TRANSPORT DEVICE FOR TRANSPORTING CONTAINERS

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a transport device for transporting containers with a plurality of gripping devices for gripping, holding and guiding, in particular, bottle-like containers.

[0002] Gripping devices for gripping, holding and / or guiding, in particular, round-shaped containers, also referred to as "clamping units", are already known from the prior art and are used in the assembly line processing of containers.

[0003] In the context of the present invention, the term "container" refers in particular, but not exclusively, to containers with a substantially circular cross-section, e.g., bottles, cans, or jars, each of which may be made of glass, metal, or plastic, depending on custom. It may also include small containers such as vials or small cans, which are used particularly in the pharmaceutical or cosmetics industries.

[0004] In the context of the present invention, the term "essentially / particularly round-shaped" is not to be understood exclusively as referring to containers that are round in the geometric sense, but also, for example, oval, regularly polygonal, etc., which then in particular have a substantially circular, but for example also oval or polygonal cross-section.

[0005] The term "pivotable" or "rotatable" used below refers to the ability or feature of a component to be movable (rotatable) or movable about an axis.

[0006] The assembly line processing of containers includes, among other things, the cleaning, filling, and closing of these containers. During cleaning, filling, or closing, the containers are gripped at an inlet station by a gripping device with at least one pair of gripper arms, known from the prior art, and transported to the next station in the processing process. Such a gripping device for a container transport system has at least two gripper arms and can switch between a gripping position and an opening position. To transport a container, the gripper arms normally grip below the neck collar, particularly in the case of bottles, and / or around the belly of the container. A control cam acts as the opening means, and a coil spring as the closing means of the gripping device. The spring force of the coil spring serves not only to close the gripping device, but also to hold the container in place with a force fit.Therefore, the spring force is dimensioned accordingly. When the gripping device is opened or moved into the open position by the control cam, a force is applied against the inside of the gripping arm, counter to the spring force. To move the gripping device into the gripping position, the control cam is rotated in such a way that the gripping arm pair of the gripping device is no longer deflected or spread apart by the control cam, and the gripping arms are moved toward each other and closed by the locking mechanism.

[0007] Due to the numerous components of the gripper arm and gripping device, their manufacturing and installation complexity, as well as their maintenance and cleaning effort, are relatively high. The dirt that collects on the gripper arm pairs is particularly found in recesses, corners, and between the components and is undesirable in hygiene-sensitive processes such as the filling of medications or hygiene products, but also food. Furthermore, reducing the size of the gripper arm or gripping device, which is advantageous for guiding and holding small bottles, is not readily possible due to the spiral spring or control cam and their space requirements. A transport device according to the preamble of claim 1 is known from EP 2 881 345 A1.

[0008] It is therefore the object of the present invention to advantageously further develop a transport device of the type mentioned above, in particular to enable miniaturization of the gripper arm and a reduction in the number of components of a gripping device, and in particular to make the gripping device low-maintenance and simplify its structure and installation. Likewise, the control of a gripper arm and the gripping device should be simplified and made more flexible.

[0009] This object is achieved according to the invention by a transport device having the features of claim 1.

[0010] According to this, a gripper arm is provided for a gripping device for gripping, holding, and guiding, in particular, bottle-like and / or round-shaped containers. The gripper arm is provided with a bore for receiving a bearing element for fastening the gripper arm in the gripping device and with a receptacle for a locking means for moving the gripper arm from an open position into a gripping position. The bore is designed to receive a bearing element designed and / or functioning as a pivot shaft and to connect to the bearing element in a rotationally secure manner in order to transmit a pivoting movement of the bearing element to the gripper arm for moving the gripper arm from the gripping position into the open position.

[0011] The gripper arm itself can be divided, at least conceptually, into different regions or also into individual components, in particular into a gripper arm body with the aforementioned bore and the receptacle as well as into a gripping section with at least one gripper finger for gripping and holding a container.

[0012] In comparison to the prior art, the gripper arm of the transport device according to the invention is controlled via a pivot shaft, which means that the control cam (with its own axis of rotation) previously used in a gripping device and a control surface on the gripper arm for the control cam can be dispensed with. The gripper arm therefore offers the advantage of enabling the miniaturization of a gripper arm for a gripping device. This means that the bore, the receptacle for a locking means and the gripping section can be arranged directly next to one another, which reduces the length of the gripper arm between the bore and the gripping section. By omitting the control surface, the receptacle for the locking means can be formed closer to or directly next to the bore. This means that a locking means, in particular a pair of magnets, can be located closer to one another in the open position or during gripping and can therefore have a much greater holding force (attraction or repulsion force).The magnets exert a tensile force (pulling force between the magnets) on the containers being transported. Heavy, full, and bulky containers that, for example, lack grooves or recesses for easier gripping can thus be held more stably and securely.

[0013] Due to the smaller number of parts and components of the gripper arm and the gripping device of the transport device according to the invention, a simpler design of the gripper arm and the gripping device is possible, which is easier to manufacture, install, and maintain. The bore of the gripper arm and in particular the pivot shaft are designed not only to position the gripper arm at a specific location, but also to connect the pivot shaft to the bore in a rotationally secure manner, in particular in a form-fitting and / or force-fitting or material-fitting manner, in order to transmit a pivoting movement of the pivot shaft to the gripper arm (and vice versa). Thus, two functions are combined in one component, the bore and the bearing element acting as the pivot shaft. Furthermore, compared to the prior art, the number of movable or pivotable components is reduced, and the gripper arm and the gripping device require less maintenance and are easier to maintain.The term "positive fit" refers, among other things, to a non-detachable connection, such as a press fit of the pivot shaft in the bore, or a detachable connection in which a pivot shaft of this type can be inserted into a complementary bore, and rotation of the pivot shaft can be transmitted to the gripper arm. For example, the cross-section of the pivot shaft and that of the bore have, at least in part, a star, elliptical, polygonal, or square shape (or other shapes) to jointly enable a detachable and twist-proof connection. A detachable, twist-proof connection has the advantage that gripper arms can be replaced more quickly, and the pivot shaft does not have to be replaced. The term "material fit" refers, among other things, to the material connection created during soldering, welding, or gluing.

[0014] A further advantage of the gripper arm of the transport device according to the invention is that deposits of dirt and grime are reduced, particularly during operation of the device, and the gripping device only needs to be cleaned after longer periods of time and is therefore less maintenance-free. In particular, the gripper arm according to the invention offers the advantage that depressions in which dirt, dust and / or other contaminants tend to collect are, on the one hand, almost completely removed and / or, on the other hand, are facing away from the containers to be gripped. As a result, the areas where germs and contaminants can accumulate, such as surface depressions, are considerably reduced. This results in a gripping device that meets the highest hygiene requirements because the gripping device can be equipped with gripper arms that attract little or no dirt and are not prone to contamination in process-relevant areas.This results in a significant reduction in cleaning work, as the gripper arm is designed with fewer components.

[0015] A gripping device comprising the gripper arm is particularly part of a transport device, also known as a "clamping star," or a container transport system. The containers held by the transport device can be cleaned, filled, or sealed during transport and / or transported to the next station in the process.

[0016] Advantageous developments of the invention are specified in the subclaims. It should be noted that the various embodiments and, in particular, their features can be combined with one another.

[0017] The gripper arm has at least one operative engagement section, in particular a toothed section with teeth arranged at least in segments coaxially around the bore on the inside of the gripper arm, for synchronously pivoting the gripper arm with a gripper arm of the gripping device of the same design. The advantage of this design is that the pivoting movement of the first gripper arm is transmitted synchronously to the second gripper arm, and the second gripper arm does not require a control cam or similar means as an opening mechanism. The design of the operative engagement section on the gripper arm allows the pivoting movement of the first gripper arm to be transmitted directly to the second gripper arm.

[0018] In addition to the operative engagement section on the gripper arm, the pivot shaft further comprises at least one operative engagement section, in particular a toothed section with teeth arranged at least in segments coaxially around the pivot shaft on the inside of the gripper arm, for synchronously pivoting the gripper arm with a pivot shaft of a gripper arm of the gripping device that is of the same design. Identical to the previously mentioned advantageous development, the advantage of this embodiment lies in particular in the fact that the pivoting movement of the first gripper arm is transmitted synchronously to the second gripper arm, and the second gripper arm does not require a control cam or similar as an opening means. Furthermore, there is the advantage that the operative range section, due to its arrangement or design on the pivot shaft, is not necessarily located in the operative or movement range of the gripper arms, and is thus better protected against contamination.The operative engagement section can either be formed directly on the pivot shaft or be ring-shaped and can be pushed onto or fastened to the shaft.

[0019] It has also proven advantageous if an actuating element for controlling the pivot shaft is formed on the pivot shaft. This eliminates the need to directly control the pivot shaft itself, as the shaft may be difficult to grip. The shaft can be designed as a straight and at least partially cylindrical rod. Instead, an actuating element is provided which, depending on the control mechanism, is designed to open a gripping device and thus represents a type of reliable and robust switch. In this case, the actuating element can be cylindrical, in particular rotatable and / or made of plastic or with a plastic layer for damping when interacting with a control device.In this case, the actuating element can preferably be firmly connected to the pivot shaft, in particular at its end or beginning, via an actuating lever in order to improve the control of the gripper arm by means of a suitable lever force and a lever travel on the pivot shaft, ie to make the control slower, faster or more precise.

[0020] The gripper arm preferably has a gripping section designed in this way, which is pivotally mounted about a pivot axis running perpendicular to the bore. This allows containers in an inclined or tilted position to be gripped and held stably and reliably by the gripper arms of a gripping device. The pivot axis can act as a connecting link between the gripper arm body and the gripping section, with at least the gripper arm body or the gripper arm section being pivotally mounted about the pivot axis. The pivot axis can be designed either as a separate component or as one piece with the gripper arm body or as one piece with the gripping section. The pivotable gripping section also has the advantage that the at least two gripper fingers are only connected to one gripper arm body and each gripper finger does not have to be moved via its own gripper arm body.

[0021] Furthermore, the receptacle is preferably designed as a blind hole arranged between the gripping section and the bore, in particular in a gripper arm body of the gripper arm. This shape of the receptacle allows locking means, in particular a magnet, to be attached to the gripper arm or gripper arm body without additional fastening means and merely by means of a press fit.

[0022] Advantageously, the locking means is designed as a magnet of an attractive or repulsive magnet pair. The magnet can be a permanent magnet or a coil generating a magnetic field, with or without a core. This creates a contactless force effect—repulsion or attraction—between the gripping arms of a gripping device, which is beneficial for maintaining hygiene. With an attractive magnet pair, the magnet and thus its receptacle are arranged between the gripping section and the bore. With a repulsive magnet pair, the magnet is arranged on the side of the gripping arm mirroring the bore, or between the end of the gripping arm and the bore.

[0023] It has also proven advantageous if the pivot shaft and the gripper arm are formed together as a single piece. This allows the gripper arm, in particular the gripper arm body, to be manufactured cost-effectively in one piece, e.g. by a plastic injection molding process and in particular from fiber-reinforced plastic, and can be easily inserted into a gripping device and controlled. This eliminates the need to form a bore in the gripper arm and to insert and securely connect the pivot shaft to the gripper arm, saving time and money. This means that, in comparison to the prior art, the gripper arm of the transport device according to the invention can also be manufactured without a bore; provided an axle or shaft is formed on the gripper arm during its manufacture.Likewise, the hole can be omitted if the swivel shaft and / or the gripper arm has a suitable holder or device for mutually anti-twist connection.

[0024] The gripper arm body can be made of plastic or metal, particularly stainless steel. The same applies to the gripping section of the gripper arm. For example, for hygiene-sensitive transport processes or devices, gripper arms, particularly the gripping body, made of metal are preferred. A locking device, particularly a permanent magnet, can be inserted into the gripper arm body and covered with a metal cover. This cover is then welded to the gripper arm body, e.g., by laser, to prevent dirt-attracting recesses in the gripper arm. Due to its elasticity and / or non-slip surface, a plastic gripping section has the advantage of achieving a more stable grip on / around the container without damaging the container during gripping or transport.

[0025] This results in the previously mentioned advantages that the number of components is smaller compared to conventional gripping devices and that the opening means can simultaneously serve as a bearing and / or fastening element for a gripping arm of a gripping device, in particular in a transport device.

[0026] The present invention further relates to a transport device for transporting containers, comprising a plurality of gripping devices, a carrier plate for receiving the gripping devices, a drive shaft for rotating the carrier plate, and a control device for controlling the respective actuating elements. Due to its shape, the control device is also referred to as a cam device, control element, or component. This provides the advantage that the transport device is suitable for rotation both clockwise and counterclockwise without further modifications and can be used for transport.This is particularly due to the shape and design of the control device and the actuating element of the gripping devices, whereby the control device and the actuating element engage with each other regardless of the direction of rotation of the carrier plate and can thus control the gripping devices.

[0027] The control device is fixed in one position and designed to control each actuating element between a first and a second position / angular position of the corresponding gripping device, so that the gripping device is moved into the open position, held in the open position over a certain angle and then transferred into the gripping position.

[0028] Furthermore, it is advantageous if the support plate has two bearing bores for each gripping device for rotatably supporting the pivot shafts, and the operative engagement section of the pivot shafts is arranged below the support plate. This enables cost-effective production of the support plate, since only two bores are required for the pivot shafts of the respective gripping devices.

[0029] An alternative design of the support plate has proven advantageous. It comprises two bearing bores for each gripping device for rotatably supporting the pivot shafts, as well as a counterbore connecting the two bearing bores. The operative engagement section of the pivot shafts of the respective gripping devices is arranged within the counterbore. This provides the advantage that the drive mechanism created by the two interlocking operative engagement sections for transmitting the pivoting movement from one gripping arm to the other gripping arm of the same gripping device is better protected from dirt and other foreign objects, as well as from external influences. Furthermore, this makes the design of the transport device more compact and smaller.

[0030] To improve the mounting and fastening of a gripping device on the carrier plate, each gripping device preferably has an attachment element (bearing cover) for rotatably supporting the pivot shafts, with the attachment element being firmly connected to the carrier plate. This better compensates for leverage forces on the pivot shafts and their bearings when gripping and holding containers, prevents material wear, and extends the operating time of the transport device (keyword: low maintenance).

[0031] The following description refers to the accompanying drawings, which show preferred embodiments and explain further features and advantages of the invention. It is emphasized that some of the figures are identical or similar, and the description of the figures may only refer to the differences between the drawings.

[0032] They show: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a part of a first transport device according to the invention with several gripping devices each with two gripping arms; Fig. 2 is a further perspective view of the transport device from Fig. 1 ; Fig. 3 a perspective view of a second transport device according to the invention with gripping arms; Fig. 4 a further perspective view (from below) of the transport device from Fig. 3 ; Fig. 5a a schematic side view (from below) of a part of a transport device according to the invention from Fig. 1 , in which the gripping device is shown with two gripping arms; Fig. 5b cross-section through the side view of Fig. 5a ; Fig. 6 a schematic partial view (from below) of the transport device from Fig. 1 ; Fig. 7 a perspective view of a third transport device according to the invention with several gripping devices each with two gripping arms; Fig. 8 a further perspective view of the transport device from Fig. 7 ; Fig. 9 another perspective view (from below) of the transport device from Fig. 7 ; Fig. 10a a schematic side view (from below) of a part of a transport device according to the invention from Fig. 7 , in which the gripping device with two gripping arms is shown; Fig. 10b shows a cross-section through the side view of Fig. 10a ; Fig. 11 a perspective view of a fourth transport device according to the invention with several gripping devices each with two gripping arms; Fig. 12 a further perspective view of the transport device from Fig. 11 ; Fig. 13 shows schematic representations (including side and front view) of a gripping device of the transport device according to the invention Fig. 11 ; Fig. 13b a perspective view of the gripping device from Fig. 13a ; and Fig. 13c another perspective view of the gripping device from Fig. 13a .

[0033] Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of part of a first transport device with several gripping devices 2, each with two gripping arms 4, 4a. The gripping devices 2 are all of the same design. Furthermore, the gripping devices 2 are arranged and fastened on a circular support plate 30, in particular on its support ring 32, concentrically around its center point and at the same distance from one another. The center point lies on the same line as a drive shaft (not shown) of the transport device, wherein the drive shaft is connected to the fastening element 34 of the support plate 30 in a rotationally secure manner. The height of the support ring 32 is greater than the height of the fastening element 34, since the gripping devices 2 require a more stable fastening surface. The gripping devices 2 are aligned radially to the center point.Each gripping device 2 has a gripper arm pair consisting of two gripper arms 4, 4a, wherein one gripper arm 4 is designed to be opposite to the other gripper arm 4a. The gripper arm 4 has a gripper arm body 14 and a gripping section 6 with a first and a second gripper finger 8, 10. The gripper arm body 14 is rotatably mounted and connected to the carrier ring 32 by means of a pivot shaft 18 (bearing element) arranged in a bore 16 and connected in a rotationally secure manner. The gripper arm body 14 partially projects beyond the outer edge of the carrier ring 32. The gripping section 6 is directed outwards relative to the carrier plate 30 so that a gripping device can grip and hold a container. In addition to the bore 16, the gripper arm body 14 has a receptacle 20 and a magnet 22 fastened therein. In this case, the magnets 22 of a gripping device have opposite polarity and attract each other. Thus, for example,the north pole of the magnet of the first gripper arm is aligned with the second (oppositely designed) gripper arm of the same gripping device and the south pole of the magnet of the second gripper arm is aligned with the first gripper arm. Furthermore, the gripper arm body 14 is connected to the gripping section 6 by means of a pivot axis 12 in order to allow the gripping section 6 a pivoting movement perpendicular to the bore 16 and to grip inclined containers better. The two pivot shafts 18 of a gripping device 2 are engaged with one another by means of operative engagement sections (not shown), in particular toothings, in order to transmit the pivoting movement of one gripper arm synchronously and evenly to the other gripper arm. One of the pivot shafts 18 of a gripping device 2 is connected to an actuating element 28 via an actuating lever (not shown). As soon as the actuating element 28 engages with the control device 44 and is moved by a path orAngle is deflected, a rotation is transmitted to the pivot shaft 18 and thus to the gripping arm 4. By means of the operative engagement section, this rotation is transmitted to the second gripping arm of the same gripping device 2. The control device 44 is designed in the shape of a circular segment and guides the actuating element 28 along its outer side or circular arc, deflecting it and causing a rotation of the pivot shaft 18 and thus of the gripping arm 4. During this control, the gripping device is opened. Further details about the control device 44 can be found in particular in . Fig. 9 and the following description. The control device 44 is fastened to a mounting frame 36 by means of fastening screws 42 and arranged at a distance from the latter. A first and a second radially shaped recess 38, 40 are formed in the mounting frame 36 at its outer edge in order to serve as a guide for the fastening screws 42. This allows the control device 44 to be displaced before its final fastening to the mounting frame 36, and the control positions / angles of the gripping devices 2 to be determined.

[0034] Fig. 2 shows another perspective view of the transport device from Fig. 1 In addition to the previously mentioned features, the actuating lever 29, the control device 44, and the mounting frame 36 are also more clearly visible. The actuating lever 29 is oriented clockwise from a pivot shaft 18.

[0035] Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of a second transport device with gripping devices 2 each with two gripping arms 4, 4a. In comparison to Fig. 1 the actuating lever 29 is oriented counterclockwise from a pivot shaft 18. Furthermore, the arrangement of the control device 44 or at least the guidance of the actuating element 28 is different, since in Fig. 3 the actuating element 28 is guided on the inside or the chord of the control device 44. Due to the different orientation of the actuating lever 29, the actuating element 28 must be Fig. 1 be deflected in the opposite direction to open the gripping device 2. In addition, the operative engagement section 24 of the pivot shafts 18 is visible and can be arranged on the same level as the actuating lever 29, in particular below the carrier ring 32. The actuating lever 29 in Fig. 1 extends over the axes of the pivot shafts 18, which is why the operative engagement sections 24 are arranged above the actuating lever, in particular in a counterbore in the support ring 32. A further difference lies in the fastening element 34, which in this case, instead of a disc, is designed as four extensions directed toward the center or the drive axis. These extensions are firmly connected to a receiving structure attached to the end of the drive shaft.

[0036] Fig. 4 shows a perspective view from below of the transport device from Fig. 3 The drive shaft 48 of the transport device and its axially symmetrical outer casing 46 are visible from this angle. The outer casing 46 is designed to rotatably support the drive shaft 48 and thus prevent it from rotating. Furthermore, the mounting frame 36 is attached to the outer casing 46 to maintain the position of the control device 44.

[0037] Fig. 5a shows a schematic side view (from below) of a part of a transport device according to the invention from Fig. 1 , in which the gripping device 2 is shown with two gripping arms 4, 4a. The operative engagement sections 24, 24a of the two pivot shafts 18, 18a are arranged within a countersunk bore 54 or blind hole or recess formed on the underside of the support ring 32. The countersunk bore 54 is designed such that the operative engagement sections 24, 24a do not strike the inner edge of the countersunk bore 54 when the pivot shafts 18, 18a pivot. The gripping device 2 is designed such that the gripping arms 4, 4a are arranged parallel to one another in the gripping position, without holding a container, and in particular the magnets in the receptacles 20. A straight section BB runs through the axes centers of the pivot shafts 18, 18a and points to the following cross-sectional view of Fig. 5b there.

[0038] Fig. 5b shows a cross section through the side view of Fig. 5a , wherein a straight section AA runs on the underside of the support ring 32 and the view on Fig. 5a The two pivot shafts 18, 18a of the gripping device 2 are arranged parallel to one another and are rotatably mounted in a first and a second bore 50, 52 of the support ring 32. The depth of the counterbore 54 is designed such that the operative engagement sections 24, 24a are arranged substantially in the bore 54. The actuating lever 29 runs parallel to the underside of the support ring 32, but is spaced sufficiently far apart that the lever 29 is not hindered in its pivoting movement.

[0039] Fig. 6 shows a section of a schematic bottom view of the transport device from Fig. 1 The counterbores 54 for each gripping device 2 are visible here. Likewise, the control device 44 is shown with a first control flank 56 arranged at the beginning and a second control flank 58 arranged at the end. These flanks 56, 58 help to continuously deflect the actuating element 28, guide it to a region with a uniform, maximum deflection, and then release it. The aforementioned region is characterized by an edge of the control device 44, which at every point has the same distance from the drive shaft (not shown), in particular its center point.

[0040] Fig. 7 shows a perspective view of a third transport device with several gripping devices 2 each with two gripping arms 4, 4a, this transport device being a further development of the device from Fig. 1 In the third transport device, the pivot shafts (not visible) extend beyond the bore of the gripper arms on their upper sides and are rotatably mounted or arranged in a bearing element / cover 64 of the gripping device 2. The bearing element 64 is preferably a metal plate with two countersunk holes as bearings for the pivot shafts and two additional mounting holes. The bearing element 64 is arranged at a specific distance from the support ring 32 by means of two spacer elements 60 and is fastened thereto by means of two wing screws 62.

[0041] Fig. 8 shows another perspective view of the transport device from Fig. 7 . The color representation makes the different components easier to recognize.

[0042] Fig. 9 shows another perspective view (from below) of the transport device from Fig. 7 The actuation device 44 consists of a first curve component 45x and a second curve component 45y, each having an upper curve part 66, 68 and a lower curve part 67, 69, as well as the first or second actuation flank 56, 58. The curve parts of a curve component form a surface that engages with the actuating element 28 and are designed and / or arranged relative to one another such that the surface is flat, continuous, and approximately as wide as the actuating element 28 is high. In this case, the actuating element 28 is deflected by the same distance across its entire surface (apart from the actuation flanks 56, 58) in order to open the gripping device 2. This surface is formed half by the upper curve part 66, 68 and the other half by the lower curve part 67, 69, so that one curve part 66, 67, 68, 69 alone could control and guide the actuating element 28.The four curve parts 66, 67, 68, 69 are in the . Fig. 9 all of the same height. Each curve component 45x, 45y is fastened to the mounting frame 36 by means of three fastening screws 42 and spaced therefrom. The fastening screws 42 of the first curve component 45x are guided, received, and fastened in the first circular-arc-shaped recess 38 of the mounting frame 36, and those of the second curve component 45y are guided, received, and fastened in the second circular-arc-shaped recess 40. The circular-arc-shaped recesses 38, 40 have the same curvature (or the same radius) as the surface of the curve components 45x, 45y that engages the actuating element 28. The curve components 45x and 45y themselves are designed and displaceable relative to one another in such a way as to engage with one another and to be able to continuously lengthen or shorten the aforementioned effective surface.When the two curved components 45x, 45y mesh, the upper curved part 66 overlaps the lower curved part 69 such that the surface is continued and the actuating element 28 can be guided continuously and evenly over it. The distance or gap between the two upper curved parts 66, 68 and between the two lower curved parts 67, 69 thus has no effect on the deflection of the actuating element 28, in particular due to the equal height of the element 28 and the height of the actuating device 44. In these gaps, the actuating element 28 is deflected or guided only by the upper curved part 66 or the lower curved part 69. At this point, it should be noted that the actuating device 44 can be formed from one or more telescoping curved components, each of which is formed in one piece or has several curved parts arranged one above the other.It is also emphasized that the control device is made of . Fig. 3 and 4 the same features as the control device from Fig. 9 to the effective surface in Fig. 3 and 4 (not on the outside but on the inside) to be trained and adapted accordingly.

[0043] Fig. 10a shows a schematic side view (from below) of a part of a transport device according to the invention from Fig. 7 , in which the gripping device with two gripping arms is shown. This side view is essentially identical to the Fig. 5a , but also clarifies the cutting path BB for the following Fig. 10b .

[0044] Fig. 10b shows a cross section through the side view of Fig. 10a , which is essentially identical to the Fig. 5b However, the bearing element 64 and the two wing screws 62 are also visible. The special design of the pivot shafts 18, 18a is also visible on their upper sides: the radius of the pivot shafts is smaller than the rest of the pivot shafts. This upper part is rotatably mounted in corresponding counterbores of the bearing element 64.

[0045] Fig. 11 and 12 show a perspective view of a fourth transport device with several gripping devices, each with two gripping arms. In contrast to the gripping devices from Fig. 7 and 8 The bearing elements 64 of the gripping devices 2 are each fixed to the support ring 32 with only a hexagon screw 70 and a spacer element 60. This embodiment requires no additional support for the gripping device from Fig. 7 fewer components and is therefore cheaper, easier to manufacture, easier to install, and easier to maintain. Advantageously, the bearing element 64 and the spacer element(s) 60 (for multiple spacer elements, see Fig. 7 ) can be formed in one piece or connected to each other by a material bond or press fit. The locking means (not visible) are arranged and covered in the gripper arm bodies of the gripper arms 4, 4a.

[0046] Fig. 13a shows four schematic representations (including side and front view) of a gripping device 2 from the transport device Fig. 11 The middle left illustration shows in particular the parallel arrangement of the pivot shafts 18, 18a to one another, the perpendicular alignment of the operative engagement sections 24 and the actuating lever 29 to the shafts 18, 18a, as well as the parallel arrangement of the operative engagement sections 24 to the lever 29.

[0047] Fig. 13b und 13c show perspective views of the gripping device 2 from Fig. 13a . Bezugszeichen

[0048] 2 Gripping device 4 Gripping arm 6 Gripping section 8 First gripping finger 10 Second gripping finger 12 Pivoting axis 14 Gripping arm body 16 Bore 18 Pivoting shaft (bearing element) 20 Receptacle (blind hole) 22 Closing element (magnet) 24 Active engagement section (toothed section) 26 Tooth of the toothed section 28 Actuating element 29 Actuating lever 30 Support plate 32 Supporting ring of the support plate 34 Fastening element of the support plate 36 Fastening frame 38 First recess 40 Second recess 42 Fastening screw 44 Control device (cam device or control) 45x First cam component 45y Second cam component 46 Outer cover 48 Drive shaft 50 First bore for the pivot shaft of the 1st gripping arm 52Second hole for the swivel shaft of the 2ndGripper arm 54Recess for active engagement sections (countersunk hole) 56First control flank 58Second control flank 60Spacer element 62Wing screw 64Bearing element / cover 66Upper curve part (of the first curve component 45x) 67Lower curve part (of the first curve component 45x) 68Upper curve part (of the second curve component 45y) 69Lower curve part (of the second curve component 45y) 70Hexagon screw #aAll reference symbols with an "a" refer to the second gripper arm, which is designed in the opposite direction to the first gripper arm.

Claims

1. A transporting device for transporting containers having multiple gripping apparatuses (2), having a support plate (30) for receiving the gripping apparatuses (2), having a drive shaft (48) for rotating the support plate (30) and having an actuating device (44), wherein the multiple gripping apparatuses (2) for gripping, holding and guiding containers, in particular bottle-like containers, having - in each case, at least one pair of gripping arms configured from a first gripping arm (4) as well as a second gripping arm (4a) of mirror-inverted configuration, wherein the first and second gripping arm (4) of the pairs of gripping arms in each case are furnished with a bore (16) for receiving a bearing element (18) for pivotably fixing the gripping arm (4) in the gripping apparatus (2) and, in each case, with a receptacle (20) for a closing means (22) for moving the gripping arm (4) from an open position into a gripping position, wherein the bore (16) is configured so as to receive a bearing element (18) functioning as a pivot shaft and to connect to the bearing element (18) in a rotationally fixed manner in order to transfer a pivoting movement of the bearing element (18) to the gripping arm (4) for moving the gripping arm (4) from the gripping position into the open position; wherein the first and second gripping arm (4) have at least one effective engagement section, in particular a toothed section (24) with teeth (26) arranged coaxially at least in segments around the bore (16) on the gripping arm inner side, for the synchronous pivoting of the gripping arm (4) with the gripping arm (4a) of mirror-inverted configuration of the respective gripping apparatus (2); the gripping apparatuses furthermore each having - two pivot shafts (18, 18a) for the respective pair of gripping arms, - an operating element (28) configured on one of the pivot shafts (18, 18a) for actuating said pivot shaft, and having - a closing means (22) configured for moving the pair of gripping arms from the open position into the gripping position, wherein a part or a first section of the closing means (22) is arranged in the respective first gripping arm (4) and another part or, respectively a second section of the closing means is arranged in the second gripping arm (4a) assigned to it; wherein the actuating device (44) is fixed in one position and is configured so as to drive each operating element (28) between a first and a second position / angularity of the corresponding gripping apparatus (2) so that the respective gripping apparatus is shifted into the open position, held in the open position at a certain angle, and subsequently conveyed into the gripping position; characterized in that the actuating device (44) is configured as a cam apparatus made of multiple cam components displaceable in one another, which are each integrally configured or have multiple cam parts arranged on top of one another.

2. The transporting device according to Claim 1, wherein the support plate (30) has two bearing bores (50, 52) for each gripping apparatus for mounting the pivot shafts, and wherein the effective engagement section of the pivot shafts is arranged beneath the support plate.

3. The transporting device according to Claim 1, wherein the support plate (30) has two bearing bores (50, 52) for each gripping apparatus for mounting the pivot shafts as well as a countersink (54) connecting the two bearing bores, and wherein the effective engagement section of the pivot shafts is arranged inside the countersink.

4. The transporting device according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein each gripping apparatus (2) has an attachment element (64) for rotatably mounting the pivot shafts, wherein the attachment element is fixedly connected to the support plate (30).

5. The transporting device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the respective gripping arm (4) has a gripping section (6), wherein the gripping section (6) is pivotably mounted about a pivot axis (12) running perpendicularly to the bore (16).

6. The transporting device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the receptacle (20) is configured as a blind hole arranged between the respective gripping section (6) and the bore (16), in particular in a gripping arm body (14) of the gripping arm (4).

7. The transporting device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the closing means (22) is configured as a magnet of an attracting or a repelling pair of magnets.

8. The transporting device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by a pivot shaft (18) which is integrally configured with the respective gripping arm (4).