DE102019204393B4 - Gripper elements for handling devices - Google Patents

Abstract

Gripper elements (46) for a handling device (26) at a feed station (10) for handling products (32, 52) which have different product dimensions, in particular different product heights (54, 56), characterized in that the gripper elements (46) adjustable in height relative to a receiving plate (44) of the handling device (26) and bridging a height difference (58), the gripper elements (46) being designed as gripper fingers (47) and having a telescopically extendable handle (51).

Description

technical field

The invention relates to gripper elements for handling devices for a feed station for handling products, in particular for handling products with different product dimensions, in particular with different product heights. Furthermore, the invention relates to a use of the gripper elements for handling devices at a feed station.

State of the art

WO 2010/025 471 A1 relates to an article handling device having one or more arms for handling an article. These arms are pivotable about an axis, each arm comprising a first arm member pivotally coupled at a first end to a second arm member, the first arm member being pivotable about an axis at an opposite end, and the second arm member to a Tool is coupled to a tool support at an opposite end. A linkage is torsionally coupled to the second arm member, the linkage including an inner component that is rotatable about the axis and an outer component that is torsionally coupled to a first end of the inner component and an opposite end of the second arm member.

DE 10 2011 104 900 A1 refers to a device for defined layer formation of conveyed goods. This has a conveyor unit with a conveyor track for conveying the conveyed goods along a conveying path. The conveyor track comprises a first conveyor track section, in which the conveyed goods are supplied, and a second conveyor track section, in which the conveyed goods are discharged. A rotating unit is provided for the defined positioning of the conveyed goods with a turnstile mounted so as to be rotatable about a first vertical axis of rotation. This comprises at least two turnstile arms, each with a gripper arranged above the conveyor track and each rotatably mounted about a second vertical axis of rotation. The goods to be conveyed can be transferred from the first conveyor belt section to the second conveyor track section by means of the rotary unit. The conveyed goods can be oriented in a defined manner during the transfer. The gripping of the item to be conveyed in the first conveyor track section and the releasing of the item to be conveyed in the second conveyor track section by the grippers takes place during the rotary movement of the rotary unit.

U.S. 2013/0 309 057 A1 relates to a robot hand and a robot system as well as a method for manufacturing workpieces. The robot hand includes a first finger portion and a second finger portion relatively movable in a direction in which an object to be gripped is gripped. There is also provided a bar-shaped claw member connected to the first finger portion and the second finger portion. A plurality of claw members are provided on a first finger portion and a second finger portion.

DE 10 2007 018 532 B3 refers to a grouping device. The grouping device serves to transfer units conveyed on a conveyor belt to at least one roller conveyor arranged laterally to the conveyor belt. There they are put together into groups and transported away by this. For this purpose, a motor-driven rotatable arm is provided above the conveyor belt, at least one end of which has a transverse slide which is controlled by a drive in such a way that it remains constantly aligned parallel to the direction of the conveyor belt when the arm rotates.

DE 20 2008 005 837 U1 refers to a parallel gripper. This is used in particular on palletizing devices for grouping and aligning groups of articles or articles on a surface and includes a base plate. This is rotatably accommodated in a gripper arm. Substantially vertically extending gripper surfaces accommodated on the rotatable base plate can be continuously adjusted telescopically between a minimum distance and a maximum distance.

According to this solution, products of different widths can be handled, since the gripper surfaces can be moved back and forth vertically continuously between two predetermined distances and can therefore be adjusted to specific product dimensions. A height adjustment in the Z-direction for gripping product types of first products that have a first height and second products that have a second height cannot be represented with this device.

Presentation of the invention

The invention is based on the object of improving the handling of products of different product dimensions, in particular different product heights, on handling devices, for example robots, in particular of being able to implement rapid changeover between different product types, with a minimum conversion effort being required and the flexibility with regard to the handling of products by the handling devices is increased not inconsiderably.

According to the invention, gripper elements are proposed for handling devices of a feed station for handling products, with the products having different product dimensions, in particular different product heights, with the gripper elements being accommodated in an adjustable manner relative to a receiving plate of the handling device and bridging a height difference, with the gripper elements being Gripper fingers are designed and have a telescopically extendable handle.

This solution can advantageously increase the flexibility of handling devices that are used at feed stations, since different types of products with different product heights can be handled with minimal retooling. This requires neither an exchange of the handling devices nor further conversion measures on the handling devices of a feed station, but only the gripper elements have to be adapted to new product heights.

The gripper elements are designed as gripper fingers, which have a telescopically movable handle. This solution can advantageously ensure that the gripper elements remain on the handling device and the machine operator only has to pull out or adjust the handles from the gripper fingers according to the product height, so that products with different dimensions can be safely gripped within one grip area can be grasped and managed.

Advantageously, the gripper elements can be accommodated in pairs opposite one another on the receiving plate of the handling devices.

Finally, the invention relates to the use of the gripper elements and handling devices, for example robots, for handling product types of different product heights at a feed station for a palletizing device. Layer patterns can be pre-assembled according to certain setting patterns specified by the customer. The products can be aligned in groups in relation to each other, for example by a quadrant rotation of 90° or else offset by 180° to one another. This increases the stability of stacked layers formed.

Advantages of the Invention

The advantages of the solution proposed according to the invention are that, in the case of handling devices which have a limited lifting distance, products of different product heights can be handled with minimal conversion effort by simple conversion measures. This simple solution considerably increases the flexibility of product feed stations, with which these palletizing devices or the like are fed. The handling devices provided in a feed station can essentially remain unchanged. The solution proposed according to the invention compensates, for example, for a height difference extending in the Z direction between different product dimensions, in particular different product heights, first or second and further products, in that gripper fingers having telescopically displaceable grips are simply aligned to the new position of the top edge of the product according to a different product height will.

The solution proposed according to the invention offers a simple and cost-effective way of adapting the flexibility of a feed station with automated handling devices to the products to be processed, in particular those with different product dimensions, in particular with different product heights. The flexibility of such feed stations would be increased with regard to the processability of products, with only a minimal conversion effort having to be represented.

character list

The invention is described in more detail below with reference to the drawing.

• 1 in schematischer Darstellung eine Zuführstation und
• 2 die Darstellung von Handhabungseinrichtungen, die Greiferelemente mit unterschiedlicher Länge aufweisen und erste und zweite Produkte handhaben.

It shows:

• 1 in a schematic representation a feeding station and
• 2 the representation of handling devices that have gripper elements of different lengths and handle first and second products.

design variants

According to the illustration 1 a feed station 10 can be seen in a schematic manner, with which first products 32 are handled.

A feed station 10 comprises a first inlet 12 and, optionally, a second inlet 14 extending parallel thereto Runs from the same or other directions can be added as desired.

At the end of the feed station 10 there is an outlet 16.

The first infeed 12 is provided by a first infeed conveyor 18 , the second infeed 14 is represented by a second infeed conveyor 20 . A third conveyor 22 is located between the first infeed conveyor 18 and the second infeed conveyor 20 or behind it, which is followed by an optional outfeed conveyor 24 .

One or more handling devices 26 are provided above the level resulting from the infeed conveyors 18, 20 and the outfeed conveyor 24. The number of handling devices 26 can be adapted to the required throughput and common product dimensions. As a rule, the number of handling devices 26 will be between one and five. The further explanations describe, by way of example, a feed station 10 with three handling devices 26. The handling devices 26 are attached to one or more assembly levels 68.

In the illustration shown here, a handling device 26 is located above the third conveyor 22, a handling device 26 is located above the first infeed conveyor 18, and a handling device 26 is located above the second infeed conveyor 20. To clarify that the above infeed conveyors 18, 20 located handling devices 26 are not absolutely necessary, these are in 1 together with the associated assembly level 68 indicated in dashed lines.

With these handling devices 26 products 32, 52 are handled. The products 32, 52 are bundles that enter the feed station 10 one after the other. The handling devices 26 can each be moved within a working area 38 .

The handling devices 26 make it possible to convey the products 32, 52 from their infeed direction 34, for example at a 90° angle, in the transfer direction 36 and to position them on the outfeed conveyor 24 in accordance with a predetermined placement pattern. In this way, their orientation relative to the entry direction 34 can be changed at any angle, generally multiples of 90°.

This outlet conveyor 24 conveys the layer of products 32, 52 to a palletizing device, not shown here.

In the representation according to 1 are on the upper side of the outfeed conveyor 24, offset by 90 degrees first products denoted by reference numeral 40.

The handlers 26 may each include pairs of handler arms 42 carrying a receiving plate 44 .

In the representation according to 2 handling devices 26 are shown with which the products 32, 52 can be handled which have different product dimensions from one another, for example different product heights 54, 56. The products 32, 52 can have the same or different product widths 60.

The handling device 26 is provided with the handling arms 42 on which a receiving plate 44 is articulated. Gripper elements 46 are located on the receiving plate 44. The gripper elements 46 can be designed as gripper fingers 47, as will be described in more detail below. According to the illustration 2 , right part, shows that second products 52 are processed at the handling device 26 . For this purpose, gripper elements 46 are arranged on the underside of the receiving plate 44 and are designed as gripper fingers 47 of a second length 50 . Since the lifting movement of the handling device 26 is limited in the Z direction, but the second products 52 have a relatively large product height 56 , gripper fingers 47 of the second length 50 are used on the receiving plate 44 . Starting from an upper product edge 62, these overlap the upper part of the second products 52 within a grip area 64. For this purpose, for example, the inside of the gripper fingers 47, designed in the second length 50, can be roughened or rubberized, just like that that no permanent pressure points remain in the upper area of the second products 52 within the handle area 64. The receiving plate 44 can be used, for example, via the handling device 26 to offset the second product 52 by 90° from the infeed direction 34, cf 1 , in the translation direction 36, compare 1 , to be reached.

On the other hand, first products 32 with the product height 54 can also be handled with the handling device 26 (cf. 2 , left part). A height difference 58 denotes the difference between the product height 54 of the first product 32 and the product height 56 of the second product 52. In the handling device 26, gripper fingers 47 are mounted on the receiving plate 44, which have a movable handle 51, which can be displaced in the direction of the double arrow 45 , include. The telescopically movable handles 51 can be moved steplessly within the gripper fingers 47, for example by means of a catch, a toothing or a transition fit, so that the machine operator does not have to disassemble the gripper elements 46 designed as gripper fingers 47, but only adjust their length so that the height difference 58 in relation to the lower product upper edge 62 of the first products 32 can be bridged. In the case of the first product 32, too, the handles 51 are pushed out of the gripper fingers 47 until there is a sufficient gripping area 64 in relation to the upper product edge 62 of the first product 32.

In the case of the processing of the first products 32 , the height difference 58 in the case of handling devices 26 with a limited lifting path is bridged by the first or second length 48 or 50 of the gripper elements 46 designed as gripper fingers 47 . If telescopically displaceable handles 51 are used, then it is not necessary to exchange the gripper elements 46 designed as gripper fingers 47 on the underside of the receiving plate 44 .

Depending on the requirements, either the feed station 10 can be equipped with several different gripper elements 46, which only process the products 32, 52 of the appropriate dimensions, or all gripper elements 46 of the handling devices 26 can be used with the same setting. In the case of a product change, the operator then has to adapt all gripper elements 46; however, the feed station 10 can be operated with a higher throughput capacity in the case of a plurality of handling devices 26 .

Reference List

10

feeding station

12

First enema

14

Second enema

16

outlet

18

First infeed conveyor

20

Second infeed conveyor

22

Third Sponsor

24

exit conveyor

26

handling device

32

First product

34

infeed direction

36

conversion direction

38

Workspace

40

Staggered Products

42

handling arms

44

recording plate

45

Adjustment device of the handles

46

gripper elements

47

gripper fingers

48

First length

50

second length

51

handle

52

second product

54

Product height first product 32

56

Product height second product 52

58

height difference

60

product width

62

top of product

64

grip area

Claims (3)

Gripper elements (46) for a handling device (26) at a feed station (10) for handling products (32, 52) which have different product dimensions, in particular different product heights (54, 56), characterized in that the gripper elements (46) adjustable in height relative to a receiving plate (44) of the handling device (26) and bridging a height difference (58), the gripper elements (46) being designed as gripper fingers (47) and having a telescopically extendable handle (51). Gripper elements (46) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the gripper elements (46) are accommodated in pairs opposite one another on the receiving plate (44). Use of the gripper elements (46) according to one of the preceding claims on a handling device (26) for products (32, 52) on a feed station (10) for a palletizing device.

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