GRIPPING UNIT FOR A BASE

Abstract

A gripping unit grips a base having a thickness that is defined by an upper side and a lower side thereof and that conveys a product on the upper side. The gripping unit has a pair of first guides with corresponding guide surfaces in contact with the base. The guide surfaces extends as far as beneath the lower side of the base.

Claims

1-21. (canceled)

22. An apparatus comprising a gripper comprising a gripping unit for a base, said base having a thickness that is defined by an upper side and a lower side thereof, wherein a product is conveyed on said upper side of said base, wherein said gripping unit comprises a pair of first guides with corresponding guide surfaces in contact with said base, wherein said guide surfaces extend as far as beneath said lower side of said base.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said guide surface comprises one of a bar and a flat surface.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said guide surfaces define an angle therebetween.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said gripping unit is one of a pair of gripping units that are diagonally opposite each other.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said first guide forms a plate-shaped finger that comprises an upper side that is disposed to contact said lower side of said base lies.

27. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said first guide forms a finger that has a cornered, angular, or rounded in sections.

28. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said first guide forms a finger that comprises an edge that has a broken or flattened section.

29. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising a securing element for said base, wherein said securing element secures said base at a finger formed in said first guide when said base is being conveyed.

30. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said gripping unit comprises a carrier to which said pair of first guides is secured.

31. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said gripping unit is a height-adjustable gripping unit that further comprises a lever arrangement for adjusting a height of said gripping unit.

32. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said gripping unit further comprises a joint or hinge at a carrier to which said pair of first guides is secured.

33. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said gripping unit is one of a plurality of identical gripping units of a conveyor for conveying products.

34. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said gripping unit further comprises a second guide, wherein said second guide is disposed to contact a side surface of a product that is being conveyed on said base.

35. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said gripping unit further comprises a plurality of second guides, each of which is disposed to contact a corresponding side surface of a product that is being conveyed on said base.

36. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said gripping unit further comprises a plurality of second guides, each of which comprises a contact surface and a carrier that is attached to said contact surface, wherein said contact surface is wider than said carrier.

37. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein, in operation, said gripper is arranged above said base.

38. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising a transporter that conveys said base with products arranged therein, wherein said transporter comprises a cut-out opening for said gripping unit.

39. A method comprising conveying products on a base that stands on a transporter, said method comprising positioning a gripper that comprises a gripping unit above said products, said gripping unit comprising a guide above said products, pivoting said gripping unit for engaging with said products, and rotating said product about a vertical axis thereof.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising raising said gripping unit until said base contacts an upper side of a finger of said gripping unit.

41. The method of claim 39, further comprising raising said gripping unit until said base is secured by the weight of at least one product on said base.

42. The method of claim 39, further comprising securing a finger of said gripping unit to said base.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] Details of embodiments of the invention are explained more closely hereinafter on the basis of figures. These show:

[0044] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a gripper;

[0045] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the gripper of FIG. 1 with a product that is on a conveying device;

[0046] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of two grippers of the type shown in FIG. 1 disposed above a conveyor;

[0047] FIG. 4 shows the gripper of FIG. 2 in a closed position; and

[0048] FIG. 5 shows a conveyor belt with cut-out openings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] FIG. 1 shows a preferably metal gripper 1 with a pair of first gripping units 2, each of which comprises a pair of first guides 3a, 3b.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 2, each first guide 3a, 3b faces a product 16 that is to be conveyed. As used herein, the term “product” includes any surrounding packaging thereof. Each first guide 3a, 3b comprises a first contact surface 4 at a free end of its corresponding first guide 3a, 3b. The first contact surface 4 thus serves as a guide surface.

[0051] The pair of first guides 3a, 3b is arranged on a first carrier 5 that has a pair of angle sections 6a, 6b to which a corresponding one of the first guides 3a, 3b is secured. As a result, there exists a corresponding angle between the first guides 3a, 3b. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the angle enables the first guides 3a, 3b to contact a corner of a base 8.

[0052] FIG. 1 also shows a lever arrangement 9 that functions as a lifting element. The lever arrangement 9 features upper and lower pairs of levers 9a, 9b, both of which are arranged between the gripper 1 and the first carrier 5. The levers 9a of the upper pair are bent to form an angle. The levers 9b of the lower pair, on the other hand, are straight. The lever arrangement 9 permits the first carrier 5 to be raised and lowered by being pivoted.

[0053] FIG. 1 further shows that the first gripping units 2 are arranged diametrically opposite one another. As a result, the first gripping units 2 engage opposite corners of the base 8. This avoids having the base 8 relative to the products 16 standing on it.

[0054] The gripper 1 further comprises four second gripping units 10 that are configured to contact side surfaces of the product 16. Second carriers 13 support each of the second gripping units 10.

[0055] Each second gripping unit 10 comprises a guide 11 with a second contact surface 12. The second contact surface 12 is wider than the second carrier 13. As a result, the second gripping unit 10 securely contacts the product 16.

[0056] Each of the second gripping units 10 connects to a corresponding second pair of levers 14a, 14b, which are mounted at the gripper 1. The second pair of levers 14a, 14b enables the second gripping unit 10 to which it is connected to be pivoted so as to move up or down.

[0057] Each guide 3a, 3b, 11 is secured to its corresponding carrier 5, 13. Embodiments include those in which guide 3a, 3b, 11 is secured detachably and those in which it is not. Among the embodiments are those in which the guide 3a, 3b, 11 is secured by screws, plugs, and/or clamps. Detachably secured guides 3a, 3b, 11 are preferred since they can be more easily replaced.

[0058] The gripper 1 comprises a receiver 15, with which it is arranged so as to be translated at the same speed and direction as the conveyor belt 18 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and to be rotated relative to that conveyor belt 18. As shown in FIG. 2, a vertical axis H of the products runs parallel to that of the receiver 15.

[0059] In operation, the gripper 1 translates at the same speed and in the same transport direction as the conveyor belt 18 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. However, the gripper 1 can also rotate or pivot the base 8, with the products 16 arranged on it, at any time. A control unit controls both movement of the first and second gripping unit 2, 10, and rotation of the gripper 1.

[0060] FIG. 2 shows the gripper 1 located above the product 16 and configured to be in an opened state.

[0061] In some embodiments, a product 16 comprises two groups of six bottles each, i.e., two sixpacks, which are enveloped by an outside packaging arrangement and move as a unit. The base of the packaging arrangement forms the base 8. The packaging arrangement likewise comprises an upper side 8a and a lower side 8b. The base 8 is therefore a multi-part structure. As shown in FIG. 3, the packaging arrangement also forms the side walls 17 of the product 16.

[0062] As can be seen in FIG. 2, the second gripping units 10, are arranged on one side of the product 16 and have been raised sufficiently high for the product 16 to be freely movable relative to the gripper 1. In an alternative, the entire gripper 1 can be raised, and moved freely relative to the product 16.

[0063] The first gripping units 3 have also been raised. However, the contact surfaces 4 are still at the height of the side walls of the product 16. Nevertheless, this does not impede relative movement between the product 16 and the gripper 1.

[0064] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of two grippers 1, both of which are in contact with corresponding products 16 that are standing on a conveyor belt 18 as they are being transported in a transport direction T. These products 16 are to be assembled in alternating arrangements to form a layer of a pallet. Once so assembled, the products 16, which have been formed into a layer for the pallet, are then placed on the pallet.

[0065] The foregoing assembly of products 16 into a pallet layer may require that some products 16 be rotated. It is the gripper 1 that carries out the required rotation.

[0066] As noted above, the gripper 1 moves at the same speed and in the same transport direction T as the products 16. Each gripper's second gripping units 10 contacts a corresponding one of the product's side walls 17. The four second gripping units 10 collectively contact all four side walls 17, including those parallel to the transport direction T and those perpendicular to the transport direction T. The second gripping unit's contact surfaces 4, being wider than their corresponding carriers 13, guide the product 16 securely. The first gripping units 2 are arranged diametrically opposite one another to engage diagonally-opposite corners of the product 16. The guides 3a, 3b, with the contact surfaces 4, extend as far as beneath the base 8, i.e. as far as beneath the product 16. This arrangement securely guides two diagonally-opposed corners of the base 8.

[0067] FIG. 4 shows a product 16 that has been engaged by the gripper 1, as seen from a point-of-view that faces the transport direction T. It is apparent from FIG. 4 that the guides 3a, 3b of the first gripping units 2 extend as far as under the base 8 of the product 16. Accordingly, the guides 3a, 3b extend below the plane of the conveyor belt 18. To permit this, the conveyor belt 18 has an opening 19, which is also visible in FIGS. 2 and 3. It is therefore important for the product 16 to have been placed on the conveyor belt 18 in exactly the correct relation to the openings 19 on the conveyor belt 18. This exact placement will enable the guides 3a, 3b to extend into the opening 19 as shown.

[0068] FIG. 5 shows an unobstructed view of the openings 18 along the conveyor belt 18. The openings 19 are dimensioned in such a way that the entire movement sequence of a rotation or a pivoting of the gripper 1 with the first gripping units 2, of which the guides 3a, 3b extend as far as beneath the base 8 of product 16, can be carried out without interrupting the transporting of the product on the conveyor belt 18. The openings are therefore at least as long or as wide as the product 16 with the guides 3a, 3b in contact. The opening 19 allows for a rotation or a pivoting of the product 16 by up to 180° in relation to the transport direction T.