EP3053868B1 - Gripping device and handling device with such a gripping device - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a gripping device according to the preamble of claim 1 and a handling device comprising such a gripping device.

Such gripping devices are used for holding or gripping objects, for example, to lift and relocate them. An important field of application is the handling of box-type containers, in particular of so-called small load carrier containers (KLT containers). Such box-like containers have specially shaped gripping shafts (eg in the region of the container corners), in which engage the holding jaws of the gripping devices and in it, for example, by spreading or Pinch pinching to apply the required gripping force to lift the container.

For handling the objects such gripping devices are often integrated in handling devices, which also comprise a lifting device for lifting and / or moving the gripping device together with the gripped object. Known here are in particular so-called tube lifter, eg in the DE 92 08 045 U1 are described. Such tube lifters have a lifting tube which can be shortened by a negative pressure applied in it. At one end of the lifting tube, for example, a gripping device is arranged. The male object is held with the gripping device. The handling of the object is supported by the negative pressure shortening of the lifting tube.

In the mentioned gripping devices it is e.g. known to move the holding jaws by means of a motor-driven gear mechanism or by means of pneumatic lifting cylinder in the holding position and the release position. Such gripping devices are structurally often a heavyweight and structurally relatively complex.

In the handling of objects and containers is particularly important to ensure that when lifting and moving the held object or container unintentionally detached from the gripping device. In more complex handling devices often a plurality of controls are provided which serve the control of the lifting device and the control of the gripping device. This can lead to operator errors and to a unintentional detachment of the recorded object.

The font CH 683 994 A5 shows a gripping device with clamping jaws, which are biased by a compression spring in the release position. The jaws can be moved by means of two vacuum bellows from the release position to the holding position. The vacuum bellows are on the one hand firmly connected to the support frame, on the other hand they act (for example via tie rods and / or pull rope) on the jaws.

The object of the present invention is to enable a reliable and comfortable picking up and settling of objects or containers, in particular small load carrier containers.

This object is achieved by a gripping device according to claim 1, which can be used for gripping in particular box-like or container-like objects, in particular small load carrier container (KLT container) use. The gripping device has at least one, preferably a plurality of movable holding jaws. The respective holding jaw is movable into a holding position, in which the object is held, and into a release position, in which the object is not held. For movement of the holding jaw this is motion-coupled with a displaceable in a first and a second position actuator part, i. connected such that upon displacement of the actuator in the first position, the holding jaw is moved to the holding position and upon displacement of the actuator in the second position, the holding jaw in the release position.

The actuator part has at least one, preferably planar, actuating surface. For actuation of the actuator via the actuating surface is a vacuum cleaner, ie, a vacuum-operated suction pad, in particular a suction cup, arranged on the gripping device, that the suction of the actuator by means of the vacuum cleaner to these is ansaugbar and thereby the holding jaw is moved to the holding position.

The vacuum cleaner therefore only acts internally as an actuating drive of the gripping device with which the holding jaws can be moved in the release position and holding position. In this respect, the vacuum cleaner is not used in particular for sucking the object to be gripped. This embodiment makes it possible to use simple vacuum suction as actuator drive. Special pneumatic drives or mechanical drives with gear mechanisms are not required. The vacuum cleaner may also advantageously be provided with the vacuum supply of a lifting device, e.g. be connected to the negative pressure of a lifting tube of a tube lifter. Thus, in a handling device, the vacuum supply can be carried out in common for the lifting device and the gripping device.

Depending on the intended use of the gripping device, the holding jaw is designed accordingly as gripping jaw (if objects are to be gripped, for example, by clamping between gripping jaws) or as a hook-like closing element (which can be inserted into gripping shafts of a small load carrier container and jammed there).

The holding jaw is preferably rigidly connected to the actuator part. It is conceivable that retaining jaws and actuator part form a one-piece component. For example, holding jaw and actuator part can be formed by a common component with a projecting portion acting as a retaining jaw (for example in the form of a hook or gripper jaw) and a planar portion acting as an actuating surface.

The gripping device can in particular be designed as an automatically closing gripping device, which increases the reliability and ease of use. For this purpose, provision is made in particular for activating and deactivating the vacuum sucker (i.e., for switching on and off the suction effect) to provide a control valve which can be switched into an active position and into a passive circuit. For switching the control valve, an actuating mechanism is provided, which has an actuating element such that it is actuated by attaching or placing the gripping device on an object or container to be gripped. By actuating the actuating element of the vacuum cleaner is activated and sucked the actuating surface of the actuator and thereby moves the holding jaw in the holding position. For this purpose, only the gripping device must be placed. Manual activation is not required.

Preferably, the actuating element projects beyond an application side (or contact surface) of the gripping device that can be applied to the object to be gripped. As a result, the actuating element is pressed when gripping an object and actuated thereby. The plant side is in particular the downward flat side of the gripping device. As a result, an automatic actuation by the own weight of the gripping device can take place when placing.

Preferably, the actuating mechanism is designed as a pressure switching mechanism or tactile mechanism such that by repeated pressing of the actuating element a back and forth between passive position and active position can be done. In particular, the Actuating mechanism designed in the manner of a ballpoint pen mechanism, so is switched by repeated pressing of the actuating element of active position in passive position and vice versa. Such actuating mechanisms are also known as so-called "push-push mechanisms". This allows a comfortable one-handed operation of the gripping device. By pressing a switching of the control valve takes place in the Aktikstellung and so an automatic recording of the object to be gripped. Thereafter, the object can be lifted and relocated with a suitable lifting device. When depositing the article together with the gripping device, the weight of the gripping device presses it again on the object and leads to a repeated actuation of the actuating element. As a result, the control valve is switched back to the passive position and the holding jaws release the object. In principle, the actuating element can be pretensioned by means of a spring means, so that a spring force must be overcome for actuation.

For further embodiment, a spacer may be provided, which the bearing side in the gripping direction (ie in the direction in which the gripping device is attached to the object to be gripped) is sprung upstream. The spacer is pressed by a distance position against a spring force to the contact side out, wherein upon pressing the spacer, the actuating element is pressed. In particular, the actuating element is actuated when pressed by the spacer itself. The spacer may be formed as a frame structure or sheet, which is upstream of the plant side and preferably extends parallel to this. As a result, even with slightly oblique placement of the gripping device or strongly contoured Guaranteed surfaces with unevenness of the object to be gripped that when pressing the gripping device, the actuating element is actuated.

The actuator part is in particular biased in its position corresponding to the release position (i.e., in its so-called second position), so that when the vacuum cleaner is deactivated, i. without suction, the holding jaw is automatically pushed into its release position. As a result, a gripped object or container can be reliably released. For this purpose, the actuator part, in particular its actuating surface, be designed as a resilient or flexibly bendable actuating plate. When sucked with the vacuum cleaner, the actuating plate deforms (e.g., bends) and, when the vacuum cleaner is shut down, pushes back to its neutral position.

In the gripping device, a plurality of, in particular pairs of opposing holding jaws are preferably arranged on a base part of the gripping device. Preferably, the gripping device is designed such that each opposite holding jaws move in the opposite direction when moving from the release position to the holding position, in particular towards or away from each other. With an actuator part a plurality of holding jaws may be connected together, so that the suction of the actuating surface, the plurality of holding jaws are moved simultaneously in the holding position.

The advantages of the solution according to the invention are achieved in particular in connection with the tube lifters mentioned above. Such a tube lifter comprises in particular a lifting tube, which by Be exposed to negative pressure can be shortened. At one end of the lifting tube, a gripping device according to the invention is preferably connected. A particularly simple construction results from the fact that the at least one vacuum gripper of the gripping device is connected to the lifting hose such that the vacuum gripper is operated with the vacuum acting in the lifting hose to shorten it. This allows a particularly comfortable operation.

The tube lifter has, for example, an operating device with a grip element, such as from the DE 10 2008 028 205 B3 known. This allows the lifting hose to be controlled manually. With the gripping device according to the invention then a particularly comfortable control is possible, especially in the manner of a one-hand control. In this case, the gripping device is automatically activated by placing the gripping device on the container to be gripped, that moves the holding jaws in the holding position.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to FIGS.

Figur 1:

Teildarstellung eines Schlauchhebers mit einer erfindungsgemäßen Greifvorrichtung;

Figur 2:

die erfindungsgemäße Greifvorrichtung beim Greifen eines KLT-Behälters;

Figur 3:

Detaildarstellung der erfindungsgemäßen Greifvorrichtung in Freigabestellung;

Figur 4:

Detaildarstellung der erfindungsgemäßen Greifvorrichtung in Haltestellung.

Show it:

FIG. 1:

Partial view of a tube lifter with a gripping device according to the invention;

FIG. 2:

the gripping device according to the invention when gripping a KLT container;

FIG. 3:

Detail of the gripping device according to the invention in the release position;

FIG. 4:

Detail of the gripping device according to the invention in the holding position.

In the following description as well as in the figures, the same reference numerals are used for identical or mutually corresponding features.

The FIG. 1 shows in perspective view fragmentary a handling device, here a tube lifter 10, with a lifting tube 12 which is coupled via an operating device 14 with a connection portion 16 of a gripping device 20 according to the invention. The lifting tube 12 is arranged in the region of its end facing away from the gripping device 20 on a support means, not shown. By applying negative pressure of the lifting tube 12 can be shortened, so that the gripping device 10 together with a gripped object (see FIG. 2 ) can be raised. By aerating the lifting tube 12, this can drag back in length. The application of negative pressure and the venting can be done by means of an operating lever 18 which is mounted in the grip region of the operating device 14.

The gripping device 20 is formed in the illustrated example for receiving box-type small load carrier containers (KLT container) 22, as in FIG. 2 shown. The gripping device 20 has a cuboid base part 24, whose abutment side 25 is brought to the container 22 to be gripped (see FIG. 2 ).

The gripping device 20 has holding jaws 26 arranged in the region of the corners of the base part 24. In the embodiment as a small load carrier gripping device are the holding jaws 26, for example, designed as hook-like closing elements, which can be introduced into marginal gripping shafts 28 of the small load carrier 22. For gripping the small load carrier 22, the holding jaws 26 are starting from the in the FIGS. 1 and 2 shown release position movable in a holding position. For example, the holding position results from the fact that the holding jaws 26 are each moved in the direction of the opposite long side of the base part 24, that is, in each case two opposite holding jaws 26 are moved towards each other in opposite directions. As a result, the hook-like sections of the holding jaws 26 can wedge with corresponding rear grip sections in the gripping shafts 28.

The Figures 3 and 4 In each case, two holding jaws are connected to an actuating plate 30 displaceable relative to the base part 24 towards the central longitudinal axis and away from it (ie, inwards and outwards), screwed in the example illustrated , If the actuating lug 30 is displaced in the direction of the central longitudinal axis of the base part 24, the holding jaws 26 are carried along in the direction of their holding position. In this respect, the actuating plate 30 forms an actuator part 32 which is displaceable in a first (displaced inwardly) and a second (displaced outward) position and is coupled in a movement-coupled manner with the holding jaw 26.

A planar portion of the actuating plate 30 is designed as a substantially planar actuating surface 34 of the Aktuatorteils 32. The Betätigungsgfläche 34 can by means of a vacuum cleaner 36 inwardly to the Vacuum sucker 36 back, so be sucked in the direction of the central longitudinal axis of the base 24. The vacuum cleaner 36 is arranged in the example shown so that not as in conventional suction gripping devices down towards the contact side 25, but after laterally outward toward the actuating surface 34 acts. Since the actuator part 32 by means of the vacuum cleaner 36 in its sucked position (first position) and thus the holding jaws 26 can be moved to the holding position, the vacuum cleaner 36 interacts with the actuating surface 24 as an actuating drive of the gripping device 20th

The vacuum supply of the vacuum cleaner 36 can be carried out in an advantageous manner by the voltage applied in the lifting tube 12 of the tube lifter 10 negative pressure. For example, the connection required for this purpose can be provided via the operating device 14.

For activation and deactivation of the vacuum cleaner 36, a control valve 38 is provided. This has an active position in which a connection of vacuum cleaner is made to a vacuum supply and a passive position in which the connection is interrupted. The control valve is switched by means of an actuating mechanism 40 between the active position and passive position. For this purpose, the actuating mechanism 40 on an actuating element 42, which is formed in the example shown as a projecting over the contact side 25 and depressible actuating pin. The actuating mechanism 40 is preferably a pressure switching mechanism is used, as it is known as a ballpoint pen mechanism. in this connection can be switched back and forth by repeatedly pressing the actuator 42 between the active position and passive position.

The actuator 42 is preferably biased with a spring force, so that a depression is possible only by overcoming the spring force. For this purpose, the actuating mechanism 40 may have a corresponding spring element (not shown in detail).

The gripping device 20 also has a contact side 25 upstream of the spacer plate, which is formed in the illustrated example in the form of a double-T. The spacer plate forms a spacer 44, which comes into contact with the latter when the gripping device 20 is brought to an object or small load carrier 22 to be lifted. The spacer 44 extends substantially parallel to the contact side 25 and is pushed by means of guide pins 46 to the base part 24 and pushed away from it. In this case, the spacer 44 is biased in its spaced-apart position, for which purpose spring means 48 (for example helical springs) arranged around the guide pins are provided in the example shown.

If the gripping device 20 is brought to the object to be gripped, for example the small load carrier 22, and pressed, the spacer plate is pressed against the spring force of the spring means 48 against the base part. Characterized the actuator 42 is actuated by the spacer 44 (spacer plate) and thereby the control valve 38 is switched. If the gripping device was previously in its deactivated state, this activates the vacuum cleaner. The pressing the spacer 44 and the pressing of the actuating element 42 is supported by the own weight of the gripping device 20 and thus can be done without additional force of an operator.

If the vacuum cleaner 36 is activated, the actuator part 32 is sucked in via the actuating surface 34 to the vacuum cleaner 36. As a result, the holding jaw 26 of the in FIG. 3 shown release position to the in FIG. 4 shifted holding position shifted, that is shifted inwards. As a result, as explained above, the small load carrier 22 is gripped and can be lifted by means of the tube lifter 10 and moved.

Thereafter, the small load carrier 22 can be discontinued again, again the gripping device 20, in particular supported by its own weight, is pressed against the small load carrier 22. This in turn causes the spacer plate 44 (spacer) is pressed and the actuator 42 presses. As a result, the control valve 38 is switched to the passive position and the vacuum cleaner 36 is deactivated, so that the actuating surface 34 is no longer sucked and the holding jaws 26 can move back into the release position.

In order to assist a return to the release position, the actuating plate 30 and the actuator 32 may be biased in its corresponding with the release position of the holding jaws 26 position (ie, in its outwardly displaced position). For this purpose, for example, a corresponding spring means provided be (not shown in detail), which presses the actuator part 32 to the outside. It is also conceivable that the actuating plate 30 is formed as an elastic sheet metal and rests with an edge portion on the base part 24 so that it is bent by sucking the actuating surface 34 elastically. When the suction force decreases, the actuating plate 30 then bends back into its neutral position, displacing the holding jaws into their release position.

Claims (10)

1. Gripping device (20) for gripping objects, in particular for gripping small load containers (22), comprising at least one holding jaw (26) that can be moved into a holding position and into a release position, and comprising a displaceable actuator part (32) which is movement-coupled to the holding jaw (26), the actuator part (32) having an actuation surface (34) and a vacuum sucker (36) being provided such that the actuation surface (34) of the actuator part (32) can be suctioned by means of the vacuum sucker (36) in order to move the holding jaw (26) into the holding position, the vacuum sucker (36) being designed as a vacuum-operated suction gripper and acting as an actuation drive for the gripping device.
2. Gripping device (20) according to claim 1, characterized in that, in order to activate and deactivate the vacuum sucker (36), a control valve (38) is provided that can be switched into an active position and into a passive position, an actuation mechanism (40) having an actuation element (42) being provided for switching the control valve (38), which element is arranged such that it is actuated by placing the gripping device (20) on an object (22) to be gripped.
3. Gripping device (20) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the actuation element (42) projects beyond a contact face (25) of the gripping device (20) that can be placed against the object (22) to be gripped such that the actuation element (42) is pressed in when an object (22) is gripped.
4. Gripping device (20) according to any of claims 2 to 3, characterized in that the actuation mechanism (40) is designed as a push switch mechanism such that, when the actuation element (42) is pressed in, a change from passive position or active position into the corresponding other position takes place.
5. Gripping device (20) according to any of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the actuation element (42) is preloaded against the actuation thereof by means of a spring means.
6. Gripping device (20) according to any of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that a separator (44) is provided which is spring-mounted in front of the contact face (25) and can be pressed from a spaced position towards the contact face (25), the actuation element (42) being pressed in when the spacer is pressed.
7. Gripping device (20) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the actuator part (32) is preloaded in the position thereof that corresponds to the release position.
8. Gripping device (20) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a plurality of holding jaws (26) that are in particular opposite one another in each case in pairs are movably arranged on a base part (24).
9. Gripping device (20) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a plurality of holding jaws (26) are connected to an actuator part (32).
10. Handling device, in particular a tube lifter (10), comprising a lifting tube (12) that can be shortened by applying a vacuum, and a gripping device (20) according to any of the preceding claims that is connected to one end of the lifting tube, wherein the at least one vacuum gripper (36) is operated using the vacuum acting in the lifting tube (12) to shorten said tube.

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