A plant for forming compound pallet units having a plurality of master pallet units, and an automatic robotic apparatus having a de-stacking robot configured for removing product layers from tops of master pallet units positioned in a de-stacking area and for placing add-on product layers on top of the master pallet unit positioned in a stacking station, so as to form in the stacking station a compound pallet unit having a height greater than a height of the master pallet unit.

The problem of potentially damaging a pallet layer that is gripped by clamps of a depalletizing tool is solved i) by detecting the real position of the layer using a pad on the tool that is movable with the clamps towards the pallet layer and whose detected stopping position determines the real position of the layer, and ii) while the layer is gripped by the clamp, by inserting under the layer curtains; the pressure on the layer by the clamps being adapted to the ease to go underneath the layer.

A stackable box (1) for accommodating and for transporting articles and for stacking in a stacking direction (2) with at least one other box (1) of the same type, wherein the box (1) has a base (3) and a side wall (4), which projects beyond the base (3) and surrounds the base (3) at least partially, wherein the base (3) and the side wall (4) together bound an accommodating space (5) for the articles, wherein the side wall (4) contains at least two, spaced-apart adapters in order for the box (1) to be gripped mechanically by means of at least one gripping device (6), said adapters in the side wall (4) being designed in each case in the form of channels (8) which extend longitudinally in a longitudinal-extent direction (7) running parallel to the stacking direction (2), wherein the channels (8) each have an entry opening (9) and an exit opening (10) and, therebetween, an inner channel cavity (12) which is bounded by a channel-boundary wall (11) of the box (1), extends longitudinally in the respective longitudinal-extent direction (7) and through which the gripping device (6) is guided.

The problem of potentially damaging a pallet layer that is gripped by clamps of a depalletizing tool is solved i) by detecting the real position of the layer using a pad on the tool that is movable with the clamps towards the pallet layer and whose detected stopping position determines the real position of the layer, and ii) while the layer is gripped by the clamp, by inserting under the layer curtains; the pressure on the layer by the clamps being adapted to the ease to go underneath the layer.

An unloading apparatus includes a holding apparatus configured to hold side peripheral surfaces of a holding target article group, which is an article subgroup in one level among a plurality of article subgroups in a plurality of levels which article subgroups are included in the stacked article group, in such a manner as to hold the holding target article group and an article subgroup above the holding target article group; a first transport apparatus configured to receive at least one article subgroup held by the holding apparatus from the holding apparatus, and transport the at least one received article subgroup; a retrieval apparatus configured to retrieve one or more articles from an article subgroup in an uppermost level in the stacked article group; and a second transport apparatus configured to transport the stacked article group from the retrieval apparatus to the holding apparatus.

An electrical connection device for connecting a plug, preferably a HV pin header, to a printed circuit board in a motor vehicle, having the following: at least one first electrical connection-device for contacting at least one assigned plug-connector contact; at least one second electrical connection-device contact for contacting at least one assigned printed-circuit-board contact wherein at least one first connection-device contact at least one second connection-device contact are connected to one another, wherein the electrical connection device is configured in such a manner that at least one printed-circuit-board contact is able to be selectively connected to assigned plug-connector contacts which differ in terms of the relative disposal thereof in relation to the printed-circuit-board contact and/or differ from one another in that said plug-connector contacts are a component part of plug connectors which differ from one another in terms of the configuration of the respective plug-connector contacts thereof.

A cargo handling apparatus includes a first conveyor portion, a first detection portion, a second conveyor portion, a gripping portion, a second detection portion, and a controller. The first conveyor portion is configured to convey an article to be handled in a first direction. The first detection portion is configured to detect article information. The second conveyor portion is configured to convey the article in a second direction. The gripping portion is configured to arrange the article in an accumulating portion. The second detection portion is configured to detect stacking information. The controller is configured to control operation of the gripping portion based on the article information and the stacking information.

A handling method and apparatus for a stacked box can pull vertically upward and take out a stacked box having an open top surface. The handling method and apparatus gripes and moves the stacked box having an open top surface with the handling apparatus attached to a robot arm. The handling apparatus is moved to above a stacked uppermost box, a wedge member having a flat plate shape is inserted along outer surfaces of two opposite edges of an upper box, a claw provided to the wedge member is projected in a direction approaching the box and engaged with a lower surface of an outer flange of the box, and the box is lifted vertically upward and then a fall prevention hanger is driven on a lower side of the box to cause the box to be gripped by the handling apparatus and then moved by the robot arm.

A pick-up device picking up stacked sheet-shaped workpieces from the top, the device includes a nozzle mechanism that pulls up a first workpiece from the top of the stacked workpieces by air blowing, a holding mechanism that holds the first workpiece, a separation mechanism that includes a claw member being inserted into a lower side of the first workpiece with respect to the stacked workpieces, and a forward and backward drive unit causing a tip part of the claw member to move forward and backward, a suction mechanism that pulls up the first workpiece, a control device that controls the above four mechanisms, and a selection unit that selects one or more combinations of the nozzle mechanism, the separation mechanism, and the suction mechanism. The control device controls an operation for picking up the stacked workpieces from the top according to the selection of the selection unit.

An electrical connection device for connecting a plug, preferably a HV pin header, to a printed circuit board in a motor vehicle, having the following: at least one first electrical connection-device for contacting at least one assigned plug-connector contact; at least one second electrical connection-device contact for contacting at least one assigned printed-circuit-board contact wherein at least one first connection-device contact at least one second connection-device contact are connected to one another, wherein the electrical connection device is configured in such a manner that at least one printed-circuit-board contact is able to be selectively connected to assigned plug-connector contacts which differ in terms of the relative disposal thereof in relation to the printed-circuit-board contact and/or differ from one another in that said plug-connector contacts are a component part of plug connectors which differ from one another in terms of the configuration of the respective plug-connector contacts thereof.