupings and / or containers can be assigned or assigned, and which is movably arranged or suspended above the support plane and / or the conveyor section within a movement space. This gripping and / or manipulation device according to the invention is equipped with a tool head rotatable about a vertical or inclined axis relative to a vertical, as already defined above as part of the invention and described in a few features. This tool head according to the invention comprises at least one approximately horizontally outside about an article to be detected or to be detected piece goods and / or containers and / or approximately horizontally outside about a grouping to be detected groupable closed belt, the at least one controllable tensioning device for varying an effective Belt circumference and a belt tension for at least temporarily forming a static friction between the contact surfaces of the article, cargo or container and / or the grouping and the at least one belt for the purpose of receiving and handling of the article, cargo or container and / or grouping is assigned. From this definition, it is clear that, on the one hand, the tool head with the tensionable belt forms an essential part of the present invention, but on the other hand, the tool head can be regarded as an integral part of the above-defined gripping and / or manipulation device. Therefore, if in the context of the present description of a tool head is mentioned, then this already concrete term, if necessary, by the also already defined and concretized concept of gripping and / or manipulation device to be replaced.

In one embodiment of the tool head according to the invention or the gripping and / or manipulation device according to the invention, the approximately horizontally extending closed belt can be arranged at a defined and / or variable distance below a support section of the tool head. As mentioned, the tensionable and detachable belt of the wrap and fixed contact with an outer circumference of each to be detected article, cargo or container and / or each grouping to be detected while forming a static friction between the contact surfaces of the article, piece goods or container and / or the grouping and the at least one strap for the purpose of picking up and handling the article, cargo or bundle and / or grouping or releasing the strap after handling, rotating and / or positioning the article, cargo or bundle and / or grouping ,

In order to reliably grasp the article to be detected, the piece goods or containers to be detected and / or the grouping to be detected during each positioning of the tool head, it can preferably be provided that the belt is at least two spaced apart points of its course in its approximately horizontal position below the carrier section of the Tool head is held. For this purpose, the belt may, for example, be held and guided by means of suitable support brackets, loops, retaining rings or the like, the positioning of which is usefully adapted to the size of the article, piece goods or container (or the grouping to be detected) which is typically to be detected. The mentioned support brackets, loops, retaining rings, etc. are preferably anchored to the support portion so as to form a downwardly depending or vertically extending mechanical connection between the support portion of the tool head and the at least one belt disposed thereunder.

Another variant of the tool head according to the invention or the gripping and / or manipulation device according to the invention provides that the clamping device is formed by at least one rotary drive with vertically arranged rotatable shaft, which can be influenced with the means of the clamping device in its circumferential length and / or its belt tension / or variable belt is operatively connected. The rotary drive can, for example, be an electromotive, a hydraulic, hydrostatic or fluidically operated rotary drive, etc. The rotary drive can, for example, be mounted on an upper side of the support section of the tool head, while its rotatable shaft leads through the support section to the vertical level of the belt. It makes sense to have the rotary drive and the shaft at the edge of the support section, so that it does not collide with the male items, general cargo or containers. It should also be noted that the belt in the relaxed state has a course that allows a lowering of the tool head on the article to be detected or to be detected cargo or container without the belt and / or its winding shaft here with the article, cargo or container collides. The belt circumference is therefore greater in the relaxed state than the outer circumference of the article to be wrapped around and to be detected by means of exciting belt, piece goods or bundle.

In this case, it can be provided that the vertical shaft has a shaft output connected to the belt, around which the belt can be wound in at least one position, in particular in several layers. Since this shaft output, which simultaneously forms a winding and tensioning device, should not take up much space and spatial expansion, it is preferably equipped with a relatively small diameter, the diameter, for example. Only 10% of the typical width of the male article, piece goods or container have can. Smaller diameters are also conceivable, provided that the belt can still be easily wound onto the shaft output in this case. This shaft output may, for example, be designed as a roller with a driver for the belt, wherein the driver prevents the belt from slipping during an intended winding operation and does not wind up in the desired manner. As entrainment can be a simple rigid implementation for the belt, for example. An eyelet o. The like.

Optionally, the tool head can be configured in such a way that the shaft has an activatable freewheel for rapid release of the belt tension, whereby the belt can be released immediately without activation of the drive as soon as the previously manipulated article or the piece goods or container (or the grouping ) and the tool head should be separated from the article, general cargo or container and lifted off to the top.

Another option may be that the tensioning device is provided with a device for limiting the traction, for example with a slip clutch o. The like. In the drive, which can be prevented that exerted too high tension on the article to be gripped, container or piece goods becomes.

As a belt in particular a flat belt in question, for example. Of flexible and to some extent expandable material. It may be advantageous if the belt has a certain longitudinal elasticity, so that even thin-walled containers or beverage containers in the container can be reliably held without the belt tension is too high. Moreover, it may be advantageous if the belt on its inside has a friction-enhancing coating and / or structuring, so that gripped articles, cargo or containers and in particular gripped groups can not slip down when the tool head or the gripping and / or or manipulation device is raised.

Optionally, the belt may be provided with an adhesive and / or coated surface on its containers, piece goods, articles and / or assemblies or groupings to be gripped, so that a better frictional engagement is ensured after activation of the tensioning device.

Optionally, the tool head or the gripping and / or manipulation device can be raised and lowered vertically to move and reposition the detected articles, piece goods or packs or groups and can be moved within the movement space at least in a horizontal plane and / or approximately vertically or slightly rotatable against a vertical axis of rotation.

The present invention is further to be understood to mean that it comprises a handling device with a movably suspended gripping and / or manipulation device according to one of the previously described embodiments. This handling device according to the invention can in particular be equipped with a gripping and / or manipulation device formed by a gantry robot, a multi-axis robot or a delta kinematics robot according to one of the previously described embodiments. Thus, the tool head, as defined above in various variants, may in particular be part of such a gripping and / or manipulation device.

In order to achieve the abovementioned objectives, the invention moreover proposes a method for handling and / or grouping articles, piece goods, groupings and / or containers, in particular in connection with their conveying, grouping, palletizing and / or packaging, wherein the method according to the invention in particular in the region of a support plane and / or a conveyor section by means of at least one of the support plane and / or the conveyor section assigned or assigned and above the support plane and / or the conveyor section within a movement space movable and / or rotatable about a vertical or relative to a vertical axis rotatable gripping - And / or manipulation device is performed. This gripping and / or manipulation device has a tool head with at least one approximately horizontally on the outside about an article to be detected or about a piece goods and / or containers to be detected and / or approximately horizontally on the outside about a group to be detected groupable closed belt, the at least one controllable tensioning device is associated with the variation of an effective belt circumference and / or a belt tension. The tool head is positioned in the inventive method for the purpose of fixing, picking up and handling at least one article, piece goods or container and / or a grouping above the male article, piece goods or container and / or the male grouping and lowered in the vertical direction, at the same time the belt is placed around the outer circumference of the article, cargo or bundle and / or grouping and tensioned by means of the controllable tensioning device to form a static friction between the contact surfaces of the article, cargo or container and / or the grouping and the at least one belt and the Tool head together with the fixed thereto article, cargo or container and / or the grouping fixed within the movement space on the support plane and / or in the conveyor section to a target position moves and / or is rotated in a target orientation. There, the positioned article, cargo or container and / or the grouping is released by releasing the previously strained belt release by the tensioning device, after which the tool head by lifting vertically from the positioned item, cargo or container and / or the positioned grouping separated becomes.

In the method according to the invention, the approximately horizontally extending closed belt is arranged at a defined and / or variable distance below a support portion of the tool head, so that it is clamped around the outer circumference of the article, piece goods or bundle and / or the grouping for firm attachment of the belt can, at the same time a friction frictional connection between the contact surfaces of the article, cargo or container and / or the grouping and the at least one belt is formed, whereby the tool head record the respective article or the individual cargo or container or the respective group and in the desired manner handle and / or after handling, rotation and / or positioning of the article, cargo or container and / or the grouping can be raised again by loosening the belt.

To form the desired belt tension, the belt can be acted upon by means of the tensioning device by means of at least one rotary drive (electromotive, hydraulic, fluidic, etc.) with vertically arranged rotatable shaft with variable voltage and / or varied in its circumferential length. The vertical shaft may have a shaft output connected to the belt around which the belt (of small diameter) can be wound in at least one layer, in particular in several layers. In addition, the shaft for releasing the belt tension optionally have an activatable freewheel to release the belt immediately without activating the drive. If the belt has a friction-enhancing coating and / or structuring on its inside, the reliability of the retaining connection between the tool head and the article to be detected, piece goods or containers can be improved.

The tool head is preferably vertically raised and lowered and within the movement space at least in a horizontal plane movable and / or rotatable about an approximately vertical or slightly inclined to a vertical axis of rotation, whereby all the desired positioning operations for the article, piece goods or containers in the desired manner can be performed. Thus, the tool head forms a very simple gripper constructed handling device for detection different sized containers, piece goods, articles and / or compilations of articles, piece goods, containers etc.

Another advantage of the tool head according to the invention or the gripping and / or handling device according to the invention is that it can detect and handle different container sizes, since the belt can be tensioned within certain limits to the extent that even smaller container base cracks can be reliably detected.

In the following, embodiments of the invention and their advantages with reference to the accompanying figures will be explained in more detail. The proportions of the individual elements to one another in the figures do not always correspond to the actual size ratios, since some shapes are simplified and other shapes are shown enlarged in relation to other elements for better illustration.

1 shows a schematic view of an apparatus for handling, conveying, grouping, palletizing and / or packaging of articles, goods, groups and / or containers with a variant of a gripping and / or manipulation device according to the invention for detecting and positioning of the articles, cargo, groups and / or container.

2 shows a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the gripping and / or manipulation device for detecting and positioning of the articles, cargo, groups and / or container.

3A and 3B show two schematic side views of the gripping and / or manipulation device according to 2 ,

4A shows a schematic plan view of the gripping and / or manipulation device according to 2 ,

4B and 4C show two schematic detail views of a part of a tensioning device for varying a belt tension in connection with the detection of an article, piece goods, containers or a grouping.

For the same or equivalent elements of the invention are in the 1 to 4C in each case identical reference numerals used. Furthermore, for the sake of clarity, only reference symbols are shown in the individual figures, which are required for the description of the respective figure. The illustrated embodiments represent only examples of how the device according to the invention and the method according to the invention can be configured and do not constitute a final limitation.

The schematic view of 1 illustrates a typical situation for a tool head according to the invention 10 , the here an important part of a not shown in detail gripping and / or manipulation device 12 or a manipulation and / or handling robot 14 can form with the container 16 , Piece goods, articles or the like grouped and, for example, in palletizable and / or stackable layer arrangements 18 can be brought to be pushed together in subsequent handling or processing steps, stacked and / or palletized (not shown). The gripping and / or manipulation device shown 12 with the tool head assigned to it 10 is a support level 20 a conveyor section 22 a device not shown here in their details 8th for the handling, conveying, grouping, palletizing and / or packaging of articles, piece goods, groupings and / or containers 16 assigned. Here are containers 16 in regular arrangement and sequence on the support plane 20 of the conveyor section 22 in a conveying direction 24 transported and thus in a movement room 26 of the tool head 10 or the gripping and / or manipulation device 12 brought. The tool head 10 or the gripping and / or manipulation device 12 is / are above the support level 20 of the conveyor section 22 within the movement room 26 movably arranged or suspended. The gripping and / or manipulation device 12 is rotatable with the about a vertical or relative to a vertical inclined axis tool head 10 fitted.

The basis of the 2 to 4C in its constructive structure explained in more detail tool head 10 includes in the illustrated embodiment, a horizontally to be detected cargo or container 16 adjustable closed belt, for receiving the cargo or container 16 can be stretched. Once the belt is stretched, any recorded piece goods or containers can 16 be picked up, moved and / or rotated, allowing repeated handling of multiple containers 16 in the 1 indicated position arrangement 18 downstream of the gripping and / or manipulation device 12 can be formed.

The schematic perspective view of 2 shows a variant of a tool head according to the invention 10 who is part of the 1 schematically indicated gripping and / or manipulation device 12 or of the manipulation and / or handling robot 14 can be. As mentioned above, the tool head 10 within the defined and / or delimited movement space 26 moved and preferably also one vertical or slightly inclined to a vertical axis 28 be rotated.

Like the 2 shows is the tool head 10 with a belt 30 equipped as a clamping device for connecting the tool head 10 with an article to be registered, general cargo or container 16 and for its manipulation, positioning, rotation, etc., in particular for the purpose of layering (see. 1 ). The tool head 10 has a through an approximately horizontal support plate 34 formed carrier section 32 on, the underside of the approximately horizontally extending belt 30 carries and supports (cf. 3A and 3B ). The carrier section 32 is about a connection not shown here with the in 1 merely indicated gripping and / or manipulation device 12 coupled, which is a rotation of the support section 32 and thus the entire tool head 10 around the axis 28 allows. The tool head 10 can in particular with the actuating arms of a not shown here parallel kinematics robot or gantry robot o. The like. Robot 14 (see. 1 ), so that he is within the range of motion 26 moved, twisted and / or lifted or lowered.

The container 16 includes in the illustrated embodiment a total of six held together beverage containers 36 , which may be formed in particular by PET bottles. The beverage containers 36 can be held together, for example, by means of a strapping not recognizable here, in the horizontal direction to the beverage containers 36 is tense and holds them together in a so-called 3x2 rectangular arrangement. The container 16 However, could also be formed by a so-called. Shrink film container in which a plurality of containers are wrapped by a shrink film and held together.

However, it should be mentioned at this point that in the context of the present description of the invention also articles, general cargo or groupings of articles or general cargo is mentioned. Like the 2 to 4C can be recognized, the gripping and / or manipulation device according to the invention is equally suitable for the detection and handling of almost any cuboid goods or article compilations. Several articles do not necessarily have to be combined into a single container because the tool head 10 with the belts strapped horizontally around the piece goods or piece goods compilations 30 also suitable to take loose groups as long as they are prevented by the belt tension from falling down.

Should the container 16 with the gripping and / or manipulation device 12 and at the tool head 10 horizontally held belt 30 recorded, recorded, moved and / or rotated to, for example, the container 16 to a desired target position within a given location arrangement 18 to bring (cf. 1 ), is the tool head 10 exactly above the container 16 to position so that the carrier plate 34 above the container 16 centered, which is in the schematic plan view of the 4A is clarified. The belt 30 in this case has a greater circumferential length than the outer circumference of the container 16 ; this unstressed condition of the belt 30 is in the 2 . 3A . 3B and 4A with the reference number 30A designated. Due to its greater length is the unstressed belt 30A when lowering the tool head 10 from the outer circumference of the container 16 spaced. The 2 . 3A and 3B show that already by lowering over the container 16 positioned tool head 10 whose belt 30 now by means of a controllable clamping device 38 can be stretched, creating a friction frictional connection between the contact surfaces of the container 16 and the belt 30 is made, so that the container 16 firmly on the tool head 10 the gripping and / or handling device 12 is fixed and can be detected, recorded, rotated, moved, implemented or otherwise manipulated in any way.

Like the 3A . 3B and 4A let's see, is the belt 30 on the opposite narrow sides 40 of the tool head 10 by means of one on the carrier plate 34 fixed headband 42 in its approximately horizontal position below the support section 32 of the tool head 10 held. The distances between the two brackets 42 and their length are useful to the size of the typically to be detected container 16 Voted. In the illustrated embodiment, the headband 42 each slightly sloping outwards, leaving the unstressed belt 30A sufficiently from the container 16 is spaced; this rest position of the headband 42 is in the side view of 3A recognizable. The retaining clips are at the bottom of the carrier plate 34 anchored so that they have a downwardly hanging or vertically extending mechanical connection between the support portion 32 of the tool head 10 and the belt underneath 30 form. At their lower ends are the headband 42 each U-shaped bent outwards and upwards, so that the belt 30 in these U-shaped shots 44 is held.

Optionally, the temples could 42 also in each case on the longitudinal sides of the carrier plate 34 be arranged; just as conceivable would be a variant, each with a bracket 42 on each longitudinal side of the carrier plate 34 so the belt 30 in the recordings 44 of a total of four such headband 42 would be kept in its horizontal position.

The temples 42 In particular, each may have a length that the belt 30 roughly in the area of waistings and / or constrictions of the container 36 of the container to be detected 16 position (see 2 ), which is only to be understood as an option, because the shown tool head 10 is equally suitable for the collection of general cargo or containers 16 with vertical side walls as well as containers 16 with non-waisted containers 36 ,

The controllable clamping device 38 includes one at the top of the carrier plate 34 at the edge of a long side 46 arranged rotary drive 48 , which may be formed, for example, by an electric motor. Furthermore, the clamping device comprises 38 one with the rotary drive 48 coupled vertically arranged rotatable shaft 50 that with the means of the clamping device 38 in its circumferential length and thus also in its belt tension modifiable and variable belt 30 is in active connection. During the rotary drive 48 on the top of the carrier plate 34 of the tool head 10 is mounted, performs the coupled rotatable shaft 50 through the carrier plate 34 through to the vertical level of the belt 30 , As shown in the schematic plan view of 4A can be seen, are the rotary drive 48 and the wave 50 at the edge of the support section 32 so they do not stick to the respective container 16 collide.

As the schematic detail views of 4B and 4C clarify, indicates the vertical shaft 50 one with the belt 30 connected shaft output 52 in the form of a cylindrical roller 54 on top of the initially relaxed belt 30 . 30A (see. 4B ) can be wound in at least one layer, in particular in several layers (cf. 4C ). To the belt 30 during a rotation of the roller 54 take along and around the roller 54 to wind, is on the outer circumference of an annular driving bracket 56 arranged through which the belt 30 passed through, so that the driver bracket 56 prevents the belt 30 in an intended winding process ( 4C ) slips and does not wind up in the desired manner. Optionally, the rotary actuator 48 (see. 4A ) with a variably controllable freewheel o. The like. Be equipped, which allows the belt 30 If necessary, release immediately without activation of the drive, as soon as the previously manipulated container 16 released and the tool head 10 (see. 1 ) from the container 16 separated and lifted off to the top.

The taut belt 30 , which firmly on the outer circumference of the container 16 is present and there is preferably at least slightly biased, is in the 2 . 3A . 3B and 4A each by the reference number 30B characterized. The belt 30 is a flat belt made of flexible and to some extent stretchable material, the belt 30 preferably has a certain longitudinal elasticity, so that even thin-walled containers or beverage containers 36 in the container 16 can be held reliably without the belt tension is too high and the container 36 can be damaged. In addition, the belt can 30 preferably have on its inside a friction-enhancing coating and / or structuring, so that gripped container 16 can not slip down when the tool head 10 or the gripping and / or manipulation device 12 is raised.

To the bias of the belt 30 with activated clamping device 38 To limit, if necessary, these can be associated with means for limiting the traction, for example. In the form of a slip clutch or other suitable technical means, so that even sensitive, possibly very thin-walled container 36 in the container 16 not by a too high clamping force of the belt 30 respectively. 30B damaged or compressed too much. In this connection, reference should again be made to the option of anti-slip coating on the inside of the belt, which even at relatively low belt tension for reliable fixation in the tool head 10 each held container 16 can provide.

The invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications or changes may be made to the invention without departing from the scope of the following claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

8th

 Device, device for handling, conveying, grouping, palletizing and / or packaging of articles, piece goods, groups and / or containers

10

 tool head

12

 Gripping and / or manipulation device

14

 Handling device, manipulation and / or handling robot

16

 Containers, general cargo, articles

18

 layer arrangement

20

 support plane

22

 conveyor section

24

 conveying direction

26

 movement space

28

 Axis, axis of rotation, axis of rotation

30

 belt

30A

 unstrapped belt, loose strap

30B

 Tensioned belt, pretensioned belt

32

 support section

34

 support plate

36

 Container, beverage container, PET bottle

38

 Clamping device, controllable clamping device

40

 Narrow side (of the support section, the support plate)

42

 Bracket, bracket, support bracket

44

 Recording, U-shaped recording

46

 Longitudinal side (of the support section, the support plate)

48

 Rotary drive, electric motorized rotary drive

50

 wave

52

 shaft output

54

 roller

56

 driver yoke

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• EP 2597042 A1 [0004]
• DE 102014218040 A1 [0004]
• DE 102011087045 A1 [0005]
• EP 020513 A1 [0006]
• DE 102014223389 A1 [0006]
• WO 2016/078906 A1 [0007]
• WO 2016/078953 A1 [0007]
• DE 102015113740 A1 [0007]

Claims (13)

Within a defined and / or delimited movement space ( 26 ) movable and / or about a vertical or inclined to a vertical axis ( 28 ) rotatable tool head ( 10 ), the at least one in an approximately horizontal course outside an article to be detected or to be detected cargo and / or container ( 16 ) and / or around an item, article or package grouping 30 ) carrying at least one controllable tensioning device ( 38 ) for varying a circumference and a tension of the belt ( 30 ) for the at least temporary formation of a static frictional connection between the contact surfaces of the article, piece good or bundle ( 16 ) and / or the grouping and the at least one belt ( 30 ) for the purpose of picking up and handling the article, piece goods or container ( 16 ) and / or the grouping is assigned. Tool head according to claim 1, in which the approximately horizontally extending closed belt ( 30 ) at a defined and / or variable distance below a support section ( 32 ) of the tool head ( 10 ) is arranged. Tool head according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the belt ( 30 ) at at least two spaced-apart points of its course in its approximately horizontal position below the support portion ( 32 ) of the tool head ( 10 ) is held. Tool head according to one of claims 1 to 3, in which the clamping device ( 38 ) by at least one rotary drive ( 48 ) with a vertically arranged rotatable shaft ( 50 ) formed with the means of the clamping device ( 38 ) in its circumferential length and / or its belt tension modifiable and / or variable belt ( 30 ) is in operative connection. Tool head according to claim 4, in which the vertical shaft ( 50 ) one with the belt ( 30 ) connected shaft output ( 52 ) around which the belt ( 30 ) can be wound in at least one position, in particular in several layers. Tool head according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the shaft ( 50 ) to release the belt tension has an activatable freewheel to the belt ( 30 ) without activating the clamping device ( 38 ) immediately. Tool head according to one of claims 1 to 6, in which the belt ( 30 ) has on its inside a friction-enhancing coating and / or structuring. Tool head according to one of claims 1 to 7, which can be raised and lowered vertically and within the movement space ( 26 ) at least in a horizontal plane and / or about an approximately vertical or slightly inclined to a vertical axis of rotation ( 28 ) is rotatable. A support level ( 20 ) and / or a conveyor section ( 22 ) a device ( 8th ) for the handling, conveying, grouping, palletizing and / or packaging of articles, general cargo, groupings and / or containers ( 16 ) assignable or assigned and above the support level ( 20 ) and / or the funding section ( 22 ) within a movement space ( 26 ) movable gripping and / or manipulation device ( 12 ) with an axis inclined about a vertical or relative to a vertical ( 28 ) rotatable tool head ( 10 ), in particular according to one of claims 1 to 8, the at least one approximately horizontally outside around an article to be detected or to be detected cargo and / or container ( 16 ) and / or approximately horizontally on the outside around a grouping to be registered 30 ), to which at least one controllable tensioning device ( 38 ) for varying a belt circumference and a belt tension for the at least temporary formation of a static frictional connection between the contact surfaces of the article, piece good or bundle ( 16 ) and / or the grouping and the at least one belt ( 30 ) for the purpose of picking up and handling the article, piece goods or container ( 16 ) and / or the grouping is assigned. Handling device ( 14 ) with a movably suspended gripping and / or manipulation device (by means of a gantry robot, a multi-axis robot or a delta-kinematics robot) ( 12 ) according to claim 9 and / or with a tool head ( 10 ) according to one of claims 1 to 8. Method for handling and / or grouping articles, piece goods, groupings and / or containers ( 16 ), in particular in connection with their promotion, grouping, palletizing and / or packaging in the area of a support level ( 20 ) and / or a conveyor section ( 22 ) by means of at least one of the support level ( 20 ) and / or the funding section ( 22 ) can be assigned or assigned and above the support level ( 20 ) and / or the funding section ( 22 ) within a movement space ( 26 Movable and / or about a vertical or inclined to a vertical axis ( 28 ) rotatable gripping and / or manipulation device ( 12 ), which has a tool head ( 10 ) with at least one approximately horizontally outside around an article to be detected or to a piece goods and / or containers to be registered ( 16 ) and / or approximately horizontally outside around one to be detected Grouping of adjustable closed straps ( 30 ), the at least one controllable tensioning device ( 38 ) is assigned to the variation of an effective belt circumference and / or a belt tension, wherein the tool head ( 10 ) for the purpose of fixing, picking up and handling at least one article, piece good or bundle ( 16 ) and / or a grouping above the article to be picked, piece goods or bundles ( 16 ) and / or the grouping to be picked up and lowered in the vertical direction, at the same time the belt ( 30 ) around the outer circumference of the article, piece good or container ( 16 ) and / or the grouping and by means of the controllable tensioning device ( 38 ) forming a static friction between the contact surfaces of the article, piece goods or container ( 16 ) and / or the grouping and the at least one belt ( 30 ) and the tool head ( 10 ) together with the article, piece goods or containers ( 16 ) and / or the grouping within the movement space ( 26 ) on or above the support plane ( 20 ) and / or in the funding section ( 22 ) is moved to a target position and / or rotated in a target orientation where the positioned article or the positioned piece goods or container ( 16 ) and / or the grouping by loosening the previously tensioned belt ( 30 ) by release by the tensioning device ( 38 ) and the tool head ( 10 ) by lifting vertically upwards from the positioned article, piece goods or containers ( 16 ) and / or separated from the positioned grouping. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one belt ( 30 ) by means of the tensioning device ( 38 ) by at least one rotary drive ( 48 ) with a vertically arranged rotatable shaft ( 50 ) is subjected to variable voltage and / or varied in its circumferential length. Method according to Claim 11 or 12, in which the tool head ( 10 ) can be raised and lowered vertically and within the movement space ( 26 ) at least in a horizontal plane and / or about an approximately vertical or slightly inclined to a vertical axis of rotation ( 28 ) is rotatable.

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