SYSTEM FOR HANDLING SEPARATION LAYERS IN A PRODUCTION PROCESS

Abstract

A system for handling separation layers in a production process includes at least one separation layer and a handling apparatus. The handling apparatus is preferably a vacuum gripper and is provided to move the separation layer. The separation layer has at least one slot which facilitates bending of the separation layer during lifting of the layer by the handling apparatus, such bending releasing the separation layer being lifted from another separation layer located in a stack of separation layers beneath the lifted layer.

Claims

1. A system for handling separation layers in a production process, the system comprising: at least one separation layer having at least one slot; and a handling apparatus configured to move the separation layer.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the handling apparatus is a vacuum gripper.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one slot is angular or in the form of a circular arc.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the handling apparatus includes at least one gripping device configured to grip the separation layer at least at one predetermined location.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the handling apparatus further includes at least one spacer provided adjacent to the at least one gripping device, the at least one spacer extending parallel with a surface normal of the separation layer and being configured to at least partially space apart the separation layer from the handling apparatus.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the at least one spacer and the at least one gripping device are arranged such that the at least one spacer is located adjacent to the at least one slot when the separation layer is gripped by the handling apparatus.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the at least one slot at least partially surrounds the at least one predetermined location at a predetermined spacing.

8. The system according to claim 4, wherein the separation layer has an outer edge and the at least one predetermined location on the separation layer includes a plurality of predetermined locations located adjacent to the edge of the separation layer and distributed circumferentially.

9. The system according to claim 4, wherein the at least one gripping device is configured to be positioned obliquely with respect to a surface normal of the separation layer when the at least one gripping device engages with the separation layer.

10. The system according to claim 4, wherein the at least one gripping device is in the form of a bellows suction cup.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one slot of the separation layer includes a plurality of slots, the plurality of slots being arranged uniformly and/or symmetrically.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one separation layer is formed of a flexible plastic material.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the flexible plastic material is acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymer (ABS).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The invention is intended to be described in greater detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments which are illustrated in the drawings. In this case, the exemplary embodiments and the combinations which are shown in the exemplary embodiments are merely exemplary and are not intended to determine the protective scope of the invention. The protective scope is defined only by the appended claims. In the drawings:

[0023] FIG. 1 is a side view of a system for handling separation layers in a production process according to one embodiment;

[0024] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of one separation layer of the system for handling separation layers in a production process according to one embodiment;

[0025] FIG. 3 a bottom view of a handling apparatus of the system for handling separation layers in a production process according to one embodiment; and

[0026] FIG. 4 is a side view of the handling apparatus of a system for handling separation layers in a production process according to one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] Identical or functionally equivalent elements are denoted below with the same reference numerals.

[0028] A system I for handling separation layers 2 in a production process is described below with reference to FIGS. 1-4. The system I basically comprises at least one separation layer 2 and a handling apparatus 4 configured to move the separation layer(s) 2, each separation layer 2 being formed as a sheet 5 having opposing upper and lower surfaces (neither indicated). To this end, the handling apparatus 4 is configured to raise a separation layer 2 from a stack 3 comprising a plurality of separation layers 2 (FIG. 2) and to move the separation layer 2. The handling apparatus 4 may be, for example, a vacuum gripper and may have a plurality of gripping devices 12 which are each in the form of a bellows suction cup.

[0029] The separation layer 2 is produced or fabricated from a flexible plastic material, such as for example, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymer (ABS), and preferably has a thickness between 1 mm and 5 mm, more preferably from 2 mm to 3 mm. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the separation layer 2 has a rectangular shape with four edges and four corners (none indicated). Alternatively, the separation layer 2 may have any desired or appropriate shape, such as for example, a circular or oval shape with a single outer edge, triangular, pentagonal, etc.

[0030] The separation layer 2 has in its face a plurality of slots 6 which are arranged in a distributed manner. Preferably, each slot 6 preferably extends entirely between the opposing surfaces of the sheet 5 of the separation layer 2, such that each slot 6 is a through opening, but may alternatively extend only partially from one surface toward the opposing surface.

[0031] In the embodiment shown, the separation layer 2 is generally rectangular (i.e., having four sides) and has L-shaped slots 6 with two legs 8 which meet or intersect at a tip or corner 10. Preferably, the L-shaped slots 6 are arranged on the layer 2 such that each leg 8 of each L-shaped slot 6 is arranged parallel with one side of the separation layer 2 and the tip 10 of the L-shaped slot 6 is directed toward a center (not indicated) of the separation layer 2. Alternatively, the separation layer 2 may also have more or less than the preferred four slots 6. For example, the separation layer 2 may have two, three, five, six or even greater than six slots 6 and/or the slots 6 may have any other appropriate shape, such as having a single straight leg, a single curved leg, an enclosed geometric shape, e.g., triangular, rectangular, etc. (no alternatives shown).

[0032] As shown in FIG. 2, the four preferred slots 6 are each arranged in a region of a separate corner of the separation layer 2 so that the tip 10 of each slot 6 faces away from the corner of the separation layer 2 and toward the center of the layer 2.

[0033] In order to raise or lift one separation layer 2 from the stack 3, the handling apparatus 4 has at least one gripping device 12 which is configured to grip the separation layer 2 at one predetermined grip location 14 on the layer 2, as indicated in FIG. 2. Preferably, the handling apparatus 4 includes a plurality of the gripping devices 12 and each gripping device 12 is configured to grip the separation layer 2 at a separate one of a plurality of predetermined locations 14 on the layer 2. Further, the number of slots 6 of each separation layer 2 is preferably equal to the number of predetermined locations 14 and the predetermined locations 14 are each located adjacent to a separate one of the slots 6 in the separation layer 2. As can be seen in FIG. 2, in a preferred embodiment, each slot 6 partially surrounds a separate one of the predetermined locations 14 at a predetermined spacing distance from the location 14.

[0034] FIG. 3 shows the handling apparatus 4 from below, that is to say, the side or end of the handling apparatus 4 which cooperates or engages with the separation layer 2. The handling apparatus 4 preferably further includes at least one spacer 16 located adjacent to the at least one gripping device 12, the spacer 16 extending parallel with a surface normal 20 of the separation layer 2 (See FIGS. 1 and 4). In the depicted embodiment, the handling apparatus 4 includes a plurality of spacers 16, a separate one of the spacers 16 being provided for each gripping device 12 and each slot 6, respectively. That is, the number of slots 6, the number of spacers 16 and the number of gripping devices 12 is preferably identical or equal.

[0035] The spacers 16 are configured to at least partially space apart the separation layer 2 from the handling apparatus 4. This has the advantage that, when the separation layer 2 is drawn in using suction and raised by the handling apparatus 4, preferably by the gripping devices 12 of the handling apparatus 4, the separation layer 2 is not subjected to a uniform suction. Instead, the separation layer 2 is fixed in position at the locations at which the spacers 16 contact the layer 2, while the gripping devices 12 placed at the corners of the separation layer 2 move the corners of the separation layer 2 upwardly. Each spacer 16 thereby acts as a tipping point, whereby the center of the separation layer 2 and the tip/corner 10 of each one of the slots 6 are pressed downwardly, as shown in FIG. 4. Thereby, any bonding or adhesion between the lifted or raised separation layer 2 and the separation layers 2 beneath the one layer 2 being lifted is released.

[0036] In order that the corners of the separation layer 2 may be pressed or pulled upwardly during the raising action and so that each spacer 16 may act as a tipping point, each gripping device 12 is preferably configured to be positioned obliquely relative to a surface normal 20 of the separation layer 2 when the gripping device 12 engages with the separation layer 2. Such oblique positioning of each gripping device 12 enables the separation layer 2 to be securely gripped and handled, despite any bending thereof, without any risk of detachment of the separation layer 2 from the gripping device 12.

[0037] In summary, a bending of the separation layer 2 may be achieved by providing one or more slots 6, preferably formed as L-shaped slots 6, which ensure a high movability in each region between the tip/corner 10 of one slot 6 and a proximal corner of the separation layer 2, and at least one gripping device 12 which moves the corner of the separation layer 2 upwardly or in the direction of the handling apparatus 4.

[0038] Each spacer 16, which acts as a tipping point, enables the center of the separation layer 2 and the corners 10 of the slots 6 to be pressed downwardly. Due to the center of the separation layer 2 and the corners 10 of the slots 6 being pressed downwardly, the separation layer 2 in the stack 3 located beneath the layer 2 engaged by the handling apparatus 4 is fixed in position while the uppermost separation layer 2 is raised by the handling apparatus 4. In summary, it can be said that the bending of the separation layer 2 generates a force which overcomes the adhesive force, for example caused by a liquid (e.g., lubricant) disposed between the separation layers 2, and which causes separation of the bent separation layer 2 from the layer 2 in the stack 3 beneath that particular separation layer 2.

[0039] Representative, non-limiting examples of the present invention were described above in detail with reference to the attached drawings. This detailed description is merely intended to teach a person of skill in the art further details for practicing preferred aspects of the present teachings and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0040] Moreover, combinations of features and steps disclosed in the above detailed description may not be necessary to practice the invention in the broadest sense, and are instead taught merely to particularly describe representative examples of the invention. Furthermore, various features of the above-described representative examples, as well as the various independent and dependent claims below, may be combined in ways that are not specifically and explicitly enumerated in order to provide additional useful embodiments of the present teachings.

[0041] All features disclosed in the description and/or the claims are intended to be disclosed separately and independently from each other for the purpose of original written disclosure, as well as for the purpose of restricting the claimed subject matter, independent of the compositions of the features in the embodiments and/or the claims. In addition, all value ranges or indications of groups of entities are intended to disclose every possible intermediate value or intermediate entity for the purpose of original written disclosure, as well as for the purpose of restricting the claimed subject matter. The invention is not restricted to the above-described embodiments, and may be varied within the scope of the following claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0042] 1 System [0043] 2 Separation layer [0044] 3 Stack [0045] 4 Handling apparatus [0046] 5 Sheet [0047] 6 Slot [0048] 8 Leg [0049] 10 Corner [0050] 12 Gripping device [0051] 14 Predetermined location [0052] 16 Spacer [0053] 20 Surface normal