Suction gripper with contact material renewal device and support structure

Abstract

The invention relates to a suction gripper (10), in particular a surface suction gripper, with a suction area (16) for suctioning objects (12), wherein the suction gripper has a contact material (14) in the suction area for contacting an object to be gripped, wherein the contact material is subject to wear and tear at least in sections during intended use, further comprising a contact material renewal device (18) for renewing worn contact material in the suction area, further comprising a support structure (60) on which the contact material rests with a contact side (62) in the suction area, wherein the support structure has a plurality of ribs which are spaced apart from each other in such a way that the contact material can contact the object between the ribs.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a suction gripper for sucking and handling objects.

[0002] Suction cups are known in a variety of forms from the prior art and are used, for example, to handle stacked, rigid and / or flexible workpieces. For example, so-called surface suction cups are known, which have a flat, extended, usually flat suction area for suctioning objects. Such surface suction cups typically have a contact material in the suction area, for example, in the form of a foam pad, by means of which the surface suction cup rests against the object to be gripped.

[0003] Such surface suction grippers are known, for example, from DE 10 2006 050 970 A1 and DE 10 2013 201 249 B4. Another surface suction gripper is known from JP H08-155 872 A.

[0004] From DE 20 2014 100 337 U1 a handling instrument for picking up and transporting at least one thin-layered material section is known, wherein the instrument has a flange for attachment to a manipulator, a vacuum chamber with an air-permeable suction surface and a suction device, wherein the handling instrument has a belt conveyor which is designed to pick up a cover belt with one or more incorporated passage zones and to guide and position the cover belt with the passage zones in front of the suction surface.

[0005] From DE 10 2007 057 225 A1 a device for pneumatically picking up a flat object is known, comprising a suction box in which a negative pressure can be generated and on the suction side of which a contact element is arranged which is guided displaceably along the suction side and is penetrated by suction channels.

[0006] From EP 0 472 738 A1 a teat with a bell body made of an elastic material is known, wherein the bell body has a ventilation opening in the middle which is connected to a ventilation pipe, wherein a reinforcing part with guide grooves is formed around the ventilation opening.

[0007] From DE 20 2009 014 154 U1 a device for handling flat contoured components is known.

[0008] From US 3 592 334 A an air lifting and vacuum conveyor is known in which the objects to be conveyed are supported by pressure differences across a perforated part of the conveyor.

[0009] The invention addresses the problem of increasing the operational readiness of suction grippers of the aforementioned type. In particular, downtimes due to maintenance of the suction gripper are to be reduced.

[0010] This object is achieved according to the invention by a suction gripper having the features of claim 1. The suction gripper is designed to grip objects using negative pressure. In particular, the suction gripper is designed to suction and handle objects. The suction gripper has a suction area in which an object to be gripped can be suctioned. The suction area can have one or more suction openings through which the object can be suctioned. In particular, the suction gripper is a surface suction gripper.

[0011] The suction gripper, in particular, has a gripper base body. The gripper base body can comprise a fluid connection for supplying the suction gripper with operating fluid, in particular vacuum or overpressure. The gripper base body can have a vacuum chamber. The vacuum chamber can be subjected to vacuum via the fluid connection.

[0012] The suction gripper has a contact material for contacting an object to be gripped in the suction area. The contact material has, in particular, a contact side facing away from the gripper base body for contacting the object to be gripped and an upper side facing the gripper base body. Through-openings can be formed between the contact side and the rear side (see below). In a gripping configuration, the suction gripper bears, in particular with the contact material, against an object to be gripped. The contact material thus forms a contact structure of the suction gripper, by means of which the suction gripper contacts an object to be gripped. When the suction gripper is used as intended, i.e. in particular when objects are repeatedly sucked up and placed down, the contact material is subject to operational wear in the suction area, at least in sections (particularly in a contact area).Such wear can be caused, for example, by mechanical abrasion and / or by physical or chemical contamination (pollution).

[0013] The suction gripper also comprises a contact material renewal device which is designed, in particular in an automated manner, to renew used, in particular worn, contact material in the suction area.

[0014] Such a design allows the contact material in the suction area to be replaced quickly and easily, for example, when a certain degree of wear is exceeded. Compared to conventional suction grippers, in which worn contact material must first be removed manually and then a new contact material installed, the suction gripper according to the invention reduces maintenance times—and thus downtimes—which increases the service life of the suction gripper.

[0015] It is particularly advantageous if the contact material renewal device is designed to automatically renew the contact material. This allows the contact material to be replaced without external intervention by an operator. This makes it possible, for example, to replace the contact material during operation, e.g., during a transfer movement between two objects to be gripped one after the other, which further reduces downtime and thus increases the operational readiness of the suction gripper.

[0016] In this context, "renewal" refers specifically to the replacement of used contact material with new, i.e., unused, contact material. In this respect, the contact material renewal device is specifically a contact material replacement device or exchange device.

[0017] The contact material renewal device is preferably mounted on a gripper base body of the suction gripper.

[0018] The contact material renewal device preferably comprises a contact material storage device for storing new, i.e., unused, contact material. The suction gripper can thus comprise a supply of new contact material, which enables a location-independent replacement of the contact material.

[0019] It is conceivable that used contact material is removed from the suction gripper. For example, it is conceivable that when the contact material is renewed using the contact material renewal device, the used contact material falls off the suction gripper. Preferably, however, the contact material renewal device comprises a contact material receiving device for receiving used contact material. The used contact material can thus be collected by the suction gripper, thus preventing contamination in a process environment. The contact material receiving device can have a collecting container for used contact material.

[0020] Advantageously, the contact material renewal device can comprise a contact material conveying device for conveying new contact material from the contact material storage device to the suction area. The contact material conveying device can also be designed, in particular, to convey used contact material from the suction area to the contact material receiving device. The contact material conveying device can be motor-driven, preferably automated. This simplifies the renewal or replacement of the contact material.

[0021] The contact material storage device and the contact material receiving device are preferably arranged on opposite sides of the suction area.

[0022] Within the scope of an advantageous further development, the contact material conveying device can be designed to convey contact material in a conveying direction from the contact material storage device to the contact material receiving device, wherein the suction region is arranged in the conveying direction between the contact material storage device and the contact material receiving device.

[0023] In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the contact material can be designed as a flat strip material, in particular a film material or foam material. In this respect, the contact material can be provided as a contact material strip, e.g., a sealing tape. Preferably, the contact material is provided as a roll material ('endless material'). This makes it possible to provide a large quantity of contact material in a comparatively small installation space and also to easily supply an unused section of contact material to the suction area.

[0024] When the contact material is configured as a flat strip material, it has proven particularly advantageous if the contact material supply device has a supply roll on which new (unused) contact material or contact material strip is wound. In particular, the contact material receiving device can then have a take-up roll for used contact material or used contact material strip. Preferably, the contact material strip is wound at one end onto the supply roll of the contact material supply device and at the other end onto the take-up roll of the contact material receiving device.

[0025] In particular, the contact material renewal device is designed to unwind an unused contact material strip section from the supply roll, to convey it to the suction area, and, for example after a certain period of use, in particular when a predetermined degree of wear is exceeded, to convey it from the suction area to the take-up roll and to roll it up there.

[0026] The rollers can, in particular, be arranged such that the suction area is located between the supply roll and the take-up roll in a conveying direction of the contact material. Advantageously, the supply roll and the take-up roll are arranged on opposite sides of the suction area, in particular on opposite sides of the suction gripper. In this respect, the contact material strip can pass through the suction area during conveyance from the supply roll to the take-up roll in order to supply an unused section of the contact material strip to the suction area.

[0027] Preferably, at least one of the rollers, in particular the take-up roller, is driven. In this respect, the conveyor device can comprise a drive device for driving a rotational movement of at least one of the rollers (supply roller or take-up roller), in particular the take-up roller. In this way, automated operation can be realized.

[0028] It is conceivable for the suction gripper to have only a single contact material strip. In this respect, the suction gripper can have only one supply roll and one take-up roll. It is also conceivable for the suction gripper to have two or more contact material strips. In this case, a separate supply roll and, in particular, also a separate take-up roll can be provided for each contact material strip. The conveying directions of the contact material strips can run parallel to one another. In this respect, the contact material strips can be conveyed next to one another, in particular without overlapping. It is also conceivable for the conveying directions of the contact material strips to run at an angle to one another. In this respect, the contact material strips can intersect.

[0029] The contact material can be designed in different ways. In particular, the contact material can fulfill various functions. The contact material can define a suction space for sucking in the object. For example, the contact material can be designed to seal a suction volume between the object and a fluid connection of the suction gripper.

[0030] The contact material can be made airtight. For example, the contact material can be made of a latex material or elastomer.

[0031] The contact material can also be permeable to air. In this respect, an object to be gripped can be sucked through the contact material. This can be achieved in different ways. The contact material can be porous. For example, the contact material can be made from an open-pore material, in particular foam material. Alternatively or additionally, the contact material can have a plurality of through-openings. For example, the contact material can be designed as a film with through-openings. The contact material can also be made from a foam material with a plurality of through-holes. For example, the contact material can be designed as a foam mat with a perforated pattern.

[0032] In an advantageous further development, the suction gripper can have a vacuum chamber that can be subjected to negative pressure and is partially delimited, particularly at one end, by the contact material or contact material strip. In particular, the contact material can then be designed to be permeable to air, so that the object can be suctioned through the contact material. The vacuum chamber can be provided, in particular, in a gripper base body of the suction gripper.

[0033] For reliable suction of an object, it is advantageous if the contact material forms a seal against the object, for example, to prevent pressure loss due to leakage between the contact material and the object. Such a seal can be achieved by pressing the suction cup against the object, for example, using a manipulator.

[0034] In an advantageous embodiment, the suction gripper itself comprises a pressing device for pressing the contact material against the object. The pressing device preferably comprises at least one pressing part. In particular, the pressing device, preferably the at least one pressing part, defines the suction area of ​​the suction gripper.

[0035] The pressing device can be provided by a housing section of a gripper base body of the suction gripper. Preferably, the pressing device comprises at least one pressing part, which is displaceably mounted on the suction gripper, in particular on the gripper base body. The at least one pressing part can advantageously be designed to contact the contact material, in particular on its upper side facing the gripper base body, and to press it against the object. Such a pressing device with a displaceable pressing part makes it possible, on the one hand, to reliably press the contact material and, on the other hand, to lift the pressing part from the contact material when necessary. In particular, the at least one pressing part can be designed such that it can assume a maintenance configuration in which the pressing part is spaced from the contact material.In this configuration, the contact material can be easily renewed or replaced using the contact material renewal device, without the contact material dragging along the contact surface. This allows the contact material to be renewed particularly gently.

[0036] It is conceivable that the aforementioned vacuum chamber is only formed by pressing the at least one pressing part against the contact material. Within the scope of an advantageous development, the pressing part or at least one of the optionally several pressing parts—together with the contact material—can define the vacuum chamber. The pressing part can thus define which area of ​​the contact material is subjected to negative pressure during operation. In this respect, the pressing part can define the suction area of ​​the suction gripper.

[0037] In an advantageous further development, the pressing device can comprise an outer pressing part and an inner pressing part, with the inner pressing part being arranged, in particular, within the outer pressing part. In such configurations, it is conceivable that only one of the pressing parts delimits the vacuum chamber and thus, in particular, the suction area. The other pressing part can assist in mechanically pressing the contact material against the object.

[0038] The at least one pressing part can be designed in various ways. The pressing part or at least one of the pressing parts can be designed as a pressing frame. In this respect, the pressing part or at least one of the pressing parts can be designed to press the contact material against the object along a circumference around a suction area.

[0039] The pressing part or at least one of the pressing parts, in particular the inner pressing part, can also be designed as an air-permeable, in particular porous, pressing plate. This allows the contact material to be pressed flatly in the suction area without blocking the supply of vacuum to the contact material. Such a design is particularly advantageous when the contact material itself is designed to be air-permeable.

[0040] The pressure plate can be made of a porous material, in particular foam material. Alternatively or additionally, the pressure plate can have a plurality of through-openings, in particular through-holes.

[0041] As mentioned above, in some embodiments the contact material can have a plurality of through-openings, in particular arranged in a grid (e.g. foam mat with a hole pattern). In such an embodiment, it can be advantageous if the pressure plate also has a plurality of corresponding through-openings, in particular through-holes. In particular, the contact material is arranged relative to the pressure plate such that each through-opening in the contact material is fluidly connected to at least one through-opening in the pressure plate. In this respect, the object can be effectively sucked in by the pressure plate and the contact material. Preferably, a cross-section, in particular a diameter, of the through-openings in the contact material is larger than a cross-section, in particular a diameter, of the through-openings in the pressure plate.This facilitates alignment of the contact material relative to the pressure plate, since the contact material does not have to be precisely aligned relative to the pressure plate to establish a flow connection.

[0042] According to the invention, the suction gripper, particularly in the suction area, has a support structure on which the contact material rests with one contact side. The support structure is thus arranged on a side of the contact material facing the object to be gripped. In a gripping configuration, the support structure is thus arranged, in particular, between the contact material and the object. Such a support structure can stabilize the contact material.

[0043] The support structure is designed such that the contact material can contact the object through the support structure. The support structure has a plurality of webs spaced apart from one another such that a gap is formed between adjacent webs into which the contact material can penetrate to contact the object. This creates a particularly large overall contact surface, enabling reliable gripping of the object.

[0044] Advantageously, the contact material can protrude with an edge portion beyond the support structure in order to form a sealing lip for contact with the object to be gripped.

[0045] The contact material can, in particular, be designed to be air-impermeable. For example, the contact material can be designed as a flexible membrane, e.g., made of a latex material or a foam. The contact material can, in particular, define a suction chamber in which the support structure is arranged. The support structure can be designed to be concavely curved toward the object, so that the contact material assumes a curved shape in the suction area.

[0046] It may be advantageous if the suction gripper has a pressing device with a pressing frame for pressing the contact material, wherein the support structure is arranged within the pressing frame. The pressing frame can, in particular, be designed to press the edge portion of the contact material (sealing lip) protruding beyond the support structure against the object.

[0047] In some embodiments, the suction gripper can comprise an integrated vacuum generation device, for example, an ejector for generating negative pressure from positive pressure. The suction gripper, in particular the gripper base body, can also have an interface for coupling the suction gripper to a manipulator, in particular a robot.

[0048] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the figures.

[0049] They show: Fig. 1 a simplified schematic sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of a suction gripper; Fig. 2 a simplified schematic sectional view of another exemplary embodiment of a suction gripper; Fig. 3 a simplified schematic sectional view of another exemplary embodiment of a suction gripper; Fig. 4 the suction cup according to Fig. 3 in a plan view; Fig. 5 a simplified schematic sectional view of another exemplary embodiment of a suction gripper; Fig. 6 the suction cup according to Fig. 5 in a plan view; Fig. 7 simplified schematic sectional view of the suction cup according to Fig. 6 along the Fig. 6 marked section plane VII-VII; Fig. 8 simplified schematic representation of another exemplary embodiment of a suction gripper with two contact material bands; and Fig. 9 simplified schematic representation of another exemplary embodiment of a suction gripper with four contact material bands.

[0050] The Fig. Figure 1 shows a simplified schematic representation of an exemplary embodiment of a suction gripper, designated overall by reference numeral 10. The suction gripper 10 is designed to suction onto and thus grip an object 12. The suction gripper 10 is designed, for example, as a surface suction gripper.

[0051] The suction gripper 10 comprises a contact material 14 for contacting the object 12 in a suction area 16 (use area) of the suction gripper 10.

[0052] As explained in more detail below, the contact material 14 can be designed to be permeable to air, so that the object 12 in the suction area 1 can be sucked through the contact material 14 (cf. embodiments according to Fig. 1 to 4). Alternatively, the contact material 14 can be designed to be air-impermeable. For example, the contact material 14 can define a suction space 64 between itself and the object 12 (cf. embodiments according to Fig. 5 to 7).

[0053] As mentioned above, when used as intended, the contact material 14 in the suction area 16 is subject to operational wear at least in sections (particularly in a contact area with the object 12), e.g. due to mechanical friction between the object 12 and the contact material 14.

[0054] In order to renew, in particular replace, the contact material 14 as needed, the suction gripper 10 comprises a contact material renewal device 18. The contact material renewal device 18 is designed to convey unused contact material 14 to the suction area 16 and in particular to remove used contact material 14 from the suction area 16.

[0055] The contact material renewal device 18 has a contact material storage device 20 in which unused contact material 14 is stored. Preferably, the contact material renewal device 18 also has a contact material receiving device 22 for receiving used contact material 14.

[0056] In the examples shown, the contact material 14 is designed as a flat strip material 24 or contact material strip 26.

[0057] In particular, the contact material 14 is provided as a roll.

[0058] As from Fig. 1, the contact material supply device 20 comprises a supply roll 28, on which the contact material strip 26 is wound at one end, and a take-up roll 30, on which the contact material strip 26 is wound at the other end. The contact material strip 26 can thus be unwound from the supply roll 28 and wound onto the take-up roll 30 (in Fig. 1 indicated by the arrows).

[0059] At the beginning of a usage cycle of the suction gripper 10, unused contact material 14 is wound onto the supply roll 28, and the take-up roll 30 is still largely empty. At the end of a usage cycle, the supply roll 28 is largely empty, and the used contact material 14 is wound onto the take-up roll 30.

[0060] As from Fig. 1, the supply roll 28 and the take-up roll 30 are arranged on opposite sides of the suction area 16, so that the contact material strip 26 passes through the suction area 16 as it is conveyed from the supply roll 28 to the take-up roll 30 along a conveying direction 32. This makes it possible to easily feed unused contact material 14 to the suction area 16 by unwinding or rewinding the contact material strip 26.

[0061] The rollers 28, 30 are mounted, in particular, for rotation about a respective rotation axis 34. As mentioned above, one or both of the rollers 28, 30, in particular at least the take-up roller 20, can be driven.

[0062] The contact material renewal device 18 described above can be used for suction grippers 10 of various types.

[0063] The Fig. Figure 1 shows a first exemplary embodiment of a suction gripper 10, in which the contact material 14 is designed to be permeable to air. For example, the contact material 16 can be formed as a foam material.

[0064] In the specific example, the suction gripper 10 has a gripper base body 36 in which a vacuum chamber 38 is provided. The vacuum chamber 28 can be supplied with negative pressure via a fluid connection 40. As can be seen from Fig. As can be seen in Figure 1, the contact material 14 or the contact material band 26 defines the vacuum chamber 38, so that the object 12 can be sucked through the contact material 14. In this embodiment, the suction area is defined by an extension of the vacuum chamber 38.

[0065] The contact material renewal device 18 can be mounted, in particular, on the gripper base body 36. The gripper base body 36 and the contact material renewal device 18 can also be connected to one another via a higher-level support (not shown).

[0066] The Fig. Figure 2 shows a further embodiment of a suction gripper 10, which has a pressing device 42 for pressing the contact material 14 against the object 12. Specifically, the pressing device comprises a first, inner pressing part 44 and an optional second, outer pressing part 46.

[0067] Preferably, at least the inner pressing part 44 is displaceable relative to the contact material 14 (in Fig. 2 is indicated by the double arrow). In particular, the pressing part 44 can be movably mounted on a gripper base body (not shown separately) of the suction gripper 10.

[0068] The Fig. 2 shows the pressing part 44 in a pressing configuration in which the pressing part 44 rests against a top side 48 of the contact material strip 26. In particular, the pressing part 44 can also assume a maintenance configuration in which the pressing part 44 is lifted from the contact material strip 26 (in Fig. 2 "upwards"). In this maintenance configuration, for example, a new contact material section can be conveyed to the suction area 16.

[0069] As in Fig. 2, the pressure part 44, together with the contact material band 26, defines a vacuum chamber 38, which can be pressurized with vacuum via a corresponding fluid connection 40. In the embodiment according to Fig. 2, the pressing part 44 defines the suction area 16.

[0070] The pressing parts 44, 46 can be connected to the contact material renewal device 18, in particular be held on a gripper base body or carrier (not shown) of the suction gripper 10.

[0071] The Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 show a further exemplary embodiment of a suction gripper 10, which differs from the embodiment according to Fig. 2 differs in particular in a design of the pressing device 42.

[0072] As in Fig. 3, the pressing device 42 also comprises an inner pressing part 44 and an outer pressing part 46. In the embodiment according to Fig. 3, however, the outer pressing part 46 - together with the contact material band 26 - delimits the vacuum chamber 38. In this respect, the outer pressing part 46 defines the suction area 16. The outer pressing part 46 is designed in particular as a pressing frame 50.

[0073] The inner pressing part 44 is in the example according to Fig. 3 is designed as a pressure plate 52. As in Fig. 3, the pressure plate 52 can be displaceable relative to the contact material strip 26. For example, the pressure plate 52 can be guided on the outer pressure part 46 or a gripper base body (not shown) of the suction gripper 10 by means of a linear guide 54.

[0074] The pressure plate 52 is preferably designed to be permeable to air, so that negative pressure can be conducted through the pressure plate 52 to the contact material 14 and preferably through the contact material 14 to the object 12.

[0075] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 4, the pressure plate 52 in the example has a plurality of through-openings 56, arranged in a grid-like pattern, for example. The contact material 14 in the example also has a plurality of through-openings 58 arranged in a grid-like pattern. For example, the contact material 14 can be formed as a foam material with a hole pattern.

[0076] In a gripping configuration, the through-openings 56 in the pressure plate 52 and the through-openings 58 in the contact material 14 are preferably aligned relative to one another such that each through-opening 56 in the pressure plate 52 is associated with a through-opening 58 in the contact material 14. As shown in Fig. 4, a diameter of the through-openings 58 in the contact material 14 is preferably larger than a diameter of the through-openings 56 in the pressure plate 52.

[0077] As mentioned above, the pressing parts 44, 46 and the contact material renewal device 18 can be held together on a gripper base body or carrier (not shown) of the suction gripper 10.

[0078] The Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 show a simplified schematic side view of another exemplary embodiment of a suction gripper 10.

[0079] In contrast to the previously described embodiments, the contact material 14 in this embodiment is preferably airtight. For example, the contact material 14 or contact material strip 26 can be a latex material.

[0080] As from Fig. As can be seen in Figure 5, the suction gripper 10 in this embodiment comprises a support structure 60 in the suction area 16, on which the contact material 14 rests with a contact side 62. The support structure 60 is thus arranged between the contact material 14 and the object 12.

[0081] As in Fig. 6, the contact material 14 extends radially over the support structure 60 with an edge portion 64. The edge portion 64 forms a sealing lip for contact with the object 12, so that a suction chamber 66 is formed between the edge portion 64, in which the support structure 60 is arranged.

[0082] In the example, the suction gripper 10 also includes a pressing part 46, preferably in the form of a pressing frame 50, which presses the contact material 14 in the edge section 64 against the object 12. The pressing part 46 thus defines an opening 68 of the suction chamber 66 and thus the suction area 16.

[0083] The suction chamber 66 can be subjected to negative pressure via a fluid connection 40. In the example, the fluid connection is provided on a central section 70, to which the support structure 60 is also mounted.

[0084] In embodiments not shown, it is also conceivable for the central section 70 not to have a vacuum connection 40. In particular, the suction chamber 66 can be open only on one side through the suction opening 68. In such a configuration, the suction gripper 10 can be used, for example, as a passive gripper.

[0085] As from Fig. As can be seen in Figure 6, the support structure 60 has a plurality of webs 72 extending radially outward from the central portion 70. The webs 72 are distributed along a circumference around the central portion 70, evenly distributed in the example, so that a gap 74 is formed between each two adjacent webs 72.

[0086] The contact material 14 spans the gaps 74 with a respective material section 76 (cf. Fig. 7). Preferably, the contact material 14 is designed to be flexibly deformable, in particular stretchable, such that the material sections 76 can be deformed into the spaces 74 between the webs 72, so that the material sections 76 can contact the surface of the object 12 between the webs 72 with a respective contact section 78.

[0087] In particular, the contact material 14 can be designed to be flexible in such a way that by applying a negative pressure in the suction chamber 66 and thus in the intermediate spaces 78, the contact material 14 is sucked into the intermediate spaces 74 and thus applied to the object 12.

[0088] As mentioned above, one or more contact material strips 26 can be provided. Fig. Figure 8 visualizes an exemplary embodiment with two contact material bands 26, 26' running parallel to each other. With such an embodiment, the suction gripper 10 can then have two contact material renewal devices 18, 18'.

[0089] The Fig. Figure 9 visualizes a further embodiment with four contact material strips 26, 26', 26'', 26''' and four contact material renewal devices 18, 18', 18'', 18'''. In the example, the contact material strips 26, 26', 26'', 26''' run parallel to each other in pairs, with the pairs in turn being oriented obliquely to each other, so that the contact material strips 26, 26', 26'', 26''' partially overlap.

Claims

[1] Suction gripper (10), in particular a surface suction gripper, with a suction region (16) for sucking up objects (12), wherein the suction gripper (10) has a contact material (14) in the suction region (16) for contact with an object (12) to be gripped, wherein the contact material (14) is subject to wear due to use, at least in sections, when used as intended, wherein the suction gripper (10) comprises a contact material renewal device (18) for the, in particular automated, renewal of used contact material (14) in the suction region (16), wherein the suction gripper (10) further comprises a support structure (60) on which the contact material (14) rests with a contact side (62) in the suction region (16), wherein the support structure (60) has a plurality of webs (72) which are spaced apart from one another in such a way that the contact material (14) between the webs (72) can contact the object (12). [2] Suction gripper according to claim 1, wherein the contact material renewal device (18) comprises a contact material storage device (20) for storing unused contact material (14) and in particular a contact material receiving device (22) for receiving used contact material (14). [3] Suction gripper according to claim 2, wherein the contact material renewal device (18) has a contact material conveying device for conveying unused contact material (14) from the contact material storage device (20) to the suction area (16) and in particular for conveying used contact material (14) from the suction area (16) to the contact material receiving device (22). [4] Suction gripper according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the contact material (14) is provided as a contact material strip (26), in particular flat strip material (24). [5] Suction gripper according to the preceding claim, wherein the contact material supply device comprises a supply roll (28) on which unused contact material strip (26) is wound up, and in particular wherein the contact material receiving device (22) comprises a take-up roll (30) for winding up used contact material strip (26). [6] Suction gripper according to the preceding claim, wherein the supply roll (28) and the take-up roll (30) are arranged on opposite sides of the suction area (16), so that the contact material strip (26) passes through the suction area (16) when conveyed from the supply roll (28) to the take-up roll (30). [7] Suction gripper according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the suction gripper (10) has a vacuum chamber (38) which can be subjected to negative pressure and which is partially delimited by the contact material (14). [8] Suction gripper according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the contact material (14) is designed to be permeable to air, in particular made of foam material, further in particular made of foam material with a plurality of through openings (58). [9] Suction gripper according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a pressing device (42) for pressing the contact material (14) against the object (12), in particular wherein the pressing device (42) defines the suction area (16) of the suction gripper (10). [10] Suction gripper according to the preceding claim, wherein the pressing device (42) comprises at least one pressing part (42) which is displaceably mounted on the suction gripper (10). [11] Suction gripper according to the preceding claim, wherein the pressing part (42) or at least one of the pressing parts delimits the vacuum chamber (38) in sections. [12] Suction gripper according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the pressing part or at least one of the pressing parts is designed as a pressing frame (50) which is designed to press the contact material (14) along a circumference around the suction area (16) against the object (12). [13] Suction gripper according to one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the pressing part or at least one of the pressing parts is designed as a porous pressing plate (52) [14] Suction gripper according to the preceding claim, wherein the contact material (14) has a plurality of through-openings (58) and wherein the pressure plate (52) has a plurality of corresponding through-openings (56). [15] Suction gripper according to claim 9, wherein the pressing device (42) has a pressing frame (50) for pressing the contact material (14), wherein the support structure (60) is arranged within the pressing frame (50).

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