DEVICE FOR GRIPPING AN OBJECT, TONG CONFIGURATION AND METHOD FOR GRIPPING A FOOD ITEM

Abstract

A device for gripping and rotating an object includes two tong legs which are interconnected at a point of articulation, a gear mechanism which is connected to both of the tong legs and an actuation element which is connected to the gear mechanism. A first translational movement of the actuation element is converted by the gear mechanism in such a way that the tong legs can pivot towards one another and can be rotated about a rotational axis that includes the point of articulation. A tong configuration and a method for using a tong configuration are also provided.

Claims

1. A device for gripping and rotating an object, the device comprising: two tong legs connected to one another at an articulation point; a gear mechanism connected to said two tong legs; and an actuating element connected to said gear mechanism; said gear mechanism converting a first translational movement of said actuating element into pivoting of said tong legs toward one another and rotation of said tong legs about an axis of rotation including said articulation point.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said gear mechanism converts a second translational movement of said actuating element opposite said first translational movement into pivoting of said tong legs toward one another without rotation.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein: said actuating element is adjustable by said translational movement between a first end position and a second end position; said tong legs are opened when said actuating element is in said first end position; said tong legs are closed by said first translational movement of said actuating element from said first end position into an intermediate position; and said tong legs are additionally rotatable about said axis of rotation by said first translational movement of said actuating element from said intermediate position into said second end position.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein said tong legs are rotatable by an angle of rotation in a range of 90 to 270 [degrees].

5. The device according to claim 1, which further comprises two tong handles being connected to one another and to said actuating element for carrying out said translational movement of said actuating element by pivoting said tong handles toward one another.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein: said tong legs have guide ends; said gear mechanism includes at least one gear body connected to said actuating element; and said at least one gear body has at least one ramp-shaped guide in which said guide ends engage for pivoting said tong legs toward one another by said translational movement of said actuating element.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein said gear body additionally has at least one rotational guide for rotating said tong legs about said axis of rotation.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein: said gear mechanism includes a gear case; said gear body together with said gear case forms a slotted guide for rotation of said tong legs about said axis of rotation; and said the gear body together with said guide ends of said tong legs forms a slotted guide for pivoting said tong legs toward one another.

9. A tong configuration, comprising: a gripper; and an actuating configuration connected to said gripper; said actuating configuration being activated for causing said gripper to carry out a gripping movement and a rotational movement; and said actuating configuration being deactivated for causing said gripper to carry out a movement opposing said gripping movement without a rotational movement.

10. The tong configuration according to claim 9, which further comprises a device for gripping and rotating an object, the device including: two tong legs connected to one another at an articulation point; a gear mechanism connected to said two tong legs; and an actuating element connected to said gear mechanism; said gear mechanism converting a first translational movement of said actuating element into pivoting of said tong legs toward one another and rotation of said tong legs about an axis of rotation including said articulation point.

11. A method for using a tong configuration, the method comprising using the tong configuration according to claim 9 for gripping and rotating a food item.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

[0044] FIGS. 1 to 3 are diagrammatic, longitudinal-sectional views of a tong configuration having a device for gripping and rotating an object in three different positions; and

[0045] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the depth of a groove of a rotational guide of the device for gripping and rotating an object from FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0046] Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly, to FIGS. 1 to 3 thereof, there is seen a tong configuration 21 with a device 1 for gripping and rotating an object, in particular in the manner of so-called grilling tongs, in three different positions. The device 1 has two tong legs 2 connected to one another at an articulation point 4. For the sake of clarity, one tong leg 2 is shown as a solid line and the other tong leg 2 is shown as a dashed line. The tong legs 2 have a kink at the articulation point 4. The tong legs each have a gripping jaw 23 on gripping ends 3. The object to be gripped can be gripped in the gripping jaws 23. The tong legs 2 and the gripping jaws 23 form a gripper 20 of the tong configuration 21.

[0047] The tong legs 2 are connected to a gear mechanism 5. In addition, an actuating element 6 is connected to the gear mechanism 5. A first translational movement of the actuating element 6 is converted by the gear mechanism 5 in such a way that the tong legs 2 can be pivoted toward one another and rotated about an axis of rotation 7 including the articulation point 4. Rotation about the axis of rotation 7 takes place at an angle of rotation 22 of approximately 180 [degrees]. The tong legs 2 are additionally pivotable toward one another by a second translational movement of the actuating element 6 opposite the first translational movement without rotation. In the diagram shown herein, the first translational movement is directed from down to up, and the second translational movement is directed from up to down.

[0048] The actuating element 6 is adjustable by translational movement between a first end position 8 (shown in FIG. 1) and a second end position 10 (shown in FIG. 3). The tong legs 2 are open (opening angle 27) when the actuating element 6 is in the first end position 8. The tong legs 2 can be closed by the first translational movement of the actuating element 6 from the first end position 8 into an intermediate position 9 (shown in FIG. 2). In addition, the tong legs 2 can be rotated about the axis of rotation 7 from the intermediate position 9 to the second end position 10 by using the first translational movement of the actuating element 6. The axis of rotation 7 lies in the plane of the tong legs 2 (corresponding to the plane of the paper in this case), runs through the articulation point 4 and runs centrally between the gripping ends 3 of the tong legs 2. The tong legs 2 can be opened by the second translational movement of the actuating element 6 from the second end position 10 into the first end position 8.

[0049] The device 1 additionally has two tong handles 11, which are connected to one another and to the actuating element 6 by a linkage 15, so that the actuating element 6 can be brought to a translational movement by pivoting the tong handles 11 toward one another. The tong handles 11 and the linkage 15 form an actuating configuration 19 of the tong configuration 21.

[0050] The gear mechanism 5 includes a gear body 12, which is held in a gear case 18. The gear body 12 is connected to the actuating element 6 and has a ramp-type guide 13, in which guide ends 17 of the tong legs 2 engage in such a way that the tong legs 2 can be pivoted toward one another by a translational movement of the actuating element 6. The tong legs 2 therefore have rollers 24 on the guide ends 17. For the sake of clarity, a dotted line is used to show a part of the ramp-type guide 13 with which the tong legs 2, represented by a dashed line, engage. The gear body 12 additionally has a rotational guide 14 for rotation of the tong legs 2 about the axis of rotation 7. The rotational guide 14 has a groove, in which two guide mandrels 16 engage. The groove has two first branches 25 and two second branches 26. For the sake of clarity, one part of a cohesive pair of a first branch 25 and a second branch 26 is represented by a dotted line, and the other part of the pair is represented by a solid line. The guide mandrels 16 can pass through the two pairs, one after the other.

[0051] In the first end position 8 (FIG. 1), the tong handles 11 are opened and the actuating element 6 is configured in such a way that the gear body 12 is disposed inside the gear case 18 in the lowest position (in this diagram). The tong legs 2 are opened (to the maximum). If the tong handles 11 are then closed, the actuating element 6 (in this diagram) moves upward due to the linkage 15. The rollers 24 of the tong legs 2 thereby engage in the ramp-type guide 13, so that the tong legs 2 are closed upon reaching the intermediate position 9 (FIG. 2). The guide mandrels 16 engage in the groove of the rotational guide 14 in such a way that no rotation takes place. This is due to the fact that the groove of the rotational guide 14 is constructed to be straight between the first end position 8 and the intermediate position 9 (and runs parallel to the axis of rotation 7). If the tong handles 11 are closed further beyond the intermediate position 9, the tong legs 2 are not pivoted further toward one another. This is due to the fact that the ramp-type guide 13 is constructed to be straight in the area between the intermediate position 9 and the second end position 10, in such a way that a translational movement of the gear body 12 does not cause the tong legs 2 to pivot toward one another. However, the rotational guide 14 causes rotation of the gear body 12 and the tong legs 2 about the axis of rotation 7. This is due to the fact that the groove of the rotational guide 14 is constructed to run peripherally in part around the circumference of the gear body 12, between the intermediate position 9 and the second end position 10. Upon reaching the second end position 10 (FIG. 3), the tong legs 2 are rotated by an angle of rotation 22 of 180 [degrees] in comparison with the first end position 8.

[0052] When the tong handles 11 are then opened, the actuating element 6 moves from the second end position 10 to the first end position 8. In doing so, the tong legs 2 are opened without rotating. This can be achieved by the fact that the groove in the rotational guide 14 has branches 25, 26 of different depths.

[0053] FIG. 4 shows the depth of the groove of the rotational guide 14 of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3. An angle of rotation of the tong legs 2 about the axis of rotation 7 is plotted on the vertical axis, i.e., the ordinate, in [degrees]. A position x of the actuating element 6 in the translational movement between the first end position 8 and the second end position 10 is shown on the horizontal axis, i.e., the abscissa. The position x is shown in arbitrary units, represented by the abbreviation a.u. The intermediate position 9 is also shown. In the first end position 8, the first branch 25 of the groove preferably has a first depth, and the second branch 26 has a second depth, which is less than the first depth. In the second end position 10, the first branch 25 of the groove preferably has a third depth, and the second branch 26 has a fourth depth, which is greater than the third depth. In this example, the first depth and the fourth depth each amount to 4 mm [millimeters], and the second depth and the third depth each amount to 2 mm [millimeters].

[0054] Assuming that a guide mandrel 6 is situated in the first position 8 and at 0 [degrees] in a first branch 25 of the groove, then by translational movement of the actuating element 6, the guide mandrel 16 can be moved along the first branch 25, whereby the tong legs 2 are rotated (at any rate beyond the intermediate position 9). Upon reaching the second end position 10, the tong legs 2 are rotated by 180 [degrees]. The guide mandrel 6 changes to a second branch 26 of the groove. This can be achieved by the fact that the second branch 26 is deeper at the second end position 10 than the first branch 25. If the actuating element 6 is then moved (back) from the second end position 10 to the first end position 8, the guide mandrel 16 follows the second branch 26. There is no rotation in doing so. In the first end position 8, the guide mandrel 16 changes to the first branch 25. This can be achieved by the fact that the first branch 25 is deeper at the first end position 8 than the second branch 26. By closing the tong handles 11 again, the tong legs 2 can be closed again and thereby rotated by another 180 [degrees]. The tong legs 2 can then be opened again without rotation by opening the tong handles 11 again. This process can be repeated as often as desired.

[0055] The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention: [0056] 1 Device [0057] 2 Tong leg [0058] 3 Gripping end [0059] 4 Articulation point [0060] 5 Gear mechanism [0061] 6 Actuating element [0062] 7 Axis of rotation [0063] 8 First end position [0064] 9 Intermediate position [0065] 10 Second end position [0066] 11 Tong handle [0067] 12 Gear body [0068] 13 Ramp-type guide [0069] 14 Rotational guide [0070] 15 Linkage [0071] 16 Guide mandrel [0072] 17 Guide ends [0073] 18 Gear case [0074] 19 Actuating configuration [0075] 20 Gripper [0076] 21 Tong configuration [0077] 22 Angle of rotation [0078] 23 Gripping jaw [0079] 24 Roller [0080] 25 First branch [0081] 26 Second branch [0082] 27 Angle of opening