EP2687454A1 - Device for stacking at least two carrier plates - Google Patents

Abstract

The device (1) has spacers (7-7n) that are associated with and are vertically supported in recess of support plates (2-2n). The support plate has post-hole (22) engaged with clamping device (21) which is mounted movably such that the clamping device and the post hole are arranged in adjacent to spacers. The clamping device has spread apart support arm which form-fittingly grips the adjacent spacer in the clamping condition.

Description

The invention relates to a device for stacking at least two mutually spaced and parallel support plates according to the preamble of claim 1.

Such devices are for example from the EP 111 810 00.8 known. The carrier plates made of metal have a plurality of clamping openings, in which cages made of plastic are clipped stationary. In the cages are occasionally inserted items that are to be kept as free of damage by the cages. Such carrier plates are used to hold a variety of high-quality items, such as shafts, screws or other precision parts. Such objects are to be transported both within a manufacturing plant and between often spatially far apart manufacturing plants for finishing purposes.

It is therefore necessary to stack a plurality of such support plates as possible to save space one above the other. For this purpose, the quadrangular support plate is provided with spacers provided in the corner regions, which are designed in two parts, so that the spacers can be locked by means of a threaded connection to the respective support plate. Accordingly, the spacers pass through the respective support plate in recesses so that a first part of the spacer projects from the upper side of the support plate and a second part of the spacer protrudes from the underside of the support plate and protrudes perpendicularly from the latter.

The height of the spacers corresponds to at least the height of the cage fixed on the carrier plate, which has the greatest length.

In order to stack the individual carrier plates and the spacers attached to each other, a trough is incorporated into the underside of the respective spacer and the respective head, so the projecting from the supporting support plate free end of the spacer, has a pyramid, truncated cone or a hemisphere on, which in each case can be inserted into the trough of the spacer arranged above and as possible rests in this without play.

Although such devices for stacking a plurality of support plates have proven successful in practice, however, the disadvantage is that when vibrations, by cornering or similar lateral forces loads acting on the support plates, often the connection between two adjacent or superimposed Spacer is lost, so that then the carrier plates are no longer stacked on each other reliable, but rather fall over the carrier plates. This then leads to damage to the high-quality stored in the cages items.

It is therefore an object of the invention to develop a device of the type mentioned in such a way that between two adjacent spacers a reliable and releasable clamping connection can be made to achieve a positive or positive operative connection between two adjacent spacers of stacked support plates. The terminal connection should be easily accessible from the outside and operated without time delays, even if the distance between two adjacent carrier plates is dimensioned small.

These objects are achieved by the features of the characterizing part of claim 1.

Further advantageous developments of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims.

Characterized in that in each of the support plates, a through hole is incorporated, in which a clamping device in the form of a linear guide or a rotary knob is used which this passes through, and in that on the clamping device, a holding arm is formed, in positive or non-positive operative connection with a adjacent spacer is provided, a reliable locking between two superimposed spacers is created, is ensured by the fact that, especially for laterally occurring loads, the spacers do not lose the effective contact with each other.

In addition, each of the clamping devices is accessible from the outside, so that their operation can be done easily and without delay, since the clamping device is arranged in the corner regions of the respective support plate and thus easily accessible even at a small distance between the support plates.

The clamping device can be configured in two alternative embodiments, namely on the one hand as a linear guide carriage, which is deliverable in a direction of the spacer designed as a slot and wegbewegbar from this, or on the other hand as a knob which is pivotally mounted in the through hole.

In the drawing, an inventive embodiment of the device is shown with two different clamping devices, which is explained in more detail below.

Figur 1

eine Vorrichtung, bestehend aus zwei oder mehr übereinandergestapelten Trägerplatten, auf denen eine Vielzahl von Käfigen mit Gegenständen angeordnet sind, und aus jeweils vier an der Trägerplatte fixierten Abstandhalter, in deren Bereich jeweils eine linear zustellbare Klemmeinrichtung in Form eines Führungsschlittens vorgesehen ist, in perspektivischer Ansicht,

Figur 2a

die Vorrichtung gemäß Figur 1, im Schnitt,

Figur 2b

einen vergrößerten Ausschnitt der Vorrichtung gemäß Figur 1, in Draufsicht,

Figur 3a

eine vergrößerte Teilansicht der Vorrichtung gemäß Figur 1, mit einer Klemmeinrichtung in Form eines Drehkopfes, der an der Trägerplatte verschwenkbar gelagert ist, im geschlossenen Zustand der Klemmeinrichtung,

Figur 3b

die Vorrichtung gemäß Figur 3a, im geöffneten Zustand der Klemmeinrichtung und

Figur 3c

die Vorrichtung gemäß Figur 3a entlang der Schnittlinie III c-III c.

In detail shows:

FIG. 1

a device consisting of two or more stacked support plates on which a plurality of cages are arranged with objects, and from four each fixed to the support plate spacers, in each of which a linear deliverable clamping device is provided in the form of a guide carriage, in a perspective view .

FIG. 2a

the device according to FIG. 1 , on average,

FIG. 2b

an enlarged section of the device according to FIG. 1 , in plan view,

FIG. 3a

an enlarged partial view of the device according to FIG. 1 , with a clamping device in the form of a rotary head, which is mounted pivotably on the carrier plate, in the closed state of the clamping device,

FIG. 3b

the device according to FIG. 3a , in the open state of the clamping device and

Figure 3c

the device according to FIG. 3a along the section line III c-III c.

In FIG. 1 Fig. 1 shows a device 1 through which a multiplicity of quadrangular metal-made carrier plates 2, 2 ', ... 2 ^{n are} stacked one above the other. The support plates 2, 2 ', ... 2 ⁿ are each used for transporting objects 3. These are usually high-quality workpieces made of metal, which are to be transported from a processing station to a spatially separate processing station. The carrier plates 2, 2 ', ... 2 ⁿ are stacked on top of each other after placement in order to achieve a space-saving arrangement of the objects 3 as possible.

In the respective support plate 2, 2 ', ... 2 ⁿ a plurality of recesses 5 is incorporated, in each of which a cage 4 is clipped, in which the object 3 can be inserted from above. In each cage 4 usually one of the objects 3 is stored. The cage 4 is made of plastic and should protect the objects 3 from damage during transport.

In order to be able to stack the carrier plates 2, 2 ',... 2 ⁿ one above the other, spacers 7, 7',... 7 ⁿ of metal are to be provided. Since the carrier plates 2, 2 ', ... 2 ^{n are} square-shaped, it is advantageous, the spacers 7, 7', ... 7 ⁿ in the respective corner region 6 of the support plate 2, 2 ', ... 2 ⁿ to arrange. For this purpose is in the respective corner region of the support plate 2, 2 ', ... 2 ⁿ a recess 16 incorporated, in which the respective spacer 7, 7', .., 7 ^{n is} inserted, so that it the respective support plate 2, 2 ', .. .2 ⁿ passes through and perpendicularly protrudes from this. Each carrier plate 2, 2 ', ... 2 ⁿ are therefore four spacers 7, 7', ... 7 ⁿ assign

Out FIG. 2a it can be seen that the respective spacer 7, 7 ', ... 7 ⁿ consists of a first and a second partial region 8 or 9. In the first portion 8, an internal thread 10 is incorporated and on the second portion 9 is a threaded pin 11 from, on the circumferentially a contact surface 12 is worked. For mounting the respective spacers 7, 7 ', ... 7 ⁿ to the support plate 2, 2', ... 2 ⁿ , therefore, the lower portion 9 through the recess 16 of the support plate 2, 2 ', ... 2 ⁿ inserted and the upper part 8 is screwed onto the lower part 9, so that the support plate 2, 2 ', ... 2 ⁿ between the two parts 8 and 9 of the spacer 7, 7', ... 7 ^{n is} clamped and the spacer 7, 7 ', ... 7 ⁿ on the respective support plate 2, 2', ... 2 ^{n is} held.

The two adjacent carrier plates are identified by the reference numeral 2 and 2 '; to illustrate the assignment of the respective spacers to the support plate 2 and 2 ', they are marked with the reference numeral 7 and 7' for the respective support plate 2 and 2 '. The upper support plate is therefore given the reference numeral 2 and the underlying support plate is the reference numeral 2 ',

As soon as the carrier plate 2 is to be stacked on the carrier plate 2 ', the spacers 7 are therefore mounted on the carrier plate 2 and placed on the spacers 7' arranged underneath. For this purpose, a recess 15 is incorporated in the free end 14 of the part 9 of the spacer 7 and each of the spacers 7, 7 ', ... 7 ⁿ has a frustoconical configured free end 13 of the part 8, which in an adjacent spacer 7 in its trough 15 can be used. The free ends of the portion 8 may also be equipped as a truncated pyramid or hemisphere. Laterally next to the frustoconical free end 13, a circumferential ring is provided as a stop surface for the spacer 7 on the spacer 7 ', so that thereby the height or the distance between the two adjacent support plates 2 and 2' is predetermined. This height corresponds to the length the cages 4 and depends on which of the cages 4 is designed to be the longest.

In order to support forces which now occur laterally, a passage opening 22 is incorporated into the carrier plate 2 or 2 ', into which a clamping device 21 in the form of a linearly movable guide carriage 25 is inserted. The through hole 22 configured as an elongated hole is arranged at a distance from the recess 16 or the spacer 7 or 7 'introduced there and runs parallel to one of the side edges of the carrier plate 2, 2',... 2 ⁿ , so that the clamping device 21 perpendicular to the spacer 7 or 7 'can be fed.

The clamping device 21 consists of the guide carriage 25 on which a holding arm 24 is integrally formed. The support arm 24 is assigned to the spacer 7 'and can be brought by the linear movement of the guide carriage 25 in non-positive or positive operative connection with the spacer 7', since the support arm 24 on the underside of the respective support station 2, 2 ', ... 2 ⁿ runs. The guide carriage 25 is clipped into the passage opening 22 and held by two linear and parallel guide grooves 25 'at the edge region of the passage opening 22 movable. The holding arm 24 thus passes through the passage opening 22 and faces the spacer 7, 7 ',... 7 ⁿ .

In order to increase the fixation between the spacer 7 'and the clamping device 21 of the support plate 2, a circumferential groove 23 is incorporated in the spacer 7'. The support arm 24 consists of a semicircular recess whose diameter is dimensioned larger than the groove 23 of the spacer holder 7 ', so that the retaining arm 24 engages in the groove 23 and there is a stop-circuit-shaped. Thus, the spacer 7 'of the support plate 2' via the clamping device 21 with the support plate 2 non-positively or positively connected.

In FIG. 2b the clamping state of the clamping device 21 is shown enlarged. It can be seen that the guide carriage 25 consists of a first and a second stop surface 27 and 28. The first abutment surface 27 is either directly on the front side of the guide carriage 25 and worked is in the clamping state of the spacer 7 of the support plate 2, or the support arm 24 serves as a first abutment surface 27 on the spacer 7 '.

The second abutment surface 28 is formed by a web 17, which is configured in two different subregions 29 and 30. The web 17 is initially slotted, so that two lateral arms form the web 17. The first portion 29 of the web 17 is configured as a straight line and the second portion 30 as outwardly bent quadrant. The passage opening 22, in which the guide carriage 25 is inserted, has in the region which faces away from the spacer 7, a semicircular stop surface 31 to which the free end of the web 17 comes to rest when the guide carriage 25 in the direction of the semicircular Stop surface 31 is moved. The semicircular stop surface 31 merges into a linear guide of the passage opening 22, so that the two arms of the web 17 are pressed together in this area, so that the web 17 has a bias by which the guide carriage 25 is held in the passage opening 22 when the Clamping device 21 with the spacer 7 'of the underlying support plate 2' is connected. Thus, vibrations or similar loads that act on the clamping device 21 and the guide carriage 25, this does not move unintentionally, so that a permanent and firm clamping connection between the guide carriage 25 and the spacer 7 'is given.

The respective support plate 2, 2 ', ... 2 ⁿ is often used in processing stations, in which color or other chemical means for treating the objects 3 are used. These color particles or other substances then settle in the web 17. It is therefore necessary to clean the web 17 after such processing. The guide carriage 25 is therefore moved away from the spacer 7 or 7 ', so that the abutment surface 28 of the web 17 rests against the semicircular recess 31 of the passage opening 22. Since this is designed accordingly, the arms of the web 17 can be moved apart or in the linear guide portion of the through hole 22 existing bias of the web 17 is dissolved. In this state, a thorough cleaning of the web 17 is then possible.

In the FIGS. 3a and 3b is the clamping device 21 configured as a knob 26 which is pivotally mounted in the through hole 22. By the pivoting movement of the knob 26 and the support arm 24 formed thereon, a non-positive or positive operative connection between the knob 26 and the respective spacer 7 or 7 'can be created, because the support arm 24 is in the direction of the respective spacer 7 or 7' undeliverable and embraces this.

In particular from FIG. 2a It can be seen that the groove 23 incorporated in the respective spacer 7 'serves as a reference bearing surface for the retaining arm 24 of the respective clamping device 21, which is inserted in the upper support plate 2. The distance between the reference bearing surface of the groove 23 and the underside of the support plate 2 is provided with the reference a.

This distance is constant for all spacers 7, 7 ',... 7 ⁿ , irrespective of the respective length of the spacers 7, 7',... 7 ⁿ . Consequently, the height of the holding arm 24 of the underside of the respective support plate 2, 2 ', ... 2 ⁿ in the direction of the underlying spacer 7, 7', ... 7 ^{n is} arranged, designed to be constant, so that for any Heights of spacers 7, 7 ', ... 7 ⁿ the identically designed clamping device 21 can be used.

In the production of spacers 7, 7 ', ... 7 ⁿ designed with different lengths, it is therefore important to ensure that, starting from the reference contact surface of the groove 23, the height of the free end 14 of the second subregion 9 of the respective spacer 7, 7',. .. 7 ⁿ and the recess in the trough 15 of the first portion 8 of each spacer 7, 7 ', ... 7 ^{n is formed} constant and that of the underside of the respective support plate 2, 2', ... 2 ⁿ protruding Length of the holding arm 24 corresponds to this distance.

From the FIGS. 3a and 3b can also be seen that the knob 26 is locked by means of a locking pin 18 in the starting position or in the clamping position. The locking pin 18 is worked on the knob 26 and is in the direction of the support plate 2, in which two lying on a circular path notches 20 are incorporated. The detent pin 18 is movable against the force of a coil spring 32 on the Rotary knob 26 movably arranged so that when pivoting the knob 26, the locking pin 18 is pushed out of the respective notch 20 and engages in the adjacent notch 20 when the knob 26 is actuated or pivoted. Consequently, the knob 26 can be fixed in the starting position and in the clamping position by means of the locking pin 18.

In FIG. 3b is another alternative to determine the determination of the knob 26. For this purpose, two mutually spaced cuts 19 are formed in the end face of the support plate 2, in which the knob 26 engages and is thus locked in this.

Claims (15)

Device (1) for stacking at least two of the device (1) associated with each other and spaced and parallel support plates (2, 2 ', ... 2 ⁿ ), on each of which a plurality of objects to be transported (3) are arranged, consisting of at least three each one of the support plates (2, 2 ', ... 2 ⁿ ) associated spacers (7, 7', ... 7 ⁿ ), which individually with the respective support plate (2, 2 ', ... 2 ⁿ ) are connected and support them in the vertical direction and the respective carrier plate (2, 2 ', ... 2 ⁿ ) pass through in a recess (16) incorporated therein,
characterized,
in that a clamping device (21) is provided in a through opening (22) incorporated in the carrier plate (2, 2 ', ... 2 ⁿ ), which engages through the through opening (22) and which is movably supported therein, that the clamping device ( 21) and the passage opening (22) adjacent to one of the respective spacers (7, 7 ', ... 7 ⁿ ) are arranged, and in that on the clamping device (21) an expanded holding arm (24) is formed, which in the clamping state adjacent spacers (7, 7 ', ... 7 ⁿ ) positively or positively engages around. Device according to claim 1,
characterized,
that in each spacer (7 ') a notch or a circumferential groove (23) is incorporated and that the holding arm (24) of the overlying clamping device (21) engages in the notch or groove (23). Device according to claim 2,
characterized,
in that the notch or groove (23) serves as a reference abutment surface for the clamping device (21), that the distance (a) between the reference abutment surface and the respective upper support plate (2, 2 ', ... 2n) is independent of the length of the selected spacer (7, 7 ', ... 7 ⁿ ) is constant and that the length of the respective holding arm (24) corresponds to the distance to the reference bearing surface Apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3
characterized,
in that the clamping device (21) is designed as a guide slide (25) which is held in a linearly movable manner in the respective passage opening (22) in the direction of the respective spacer (7, 7 ', ... 7 ⁿ ), or in that the clamping device ( 21) is designed as a pivotable rotary head (26), and that the holding arm (25) on the underside of the guide carriage (25) or the rotary head (26) is arranged. Device according to claim 4,
characterized,
that the passage opening (22) to one of the side edges of the carrier plate parallel (2, 2 ', ... 2 ⁿ⁾ is aligned. Device according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
in that the clamping device (21) has two abutment surfaces (27, 28), in that the first abutment surface (27) is formed by the retaining arms (24) or in that the first abutment surface (27) acts on the clamping device (21) as abutment surface and on the associated spacers (7, 7 ', ... 7 ⁿ ) in the clamping state, and that the second stop surface (28) is designed as a slotted web (17) whose free end (30) in the released state of the clamping device (21 ) abuts against the inner wall of the passage opening (22) which faces away from the spacer (7, 7 ', ... 7 ⁿ ). Device according to claim 6,
characterized,
in that the slotted web (17) is formed from a first linear subarea (29) and from a second quarter-circle-shaped outwardly curved subarea (30). Device according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
that of the respective support plates (2, 2 ', ... 2 ⁿ ) protruding free end (8) of the spacer (7, 7', ... 7 ⁿ ) is designed as a pyramid or truncated cone or as a hemisphere, and that in each spacer (7, 7 ', ... 7 ⁿ ) at the opposite free end (9) has a recess (15) is incorporated, whose inner contour is dimensioned such that the conical, truncated pyramid or the hemisphere of each arranged below the spacer (7, 7 ', ... 7 ⁿ ) in the trough (15) is almost free of play used. Device according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
that the spacer (7, 7 ', ... 7 ⁿ ) is designed in two parts, that in a first upper of the carrier plate (2) associated part (8) of the spacer (7, 7', ... 7 ⁿ ) an internal thread (10) is incorporated, that the second of the underside of the respective support plate (7 ') associated part (9) of the spacer (7, 7', ... 7 ⁿ ) has a threaded pin (11) which in the internal thread (10 ) is screwed, and that the respective support plate (2, 2 ', ... 2 ⁿ ) between the two parts (8, 9) of the spacer (7, 7', ... 7 ⁿ ) is held without play. Device according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
in that the spacers (7, 7 ', ... 7 ⁿ ) are arranged in the corner regions (6) of the carrier plate (2, 2', ... 2 ") and in that the clamping devices (21) are offset laterally relative to the respective spacer (7, 7 ', .... 7 ⁿ ) are provided and accessible from the outside. Device according to claim 1,
characterized,
that the passage opening (22) is designed as an oblong hole and that the through opening (22) in the region of the spacer (7, 7 ', ... 7 ⁿ⁾ facing away region (30) has an approximately semicircular recess (31) in which the web (17) of the stop (28) of the clamping device (21) run in the released state of the clamping device (21). Device according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
in that a cage (4) is provided on the carrier plate (2, 2 ', ... 2 ⁿ ) for each of the objects (3) to be transported, which cage is provided in one of the carrier plates (2, 2', ... 2 ⁿ ) incorporated recess (5) is inserted and locked in this. Device according to claim 12,
characterized,
that the height of the highest cage (4) is surmounted by the length of the spacers (7, 7 ', ... 7 ⁿ ) used. Device according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
in that the holding arm (24) of the clamping device (21) is bent semicircularly and that the distance between the two aligned free ends of the holding arm (24) is greater than the diameter of the notch or groove (23) of the spacer (21). Device according to claim 3,
characterized,
that on the rotary knob (26) a against the biasing force of a coil spring (32) movable latching pin (18) is arranged, which in two in the surface of the support plate (2) incorporated notches (20) is latched alternately, or in that two notches (19) are formed on the carrier plate (2) in the area of its end face, into which its rotary knob (26) can be locked.

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