WORKPIECE CARRIER

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a workpiece carrier for transporting a workpiece or a product in a conveyor system, comprising at least one workpiece base, which is provided for receiving at least one workpiece, wherein the workpiece base has a receiving surface on which a workpiece can be mounted, and the workpiece base further has a base surface arranged at a distance from the receiving surface. The workpiece carrier further comprises at least one support element, which, during operation of the workpiece carrier, is provided to rest on a conveyor element of a conveyor system having a support surface, wherein the support element is connected to the base surface of the workpiece base, wherein a first movement direction is provided for the workpiece carrier, along which the workpiece carrier can be moved in a conveyor system, and a positioning plane is defined, which is oriented perpendicular to the support surface and perpendicular to the first movement direction.The positioning plane intersects the receiving surface and is arranged along the first movement direction in the middle of the length of the workpiece carrier, and the support element has at least two recesses that are offset from one another in a direction perpendicular to the support surface, and the support element has at least two projections that are also offset from one another in a direction perpendicular to the support surface. The invention further relates to a conveyor system for transporting workpieces and a method for joining multiple workpieces using a conveyor system.

[0002] In production or logistics, workpiece carriers or load carriers are used to transport workpieces or goods between different stations. Typically, such workpiece carriers are used in large numbers in a conveyor system. For example, workpiece carriers can be used in a conveyor system in which workpieces located on the workpiece carriers are processed or inspected at multiple stations. The workpieces can either remain on the workpiece carriers at the various stations or be temporarily removed from them and processed. In general, processes in conveyor systems are preferable in which as little time as possible is required for loading and unloading the workpieces in order to enable a high throughput of the conveyor system.

[0003] In order to enable a temporary connection between workpiece carriers moving adjacent to one another in the conveyor system, there are workpiece carriers designed so that they can be pushed into one another in certain areas. For example, such workpiece carriers are described in CN 205169255 U. Each workpiece carrier has a projection which can be positively inserted into a corresponding recess in an adjacent workpiece carrier. If adjacent workpiece carriers are positioned accordingly, they can thus be positively connected to form a workpiece carrier assembly. In the conveyor system, several interconnected workpiece carriers can be transported together, or the workpieces on them can be processed together in one station. The workpiece carriers can then be separated from one another again.

[0004] US 6102194 A also describes workpiece carriers that can be inserted into one another. The nesting sections of the workpiece carriers are designed in such a way that, when several workpiece carriers are stacked together, they act together as a brake to cushion the impact of the workpiece carriers on each other.

[0005] US 2007 / 0029166 A1, which has the features of the preamble of claim 1, describes a transport system with a plurality of overlapping conveyor slats. This transport system can be used for transporting luggage, for example, at an airport. The individual supports of the transport system are permanently connected to two adjacent supports, yet are rotatably connected to each other.

[0006] DE 196 30 429 C1 describes a method for joining workpieces using high-energy radiation. The workpieces have a welding filler material accommodated in a groove, which facilitates joining. In this process, the workpieces are brought into contact with each other and, in this state, are joined by welding using high-energy radiation, for example, laser radiation.

[0007] These known workpiece carriers are stable against tipping because they have a large contact surface on the surface, for example on a conveyor belt. This type of stability is particularly important when transporting and processing workpieces with a high center of gravity. The disadvantage of these known workpiece carriers is that they require a relatively large amount of space when they are stacked up, i.e. when adjacent workpiece carriers in the conveying direction touch each other. This means that only a limited number of workpiece carriers can be temporarily stored in an available storage section. This type of temporary storage is important in order to have a time buffer available to rectify disruptions in the conveying or production process without having to stop the transport or production.Furthermore, the known workpiece carriers have the problem that, due to the large support surface, workpieces that are smaller than the support surfaces have a large distance from each other during transport or accumulation, which makes joint processing in a group difficult or impossible.

[0008] The object of the invention is therefore to propose solutions with which workpieces or goods can be transported in a tilt-resistant manner, while at the same time allowing a closer arrangement of several workpieces or goods.

[0009] This task is solved by a workpiece carrier for transporting a workpiece or a product in a conveyor system, comprising at least one workpiece base which is provided for receiving at least one workpiece, wherein the workpiece base has a receiving surface on which a workpiece can be mounted and the workpiece base further has a base surface which is arranged at a distance from the receiving surface, at least one support element which, during operation of the workpiece carrier, is provided to rest on a conveyor element of a conveyor system with a support surface, wherein the support element is connected to the base surface of the workpiece base, wherein a first direction of movement is provided for the workpiece carrier, along which the workpiece carrier is movable in a conveyor system and a positioning plane is defined which is oriented perpendicular to the support surface and perpendicular to the first direction of movement, wherein the positioning plane intersects the receiving surface and is arranged along the first direction of movement in the middle of the length of the workpiece carrier and wherein the support element has at least two recesses which are arranged offset from one another in a direction perpendicular to the support surface and wherein the support element has at least two projections which are arranged offset from one another in a direction perpendicular to the support surface,wherein the projection of a workpiece carrier arranged closer to the workpiece base in a direction perpendicular to the support surface can be introduced in a direction perpendicular to the positioning plane into the recess of another workpiece carrier arranged closer to the workpiece base in a direction perpendicular to the support surface, and the projection of a workpiece carrier arranged closer to the support surface in a direction perpendicular to the positioning plane can be introduced in a direction perpendicular to the positioning plane into the recess of another workpiece carrier arranged closer to the support surface in a direction perpendicular to the support surface, wherein each of the recesses extends at least partially on two opposite sides of the positioning plane, in particular through the positioning plane.

[0010] The workpiece carrier according to the invention is intended to hold at least one workpiece and transport it through a conveyor system or production system. The workpiece base of the workpiece carrier is the assembly which directly holds a workpiece during transport. For this purpose, the workpiece base has a holding surface on which a workpiece can be placed or fastened. A base surface is arranged at a distance from the holding surface and can be used, for example, to connect to other assemblies of the workpiece carrier. The holding surface can have different shapes. In a simple embodiment, the holding surface is flat and has a rectangular cross-section in a plan view. However, the holding surface can also have a more complex shape and, for example, have the negative shape of a workpiece to be held in some areas.In addition to the workpiece base, the workpiece carrier comprises at least one support element, which forms the assembly with which the workpiece carrier rests on a component of a conveyor system during operation. The support element is connected to the base surface of the workpiece base and rests with at least one support surface on a conveyor element of a conveyor system during operation.

[0011] For a more precise description of the workpiece carrier and the interaction of several workpiece carriers, two directions of movement and a positioning plane are defined which, as imaginary auxiliary geometry, facilitate the definition of the workpiece carrier. A first direction of movement is understood to be a direction of movement along which the workpiece carrier is preferably moved by a conveyor system in the case in which a partial insertion of several workpiece carriers into one another is necessary or desired. If several workpiece carriers are moved along the first direction of movement, a partial area of ​​a first workpiece carrier can be introduced into a partial area of ​​a second workpiece carrier, thereby enabling space-saving accumulation or buffering of several workpiece carriers. Furthermore, a second direction of movement is defined which is oriented perpendicular to the first direction of movement.If several workpiece carriers are transported along the second direction of movement by a conveyor system, it is not possible for adjacent workpiece carriers to be pushed into one another with the workpiece carrier according to the invention. Along the second direction of movement, therefore, only accumulation can occur, in which adjacent workpiece carriers do not overlap. Along the second direction of movement, fewer workpiece carriers can be temporarily stored on an available buffer section. However, the greater distance between adjacent workpiece carriers and thus adjacent workpieces is advantageous in the second direction of movement, which is sometimes required for certain processing steps. Furthermore, a positioning plane is defined as auxiliary geometry, which is oriented perpendicular to the support surface of the workpiece carrier on the conveyor element. In a horizontally oriented conveyor element, the positioning plane is oriented vertically.Furthermore, the positioning plane is oriented perpendicular to the first direction of movement and intersects the receiving surface. Finally, the positioning plane is positioned in the direction of the first direction of movement in the middle of the total length of the workpiece carrier and thus, in essence, halves the workpiece carrier in this direction. When the workpiece carrier moves along the first direction of movement, the distance between two parallel positioning planes of adjacent workpiece carriers is a measurement that can be used to determine the distance between adjacent workpieces. This measurement can also be referred to as a pitch dimension and serves as the basis for logistical calculations regarding the throughput and production volume of a conveyor system.Preferably, a workpiece is arranged on the receiving surface such that it is parallel to the positioning plane and / or the center of the workpiece in the first direction of movement is congruent with the positioning plane. However, it is of course also possible to mount one or more workpieces on the receiving surface without being arranged parallel to the positioning plane.

[0012] The support element of the workpiece carrier according to the invention comprises two recesses which are offset from one another in a direction perpendicular to the support surface. These recesses are intended to accommodate projections of an adjacent workpiece carrier when several workpiece carriers are stacked up. Thus, the support element also comprises two projections which are offset from one another in a direction perpendicular to the support surface. The distance between the two recesses corresponds to the distance between the two projections. Both the recesses and the projections can have different shapes, although one recess and one projection are always shaped such that the projection can be inserted into the corresponding recess. Each recess is open on one side in the direction of the first direction of movement so that a projection of an adjacent workpiece carrier can be inserted from this direction.The two recesses and the two projections are arranged on the workpiece carrier such that the projection of one workpiece carrier arranged closer to the workpiece base can be inserted into the recess of a second workpiece carrier arranged closer to the workpiece base along the first direction of movement or perpendicular to the positioning plane. The same applies to the projection arranged closer to the support surface and the recess arranged closer to the support surface: the projection of a first workpiece carrier arranged closer to the support surface can be inserted into the recess of a second workpiece carrier arranged closer to the support surface.When two adjacent workpiece carriers are stacked up, the projection of one workpiece carrier that is arranged closer to the workpiece base penetrates into the recess of an adjacent workpiece carrier that is arranged closer to the workpiece base, and at the same time the projection that is arranged closer to the support surface penetrates into the recess of an adjacent workpiece carrier that is arranged closer to the support surface. In this way, adjacent workpiece carriers overlap in the stacked state and can be temporarily stored in a space-saving manner, for example in a buffer zone. According to the invention, a projection of one workpiece carrier can therefore be inserted into a recess of another, adjacent workpiece carrier in the first direction of movement. In addition, however, it can also be possible for such an insertion of a projection into a recess to be provided in a direction other than the first direction of movement and to be geometrically possible.For example, a projection can be inserted into a recess in a direction that runs parallel to the support surface and is oriented at an acute angle to the first direction of movement. Such accumulation can also be referred to as accumulation at an angle to the first direction of movement. Such an oblique accumulation is advantageous, for example, if the relative direction of movement of the workpiece carrier in the conveyor system is to be changed or rotated. Examples of this are described in connection with optional embodiments of the invention.

[0013] According to the invention, both recesses of a workpiece carrier extend at least partially on both opposite sides of the positioning plane. Thus, the two recesses along the first direction of movement are longer than half the length of the entire workpiece carrier in this direction. Each of the recesses thus extends through the positioning plane arranged in the center of the receiving surface. Accordingly, the two projections are also arranged such that they extend on two opposite sides of the positioning plane along the first direction of movement. As a result, when adjacent workpiece carriers are stacked up, each projection penetrates into a recess of an adjacent workpiece carrier by more than half the length of each workpiece carrier. This makes it possible to stack the workpiece carriers according to the invention in a very space-saving manner along the first direction of movement.The buffer capacity of several workpiece carriers according to the invention, relative to the support surface or standing area, is significantly increased compared to known workpiece carriers. A particular advantage of the workpiece carrier according to the invention is that, despite the space-saving storage capacity, the length of the workpiece carrier along the first direction of movement can be selected to be so large that a high tipping stability of the workpiece carrier in the conveyor system is achieved. This tipping stability, in turn, means that even a workpiece with a high center of gravity can be transported stably and safely by a workpiece carrier through the conveyor system. To achieve high tipping stability, the length of the support element along the first direction of movement is preferably significantly greater than the length of the receiving surface for receiving the workpiece. For example, the length of the support element can be selected to be 2, 3 or 4 times greater than the length of the support surface.Such a large overall length of the workpiece carrier makes it very stable, especially during dynamic changes such as acceleration or deceleration in the conveyor system. A workpiece carrier according to the invention is particularly suitable for holding slim, plate-shaped workpieces, such as cells of an electric battery. By incorporating the projections into recesses of an adjacent workpiece carrier, the positioning planes of adjacent workpiece carriers and thus adjacent workpieces can be brought very close together, which even allows joining operations to be carried out, whereby the workpieces can remain on their respective workpiece carrier during joining. Overall, a workpiece carrier according to the invention thus simplifies the transport of a workpiece through a conveyor system and enables improved buffering per surface area of ​​workpieces compared to the prior art.This increases the throughput and reliability of a conveyor system.

[0014] In one embodiment, it is provided that each of the recesses and each of the projections extend at least partially on two opposite sides of the positioning plane, whereby when a projection of a first workpiece carrier is introduced into a recess of a second workpiece carrier, the first and the second workpiece carrier can be positioned relative to one another such that the distance between their positioning planes is less than half the length of a workpiece carrier in a direction perpendicular to the positioning plane. The distance between two positioning planes of two adjacent workpiece carriers arranged relative to one another in a conveyor system can also be referred to as a pitch dimension. Because both recesses and both projections extend on both sides of the positioning plane, they are each longer than half the total length of the workpiece carrier in the first direction of movement.When two workpiece carriers are pushed into one another or stacked in the first direction of movement, the pitch between the workpiece carriers is less than half the total length of a workpiece carrier. In this way, the achievable minimum pitch in relation to the total length of the workpiece carrier is significantly improved compared to the state of the art, and the buffer capacity per available area is significantly larger than with the state of the art. Because the two projections extend on both sides of the positioning plane, torques generated by the center of gravity of a workpiece on the workpiece carrier are effectively supported by the workpiece carrier in the first direction of movement. The workpiece carrier is therefore very stable and therefore also suitable for transporting workpieces with a high center of gravity and / or under high dynamic loads such as acceleration and braking.

[0015] In a further embodiment, the support element has at least two guide elements, each comprising at least two guide points arranged on the outside of the support element in a direction perpendicular to the first direction of movement, wherein connecting lines between the guide points of the guide elements are oriented perpendicular to the positioning plane and are spaced from one another in a direction parallel to the positioning plane, wherein the guide elements are intended to rest at least temporarily or regionally against a guide of a conveyor system during operation of the workpiece carrier. In this embodiment, at least two guide elements are arranged on the support element, which serve to guide the workpiece carrier in a conveyor system.The guide elements are arranged on the outer sides of the workpiece carrier, with these outer sides lying opposite one another on the support element in a direction perpendicular to the first direction of movement. Each guide element comprises at least two guide points which can be connected to one another by an imaginary connecting line. This imaginary connecting line is oriented perpendicular to the positioning plane or parallel to the first direction of movement, with the imaginary connecting lines running parallel to one another in a direction perpendicular to the first direction of movement and being spaced apart from one another. For example, it is possible for the two guide elements to have four guide points together. However, each guide element can also be designed as an actual, geometric line between the two guide points, which can be realized, for example, by a surface that is curved in one direction.In addition, each guide element can also be designed as a guide surface aligned perpendicular to the support surface and perpendicular to the positioning plane. As the workpiece carrier moves through a conveyor system, the two guide elements rest at least partially and at least temporarily against a guide in the conveyor system. This contact can occur as point contact, linear contact, or surface contact.

[0016] Cleverly, the receiving surface is oriented parallel to the support surface. This parallel orientation ensures that the receiving surface for the workpiece is also parallel to the surface on which the workpiece carrier rests. This orientation is particularly advantageous for performing certain work steps on the workpiece and simultaneously prevents the workpiece from slipping off the workpiece carrier. Of course, the receiving surface can also be designed at an angle to the support surface.

[0017] In a further embodiment, the support element has a first partial region and a second partial region which are arranged adjacent to one another in a direction perpendicular to the support surface and are connected to one another, wherein the two partial regions have essentially identical shape and size, wherein the two partial regions are positioned differently relative to the positioning plane. In this embodiment, the support element is designed in at least two parts. The two partial regions are arranged adjacent to one another and are connected to one another. Adjacent here means that the two partial regions do not have to be directly adjacent to one another. It is also possible for an intermediate element, for example one or more spacers, to be arranged between the partial regions. The two partial regions are essentially the same shape but oriented differently with respect to the positioning plane.For example, the two sub-areas can be arranged mirrored to each other with respect to the positioning plane.

[0018] Furthermore, it is provided that the first sub-area is connected to the workpiece base and the second sub-area is connected to the first sub-area on its side opposite the workpiece base, wherein the support surface is arranged on the second sub-area on its side opposite the first sub-area. The elements or components of the second sub-area, the first sub-area and the workpiece base are arranged one above the other in a direction perpendicular to the support surface. Additional components, such as spacers, can also be arranged between these elements or components. In this application, the support surface, which is attached to the second sub-area, is located right at the bottom. The first sub-area is attached above this and the workpiece base is located right at the top, above the first sub-area.

[0019] Cleverly, it is provided that at least one of the guide elements is arranged on the first partial region and at least one of the guide elements is arranged on the second partial region. The guide elements are arranged opposite one another in a direction parallel to the positioning plane on the outer sides of the support element. In an embodiment which has a first and a second partial region, at least one of the guide elements is arranged on the first partial region and at least one further guide element is arranged on the second partial region. It is also possible for at least two guide elements to be arranged on each of the two partial regions. In this way, at least two guide elements are arranged on each outer side of the support element, which are spaced apart from one another in a direction perpendicular to the positioning plane.This embodiment with at least four guide elements is particularly advantageous because it very effectively prevents unwanted rotation of the workpiece carrier in a conveyor system and thus ensures stable alignment of the workpiece carrier along the guide direction.

[0020] In one embodiment, a first recess and a first projection are arranged on or in the first partial area, and a second recess and a second projection are arranged on or in the second partial area. In this embodiment, one recess and one projection are arranged on each of the two partial areas. In this way, a guided nesting of two adjacent workpiece carriers in the first direction of movement is particularly well possible.

[0021] Advantageously, each sub-area has a guide element oriented perpendicular to the positioning plane at opposite ends in the direction of the positioning plane. In this embodiment, a guide element designed as a guide surface is arranged on the outer sides of each of the two sub-areas. This results in very stable guidance of the workpiece carrier in a conveyor system. The guide surfaces, which are oriented perpendicular to the positioning plane, can also be replaced by guide lines, which are also aligned perpendicular to the positioning plane.

[0022] Optionally, the support element can be designed to be the same length or longer than the workpiece base in the direction of the positioning plane. In this embodiment, the support element protrudes beyond the workpiece base on one, preferably both, sides in the direction of the positioning plane. This results in particularly good tilt stability of the workpiece carrier in a direction parallel to the positioning plane. Alternatively, however, the support element and the workpiece base can also be designed to be the same length in a direction parallel to the positioning plane. Furthermore, it is possible for the workpiece base to be longer than the support element in this direction.

[0023] In an advantageous embodiment, it is provided that, in a plan view of the support surface, the outer contour of each partial region on a first side substantially corresponds to the outer contour of the partial region on a second side opposite the first side, wherein the first side lies opposite the second side in a direction perpendicular to the positioning plane. In this embodiment, opposite sides of each partial region are shaped identically. This shape makes it particularly easy to insert a partial region of a first workpiece carrier into a partial region of a second workpiece carrier. For example, the outer contours of each partial region on a first side and on a second side, which lie opposite each other in a direction perpendicular to the positioning plane, can be shaped as semicircles.When two sections of adjacent workpiece carriers are inserted into one another, a semicircular outer contour rests against a correspondingly complementary semicircular outer contour of another workpiece carrier. This allows multiple workpiece carriers to be inserted into one another in a particularly space-saving manner.

[0024] Furthermore, it is provided that the support element is designed symmetrically to the positioning plane in a plan view perpendicular to the support surface. In this embodiment, the positioning plane forms a center plane or plane of symmetry of the workpiece carrier in a plan view. At the same time, however, the two sub-regions are offset from one another in a direction perpendicular to the support surface, i.e., parallel to the positioning plane. The symmetry about the positioning plane is thus given in a two-dimensional projection of the workpiece carrier, but not in three-dimensional space. In this embodiment, the positioning plane is located in the first direction of movement in the center of each of the two sub-regions arranged one above the other.This shape, which is symmetrical in a projection around the positioning plane and is simultaneously formed in a direction perpendicular to the support surface by two superimposed partial areas, makes it possible to arrange two identically shaped recesses and projections in each partial area. When two workpiece carriers are stacked up or brought together in the first direction of movement, a projection of the first workpiece carrier penetrates a recess in the second workpiece carrier, and a projection of the second workpiece carrier penetrates a recess in the first workpiece carrier. In this way, the partial areas of the adjacent workpiece carriers overlap over a large length in the first direction of movement, which allows space-saving stacking of several workpiece carriers.

[0025] In a further embodiment, it is provided that, in a plan view of the support surface, each sub-area is axially symmetrical to an axis oriented perpendicular to the positioning plane. In this embodiment, each sub-area is symmetrical in a direction parallel to the positioning plane, i.e., about an axis perpendicular to the positioning plane. This symmetry allows multiple workpiece carriers to be particularly well stacked or linked together along a second direction of movement oriented perpendicular to the first direction of movement. The axis of symmetry is preferably located in the middle of the length of the support element in a direction parallel to the positioning plane. Of course, a combination of several of the previously described embodiments is also possible.For example, the support element can be designed symmetrically to the positioning plane in a plan view of the support surface and at the same time the two partial areas can each be designed axially symmetrically about an axis which is perpendicular to the positioning plane.

[0026] In a further embodiment, each partial region is V-shaped in a plan view of the support surface, in particular wherein the two legs of the V are arranged at an angle of between 5° and 150° to one another, wherein the free ends of the V each have a guide element on their end faces, wherein the guide elements of the partial regions arranged adjacent to one another and one above the other are aligned with one another at each end of the support element. In this embodiment, each of the two partial regions is V-shaped, wherein the two Vs are arranged symmetrically to the positioning plane in a plan view. The angle between the two legs of each V-shaped partial region can be between 5° and 150°. Preferably, the angles between the two legs are identical in both partial regions.A guide element is arranged on each of the outer end faces, which can also be referred to as the free ends. The free ends are the ends of the sub-areas that are opposite the ends of the legs that are connected to each other to form a V. To ensure good guidance in a conveyor system, the guide elements arranged on the end faces of the first sub-area are aligned with the guide elements on the end faces of the second sub-area. The two V-shaped sub-areas are preferably oriented in opposite directions to one another, meaning that the tip of one V points in the opposite direction to the first direction of movement as the tip of the second V.

[0027] In an advantageous embodiment, it is provided that in a plan view of the support surface, each partial region is at least partially V-shaped, with a recess being arranged between the legs of the V and a projection being formed by the convex outer side of the tip of the V, with each partial region being V-shaped in a plan view of the support surface, with the tips of the V of the two partial regions, which connect its two legs to one another, being arranged on opposite sides of the positioning plane and the two partial regions being arranged symmetrically to one another in a plan view around the positioning plane. In this embodiment, several of the previously individually described embodiments are combined with one another. The support element is formed from two V-shaped partial regions which are arranged one above the other and, in a plan view, are arranged symmetrically to the positioning plane.This means that in a plan view, a projection of the entire support element is shaped symmetrically to the positioning plane. The two recesses are each formed by the area between two legs of a sub-area. The two projections are each formed by the convex outer contour of a V-shaped sub-area. The convex tip of one of the two sub-areas is arranged on a first side of the positioning plane and the convex tip of the second of the two sub-areas is arranged on the opposite side of the positioning plane. This embodiment makes it possible to push several adjacent workpiece carriers far into one another in the first direction of movement and thus to store them in a space-saving manner. At the same time, the support surface of the support element, which is arranged at the bottom of the second sub-area, extends a great length on both sides of the positioning plane.Torques transmitted from a workpiece to the workpiece carrier can thus be particularly well supported. This ensures high tilt stability of the workpiece carrier in the first direction of movement. This design effectively combines the ability to stack multiple workpiece carriers very closely or align them with high tilt stability of each individual workpiece carrier.

[0028] In a further embodiment, it is provided that in a plan view of the support surface, each partial region is at least partially V-shaped, wherein the outer surfaces of the partial regions are at least partially flat on two sides opposite one another perpendicular to the positioning plane, wherein the two legs of the V are each oriented at an angle between 1° and 89°, preferably at the same angle, to the positioning plane. In this embodiment, the outer surfaces of the two V-shaped partial regions are flat and run straight in a plan view. Both outer contours, which lie opposite one another in a direction perpendicular to the positioning plane, are designed to be flat in this way. The legs, as well as their flat regions of the outer surfaces, are preferably oriented at an angle between 1° and 89° to the positioning plane.Angles between 30° and 50° have proven to be particularly advantageous. The flat outer surfaces of the legs are oriented at an angle to the positioning plane, making it possible for several workpiece carriers to be inserted into one another or stacked up in a direction that is diagonal to the first and second directions of movement. “Inclined” means that this direction runs in the same plane as the first and second directions of movement, but is oriented at an angle to these directions of movement that is different from 0° or 90°. During such an inclined insertion, the flat outer surfaces of one workpiece carrier slide along the flat outer surfaces of another workpiece carrier. In this way, a movement in an inclined insertion direction through the workpiece carriers is translated into a movement in the first direction of movement.In this embodiment, workpiece carriers can also be easily changed in their direction of movement by a conveyor system. For example, a transfer can take place in which the workpiece carriers initially move along the first direction of movement and, after the transfer, move along the second direction of movement. For example, a conveyor system can initially accumulate several workpiece carriers along the first direction of movement. Starting from this accumulated state, the workpiece carriers are then separated or deflected by a moving chicane arranged at an angle to the first direction of movement. During this separation, the flat outer surfaces of adjacent workpiece carriers slide against one another. After separation, the workpiece carriers are moved further by a conveyor element whose direction of movement is aligned in the second direction of movement.It is therefore possible to vary the direction of movement of the workpiece carriers in the conveyor system by providing a simple, movable chicane.

[0029] In a further embodiment, it is provided that a spacer element is provided which is movably connected to the workpiece base, wherein the spacer element is arranged laterally on the workpiece base between the receiving surface and the first partial region of the support element and the spacer element has at least one recess which is introduced into the side thereof opposite the workpiece base and which extends in a direction perpendicular to the positioning plane and parallel to the receiving surface and at least one stop is provided which extends in a direction perpendicular to the positioning plane and parallel to the receiving surface, wherein the stop is fastened to the side of the workpiece base opposite the spacer element in a direction perpendicular to the positioning plane and wherein the stop has at least in some regions a size and shape which fits into the recess of the spacer element,wherein, in a first position of the spacer element relative to the workpiece base, the recess is opposite the stop in a direction perpendicular to the positioning plane and is aligned therewith, and in a second position of the spacer element relative to the workpiece base, the recess is not opposite the stop in a direction perpendicular to the positioning plane and is not aligned therewith. In this embodiment, the workpiece carrier comprises a spacer element which is intended to adjust the distance between two workpiece carriers that are inserted into one another in the first direction of movement and are adjacent to one another. The spacer element can be used to adjust the distance between two positioning planes of adjacent workpiece carriers. This distance between two adjacent positioning planes can also be referred to as a pitch. The spacer element is movable,In particular, it is arranged displaceably on the outside of the workpiece base. The spacer element is accordingly attached and mounted to the workpiece base. The spacer element has at least one recess designed to interact with a stop of an adjacent workpiece carrier. Due to the displaceability of the spacer element, it is possible, in one position of the spacer element, to insert the stop of an adjacent workpiece carrier into the recess of the spacer element.

[0030] However, this is not possible in a different, shifted position of the spacer element, as the recess of one workpiece carrier is not aligned with the stop of an adjacent workpiece carrier. In this case, the stop of one workpiece carrier rests on the surface of the spacer element facing away from the workpiece base. The different positions of the spacer element thus result in different pitches between two adjacent, stacked workpiece carriers. Along the first direction of movement, the spacer element and the projection of one workpiece carrier are opposite each other on the workpiece base. It is also possible for the spacer element to have two or more recesses and, accordingly, two or more stops to be arranged on the opposite side of the workpiece base.At least two combinations of recesses and stops ensure improved guidance or alignment of adjacent workpiece carriers in the upright position. The recess and stop are shaped to complement each other, allowing the stop to be inserted into a recess. The shape of the stop and recess, viewed in a direction parallel to the first direction of movement, can vary. For example, this shape can be circular or polygonal.

[0031] In one embodiment, it is provided that the workpiece base has the shape of a cuboid, wherein either the spacer element has a total length in a direction parallel to the positioning plane that is greater than the total length of the workpiece base, whereby the spacer element projects beyond the workpiece base in a direction parallel to the positioning plane, or a cavity is arranged at least at one end in the direction of the positioning plane, which cavity penetrates the workpiece base in a direction perpendicular to the positioning plane and which is open in the direction of the positioning plane on the end face of the cuboid-shaped workpiece base, and the spacer element, when viewed from the first direction of movement, projects into at least one cavity arranged on an end face of the workpiece base or overlaps it, wherein the spacer element is arranged by introducing an object, in particular a blade of a conveyor system,into the cavity is displaceable in its position relative to the workpiece base. In this embodiment, the spacer element is designed so that its position relative to the workpiece base can be automatically adjusted during transport of the workpiece carrier in a conveyor system. This adjustment is made possible by the spacer element being touched and displaced by an object from outside the workpiece carrier. Such an object can be, for example, a blade, which is understood to be a device element that can be advanced in a conveyor system and, in the advanced state, reaches a workpiece carrier that is moved on a conveyor element. In order to be able to easily reach and displace the spacer element by an object,The spacer element can protrude beyond the workpiece base in a direction parallel to the positioning plane. An object can then engage this protruding area of ​​the spacer element from the outside, whereby the spacer element is displaced in position relative to the workpiece base by this engagement. To ensure that the spacer element protrudes beyond the workpiece base, the base is designed to be longer than the total length of the workpiece base and parallel to the positioning plane. Alternatively, in a case in which the spacer element is not longer than the total length of the workpiece base, a cavity can be provided in the workpiece base, which serves as a recess for inserting or passing through an object, such as a sword. Such a cavity penetrates one end face of the workpiece base in a direction perpendicular to the positioning plane. The cavity is arranged in relation to the spacer element such that,viewed from the first direction of movement, protrudes into or overlaps the cavity. When an object is inserted into the cavity, this protruding side of the spacer element is touched, causing it to shift in position. Preferably, two cavities of the workpiece base are introduced, facing each other in a direction parallel to the positioning plane.

[0032] In an alternative embodiment, the spacer element comprises a spacer and an adjustment mechanism, wherein the adjustment mechanism is arranged between the spacer and the workpiece base, wherein the position of the spacer relative to the workpiece base is adjustable, in particular continuously adjustable, in a direction perpendicular to the positioning plane and parallel to the support surface by actuating the adjustment mechanism. In this embodiment, the spacer element comprises an adjustment mechanism that moves a spacer relative to the workpiece base. The adjustment mechanism can be designed in different ways. For example, the adjustment mechanism can be designed as a magnetic switch or servo motor. Furthermore, an electronic control system can be provided which actuates the adjustment mechanism, for example by radio control.This allows the spacer to be moved relative to the workpiece base without the need for an external object, such as a blade. The spacer preferably has a flat outer surface without recesses and is continuously adjustable in its distance from the workpiece base. This makes it possible to individually and continuously adjust the pitch between two stacked workpiece carriers.

[0033] The object of the invention is further achieved by a conveyor system for transporting workpieces and / or goods comprising a conveyor element which is intended to move a plurality of workpiece carriers through the conveyor system and wherein the conveyor element is drivable by a drive, a guide which delimits the conveyor element on two opposite sides and which is intended to guide the workpiece carriers which are moved by the conveyor element, wherein the guide specifies a guide direction at each location of the conveyor element, at least two workpiece carriers according to one of the previously described embodiments, wherein the support surface of each workpiece carrier rests on the conveying element and at least one guide surface or at least a portion of a projection rests at least temporarily on the guide.

[0034] The conveyor system according to the invention comprises at least two workpiece carriers according to the invention according to one of the previously described embodiments. Furthermore, the conveyor system comprises a plurality of components or elements of known conveyor systems. This includes a conveyor element which is intended to transport the workpiece carriers through the conveyor system. The conveyor element can be designed, for example, as a conveyor belt. Of course, several conveyor elements can also be provided, which are moved, for example, in different directions in the conveyor system. Furthermore, the conveyor system comprises a guide which is arranged above the conveyor element and delimits it on two opposite sides. The guide can be designed as a belt and delimits the path along which the workpiece carriers are to move through the conveyor system. The guide runs essentially along the entire length of the conveyor element or elements.The guide specifies a guide direction at every point along the conveyor belt. The guide direction is understood to be the direction of a tangent to the guide. The guide direction changes, at least in some areas, along the length of the guide or conveyor element. The workpiece carriers rest on the conveyor element in the conveyor system with their support surface and are moved by it. The guide of the conveyor system guides the workpiece carriers on their way through the conveyor system. For this purpose, at least one of the guide elements of the workpiece carrier or at least a section of a projection of the workpiece carrier rests on the guide at least temporarily. By temporarily we mean that this does not necessarily have to be the case for the entire transport of the workpiece carrier through the conveyor system.Rather, the guide element or projection strikes the guide, particularly in areas of deflection or change in direction of movement. However, it is also possible that, particularly in straight-line areas of the conveyor element and the guide, there is not always contact between the guide element or projection and the guide. A partial area of ​​a projection can be understood to mean different partial areas. For example, in embodiments with V-shaped partial areas which form projections with their convex outer sides, the tips of this V can temporarily rest against the guide. However, it is also possible for the outer surfaces of the legs of the V to temporarily rest against the guide.Whether the workpiece carriers are in contact with guide elements or projections during transport through the conveyor system depends on the orientation of the workpiece carrier's positioning plane to guide the conveyor system. This means that, depending on the direction of movement of the workpiece carrier, either the guide elements or the projections are in contact with the guide.

[0035] In one embodiment of the conveyor system, it is provided that the workpiece carriers are aligned with their positioning plane parallel to the guide direction and the two guide elements of a first workpiece carrier rest against the two guide elements of a second workpiece carrier or the workpiece base of a first workpiece carrier rests against the workpiece base of a second workpiece carrier, wherein the two workpiece carriers do not overlap, wherein the two projections of both workpiece carriers rest against the guide at least temporarily during transport through the conveyor system. In this embodiment, at least in a partial area of ​​the conveyor system, the workpiece carriers are aligned with their positioning plane parallel to the guide direction. In this orientation, the workpiece carriers cannot overlap or penetrate one another, even when accumulating.When several workpiece carriers are stacked up, at least one guide element of a first workpiece carrier rests against at least one guide element of a second, adjacent workpiece carrier. In this orientation of the positioning plane, the two projections of each workpiece carrier serve to guide the workpiece carrier through the conveyor system and rest against the guide at least temporarily. In addition, partial areas of the support element adjacent to the recesses can also rest against the guide of the conveyor system in order to guide the workpiece carrier stably along the guide direction. In this orientation of the positioning plane, side surfaces of the workpieces mounted on the workpiece carrier can be easily machined.

[0036] In a further embodiment, it is provided that the workpiece carriers are aligned with their positioning plane perpendicular to the guide direction and the workpiece carriers overlap in regions, wherein a projection of a first workpiece carrier extends into the recess of a second workpiece carrier and a projection of the second workpiece carrier extends into a recess of the first workpiece carrier, wherein the guide elements of each workpiece carrier rest against the guide at least temporarily during transport through the conveyor system, in particular wherein the stop of the first workpiece carrier rests against the spacer element of the second workpiece carrier. In this embodiment, the positioning planes are oriented perpendicular to the guide direction. In this orientation, it is possible for several workpiece carriers to slide into one another or overlap along the first direction of movement.This allows for a stacking arrangement in which the positioning planes of adjacent workpiece carriers are only a short distance apart, allowing workpieces mounted on adjacent workpiece carriers to be lined up very closely together. In this orientation of the positioning plane, the guide elements of the individual workpiece carriers serve to guide the workpieces within the conveyor system. When the positioning planes are oriented perpendicular to the guide direction, workpieces mounted on the workpiece carrier can be joined or joined particularly well.

[0037] An advantage of the conveyor system is that the workpiece carriers can be oriented with their positioning plane parallel to the guide direction or perpendicular to the guide direction. The orientation of the positioning plane can also be changed within the system. This allows different processing steps to be performed with different orientations of the positioning plane relative to the guide direction. This enables complex workpiece processing within the conveyor system. To change the orientation of the positioning plane, special stations can be provided in the conveyor system, for example, a transfer station or a rotation station, which automatically change the orientation of the workpiece carriers relative to the conveyor element or guide.

[0038] Optionally, at least one blade is provided which is arranged on or in the guide and, if necessary, can be moved from the guide in the direction of the conveyor element, wherein the blade can be positioned such that it can be introduced into the cavity of the workpiece carrier in order to shift the position of the spacer element relative to the workpiece carrier. In this embodiment, the conveyor system comprises at least one blade which is designed to be movable relative to the guide. If necessary, i.e. in a case in which the pitch of the workpiece carriers is to be adjusted relative to one another, this blade can be moved or advanced in the direction of the conveyor element towards the workpiece carrier. In this advanced state, the blade is then positioned such that it can penetrate into a cavity in a workpiece carrier. This penetration takes place while the workpiece carrier, driven by the conveyor element, moves past the blade.As the blade penetrates the cavity, the spacer element of the workpiece carrier is displaced, which changes the pitch the next time multiple workpiece carriers are stacked. Multiple blades can also be provided in the conveyor system. Alternatively, the blade may not penetrate a cavity in the workpiece carrier, but touch a protruding area of ​​the spacer element, thus displacing it.

[0039] The described conveyor system is suitable for carrying out a method for loading a plurality of workpiece carriers with workpieces using a conveyor system according to one of the previously described embodiments, comprising the steps A) Accumulating a plurality of workpiece carriers at a loading point on or in the conveyor element, wherein the positioning planes of the workpiece carriers are oriented perpendicular to the guide direction for accumulating and the workpiece carriers overlap one another, B) Applying workpieces to the workpiece carriers, wherein the workpieces in the delivery state have a center-to-center distance which corresponds to the distance between two positioning planes of adjacent workpiece carriers, wherein a plurality of workpieces are applied simultaneously to a plurality of workpiece carriers and each workpiece is applied to a workpiece carrier and C) Resolving the accumulated state of the workpiece carriers by moving the workpiece carriers on the conveyor element.

[0040] This method is used to place a large number of workpieces onto a large number of workpiece carriers simultaneously. It is known from the prior art to place one workpiece after the other onto a workpiece carrier at a loading station. This loading method is time-consuming and thus reduces the throughput of the conveyor system. The described method makes it possible to place several workpieces onto the conveyor system simultaneously. This is useful, for example, in a case in which several workpieces are delivered together in a packaging unit, which can then be placed onto the conveyor system as a whole in one step. The described method is preferably carried out in the order of method steps A) to C).For this purpose, in a first process step A), several workpiece carriers are accumulated at a loading point, whereby the positioning planes of the workpiece carriers are oriented perpendicular to the guide direction and the distance between the positioning planes corresponds to the center-to-center distance of the workpieces that are to be placed together on several workpiece carriers. In this accumulated state, the workpiece carriers are then briefly stopped and no longer moved by the conveyor element. In a second process step B), the workpieces are then simultaneously placed on the accumulated, stationary workpiece carriers in the delivery state, with one workpiece being placed on each workpiece carrier. In this way, several workpiece carriers can be loaded with a workpiece in a single step. After the workpieces have been placed, the loaded workpiece carriers are moved further in the conveyor system.During this further movement, the accumulated state is released in a further process step C), whereby the distance between the positioning planes of adjacent workpiece carriers is increased. In this released state, the workpieces on the individual workpiece carriers are easily accessible for processing steps. Optionally, after the described process steps A) to C), the workpiece carriers can be rotated relative to the guide direction in the conveyor system in a further process step D). After this rotation, the positioning planes of the workpiece carriers are then oriented parallel to the guide direction. In this way, the sides of the workpieces that were oriented perpendicular to the guide direction during loading are now oriented parallel to the guide direction. In this way, these sides of the workpieces can now be easily reached and processed from outside the conveyor element.After machining the side surfaces, it is of course possible to rotate the workpiece carriers again so that their positioning planes are once again oriented perpendicular to the guide direction. Because the workpiece carriers can be arranged very close together, so that the pitch between adjacent workpiece carriers is small, the described process can be used to load several workpieces onto several workpiece carriers simultaneously, even with workpieces that are very slim and have a small center-to-center distance from one another when delivered. The described process can be supplemented with the process described below. Furthermore, the described process can be used in the reverse order of the process steps to unload several workpieces simultaneously from a conveyor system.

[0041] The object of the invention is finally achieved by a method for joining several workpieces using a conveyor system according to one of the previously described embodiments comprising the steps A) Accumulating several workpiece carriers, wherein the positioning planes of the workpiece carriers for accumulating are oriented perpendicular to the guide direction and the workpiece carriers overlap each other and the stop and the spacer element of adjacent workpiece carriers touch each other or separating several workpiece carriers (1), wherein adjacent workpiece carriers (1) are spaced apart and the positioning planes (PE) are oriented perpendicular or parallel to the guide direction, B) Applying joining material at least in some areas on at least one workpiece, C) Pushing the workpiece carriers together, wherein the spacer elements of the workpiece carriers are adjusted such that the stops are aligned with the recesses of the workpiece carriers, so that the workpieces touch each other via the joining material and are thereby joined,in particular, wherein the load carriers are lifted from the conveyor element to carry out process step B) and / or process step C).

[0042] The method according to the invention is used to join several workpieces, each of which is mounted on a workpiece carrier. Joining is generally understood to mean the contact of at least two adjacent workpieces or a permanent connection of the workpieces to one another. Joining can be carried out, for example, by gluing the workpieces together. This creates a material connection between the workpieces. Alternatively, joining can also mean creating a form-fitting or force-fitting connection. For example, the workpieces can have connecting elements which are inserted into one another during joining and thus fixed. This can be achieved, for example, by a workpiece having bushings into which protruding pins of an adjacent workpiece are inserted in a form-fitting and / or force-fitting manner. A conveyor system is used to carry out the method according to the invention.The process is preferably carried out in the described order of process steps A) to C).

[0043] In a first process step A), several workpiece carriers, which are oriented with their positioning planes perpendicular to the guide direction, can be accumulated. This accumulation can take place at various points along the conveyor element. During this accumulation, the spacer elements of the workpiece carriers are preferably oriented such that a stop of an adjacent workpiece carrier cannot penetrate the recess in the spacer element. In this way, a larger pitch is created between adjacent workpiece carriers. Alternatively, the process can also begin with a process step A) in which the workpiece carriers are separated, i.e. not accumulated. In this separated state, the positioning planes can be oriented either perpendicular or parallel to the guide direction. Process step A) represents the starting point for the following process step B).

[0044] In a second method step B), joining material is applied, at least in part, to at least one workpiece. Such a joining material can be, for example, an adhesive or an adhesive film. In a case where the workpieces have already been provided with a joining element in method step A), such as a plug connection, a socket, a pin or similar, which is intended to create a force- and / or form-fitting connection, method step B) can also be omitted. The joining material can be applied from different positions in the conveyor system depending on the orientation of the positioning planes of the workpiece carriers. If the positioning planes are oriented perpendicular to the guide direction, devices can be provided which introduce the joining material between adjacent workpiece carriers and thus workpieces.If the positioning plane is oriented parallel to the guide direction, the joining material can be applied laterally, from a direction perpendicular to the guide direction. In this case, where the positioning plane is oriented parallel to the guide direction during the application of the joining material, the workpiece carriers are subsequently rotated so that their positioning planes are oriented perpendicular to the guide direction at the end of process step B).

[0045] In a third process step C), the workpiece carriers with the workpieces applied to them, which are provided with joining material, are pushed together. During this pushing together, one workpiece comes into contact with the joining material of the adjacent workpiece, whereby the workpieces are connected or joined to one another. To enable the pushing together of adjacent workpiece carriers, the spacer elements of the workpiece carriers are first adjusted such that the stops of an adjacent workpiece carrier can penetrate into the recesses in the spacer element. In this way, the pitch between adjacent workpiece carriers and thus between adjacent workpieces is reduced. This reduction in the pitch in turn means that the workpieces can approach each other far enough that the applied fly material comes into contact. The contact of the joining material joins the workpieces to one another.It can be arranged that the workpieces remain in the pushed-together state for a certain period of time, during which the joining material hardens or sets, creating a solid connection between the adjacent workpieces. Once sufficient strength has been achieved during the joining of the workpieces, they can be further processed in the conveyor system or removed from the conveyor system.

[0046] Particularly in process step C), the workpiece carriers and the workpieces placed on them must be aligned with great precision to one another. Such positioning accuracy is sometimes not possible when the workpiece carriers are on a conveying element, such as a conveyor belt. Even during transport on a conveyor element, the workpiece carriers move relative to one another, which can interfere with precise joining. For this reason, it is optionally provided that process step C) is carried out in a state in which the workpiece carriers are lifted from the conveying element. The workpiece carriers can, for example, be placed on a precise joining plate and pushed together there. This improves the positioning accuracy of the workpiece carriers and thus of the workpieces relative to one another.After being pushed together, the workpiece carriers can then be guided back onto the conveyor element, where they continue to move through the conveyor system. Optionally, process step B) of applying joining material can also be performed while the workpiece carriers are temporarily lifted from the conveyor element to improve the positioning accuracy of the joining material application.

[0047] The method according to the invention has the advantage that the joining of several workpieces can take place while they pass through a conveyor system. Joining thus takes place automatically and the method according to the invention has a high throughput of workpieces or joined workpieces. The use of the workpiece carriers according to the invention, which can be arranged very closely together, makes it possible to position the workpiece carriers with the workpieces so close to one another during transport through the conveyor system that joining can take place during transport. At the same time, the workpiece carriers are so tilt-stable that the joining forces that occur when they are pushed together are supported by the support element. The method according to the invention thus enables a stable joining process with a simultaneous high throughput of workpieces.

[0048] Optionally, after completion of process step C), the workpieces are removed from the conveyor system as a joined block. In this embodiment, several workpieces, previously introduced into the conveyor system as individual workpieces, are removed from the conveyor system as a single, joined block. A block is understood to mean the entirety of several workpieces that are in contact with one another or are connected to one another via joining material. This removal preferably takes place as a block at an unloading point in or on the conveyor element.

[0049] In a further embodiment, it is provided that after the removal of several workpieces as a joined block, the accumulated state of the workpiece carriers is released by moving the workpiece carriers on the conveyor element and the spacer element of each workpiece carrier is reset so that the stops are not aligned with the recesses in the spacer elements of the workpiece carriers. In this embodiment, after the removal of the joined workpieces, a state is re-established in which, when several workpiece carriers are accumulated in the first direction of movement, an increased pitch is again present. For this purpose, after the removal of the workpiece carriers, each spacer element is moved into a position in which it is no longer possible to insert the stop of an adjacent workpiece carrier into the recess in the spacer element.If, starting from this newly created state, several workpiece carriers are subsequently stacked up again, the stop of one workpiece carrier strikes the surface of the spacer element of a neighboring workpiece carrier, resulting in a larger pitch than in process step C) when the workpiece carriers were pushed together during joining. This increase in the pitch restores the initial state of the process before process step A), and the process can be used again in the conveyor system to join additional workpieces.

[0050] Features, effects, and advantages disclosed in connection with the workpiece carrier and the conveyor system are also deemed to be disclosed in connection with the method. The same applies in reverse: features, effects, and advantages disclosed in connection with the method are also deemed to be disclosed in connection with the workpiece carrier and the conveyor system.

[0051] The figures schematically illustrate embodiments of the invention. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a workpiece carrier according to an embodiment of the invention, Fig. 2 is a front view in the direction of a first direction of movement of a workpiece carrier according to the Fig. 1 illustrated embodiment, Fig. 3 a perspective view of two workpiece carriers according to the Fig. 1 illustrated embodiment in the accumulated state along the first direction of movement, Fig. 4 a perspective view of two workpiece carriers according to the Fig. 1 illustrated embodiment in the accumulated state along a second direction of movement, Fig. 5 a plan view of two workpiece carriers according to the Fig. 1 illustrated embodiment in the accumulated state along the first direction of movement with a first pitch, Fig. 6 a side view of the in Fig. 5 shown workpiece carrier, Fig. 7 a plan view of two workpiece carriers according to the Fig. 1 illustrated embodiment in the accumulated state along the first direction of movement with a second, reduced pitch, Fig. 8 a side view of the in Fig. 7 shown workpiece carrier, Fig. 9 a plan view of two workpiece carriers according to the Fig. 1 illustrated embodiment when damming from an oblique direction of movement.

[0052] In the figures, identical elements are provided with identical reference symbols. In general, the properties of an element described for one figure also apply to the other figures. Directional references such as "up" or "down" refer to the described figure and are to be applied analogously to other figures.

[0053] Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a workpiece carrier 1 according to one embodiment of the invention. The workpiece carrier 1 comprises a workpiece base 11 shown at the top and a support element 12 shown at the bottom. Arranged laterally on the workpiece base 11, pointing to the front left in the illustration, in the illustrated embodiment is a spacer element 13 which is designed to be displaceable in its position relative to the workpiece base 11. The workpiece base 11 and the support element 12 are firmly connected to one another.

[0054] The workpiece base 11 is provided for receiving at least one workpiece on the workpiece carrier 1. For this purpose, the workpiece base 11 comprises a receiving surface 111, which is oriented upwards in the illustration. In the illustrated embodiment, the receiving surface 111 is rectangular and flat. On the side of the workpiece base opposite the receiving surface 111, a base surface 112 is provided, which is firmly connected to the support element 12.

[0055] The positioning plane PE is shown in dashed lines and represents an imaginary auxiliary geometry for describing the workpiece carrier 1. The positioning plane PE is oriented perpendicular to the support surface 121 of the support element 12, which in the illustration points downwards. When the workpiece carrier 1 is resting on a horizontally oriented surface, for example on a conveyor belt, the positioning plane PE is perpendicular to it, i.e. oriented vertically. The positioning plane PE bisects the length of the workpiece carrier 1 in the direction of the first direction of movement B1, which is indicated by an arrow in the illustration. In the embodiment shown, the positioning plane PE also bisects the receiving surface 111, which is symbolized by the dashed line in the center of the receiving surface 111.The positioning plane PE serves as the reference geometry in the following description of the workpiece carrier 1 and in the description of the interaction between several workpiece carriers in a conveyor system. A second direction of movement B2 is also symbolized by an arrow and is shown to the left in front of the workpiece carrier 1. The first direction of movement B1 and the second direction of movement B2 are preferred directions along which the workpiece carrier 1 is moved in a conveyor system. The different properties of the workpiece carrier 1 during a movement along the first direction of movement B1 and a movement along the second direction of movement B2 are described in the following. Fig. 3 und 4 presented and described.

[0056] In the illustrated embodiment, the support element 12 consists of a first partial region 12a arranged at the top in a direction perpendicular to the support surface 121 and a second partial region 12b arranged at the bottom in this direction. The first partial region 12a arranged at the top is firmly connected to the base surface 112 of the workpiece base 11. The second partial region 12b is connected to the first partial region 12a on its side facing away from the workpiece base 11. The support surface 121, with which the workpiece carrier 1 rests on the ground, for example on a conveyor element of a conveyor system, is arranged on the side of the second partial region 12b facing away from the first partial region 12a. In the illustrated embodiment, the support surface 121 is flat and extends over the entire surface of the side of the second partial region 12b facing downwards in the illustration.In the illustrated embodiment, the support surface 121 and the receiving surface 111 are oriented parallel to one another. However, it is also possible for these two surfaces to be oriented at an angle to one another. The support element 12 comprises two recesses 123a and 123b, of which one recess 123a is arranged in the first partial region 12a and a second recess 123b is arranged in the second partial region 12b. In the illustrated embodiment, the two recesses 123a and 123b have a triangular shape in a plan view of the support surface 121. The two recesses 123a and 123b are arranged one above the other, offset from one another in a direction perpendicular to the support surface 121. The openings of the two recesses 123a and 123b are arranged on opposite sides of the support element 12 in the first direction of movement B1.The support element 12 further comprises two projections 124a and 124b, which are also arranged offset from one another in a direction perpendicular to the support surface 121. In the illustrated embodiment, the first projection 124a is formed by the triangular, protruding tip of the upper, first partial region 12a, which points to the rear right in the illustration. The second projection 124b is formed by the triangular, protruding tip of the lower partial region 12b, which points to the front left in the illustration. In a direction perpendicular to the support surface 121, the first recess 123a is arranged adjacent to the second projection 124b, and the second recess 123b is arranged adjacent to the first projection 124a. The projections 124a and 124b are designed to be complementary in shape to the recesses 123a and 123b, whereby the projections 124a and 124b can be inserted into the recesses 123a and 123b of adjacent workpiece carriers 1.If two identically constructed workpiece carriers 1 are moved toward each other perpendicular to their positioning planes PE or parallel to the first movement direction B1, the projection 124a arranged closer to the workpiece base 11 in a direction perpendicular to the support surface 121 can be introduced into the recess 123a of an adjacent workpiece carrier 1 arranged closer to the workpiece base 11 in this direction. Such a state is shown, for example, in . Fig. 3 shown. At the same time, during the described approach of two identical workpiece carriers 1, the second projection 124b, which is arranged closer to the support surface 121 in a direction perpendicular to the support surface 121, can be inserted into the second recess 123b of another workpiece carrier 1, which recess is arranged closer to the support surface 121 in this direction. By this insertion of the projections 124a, 124b into the recesses 123a, 123b, adjacent workpiece carriers 1 overlap one another and the pitch S, which corresponds to the distance between the positioning planes PE of adjacent workpiece carriers 1, can be significantly reduced compared to a state in which the projections 124a, 124b are not inserted into the recesses 123a, 123b. By this partial insertion of two adjacent workpiece carriers 1 into one another, they can be temporarily stored in a space-saving manner in a conveyor system in a stacked state.According to the invention, both recesses 123a and 123b extend in the first direction of movement B1 in regions on both sides of the positioning plane PE. The first recess 123a begins at the ends of the V-shaped first partial region 12a facing to the front left and extends in the first direction of movement B1 to the inner tip of the first partial region 12a, which is hidden by the workpiece base 11 in the illustration. The second recess 123b extends, mirrored to the positioning plane PE, from the ends of the second partial region 12b facing to the rear right to the inner tip of the likewise V-shaped second partial region 12b, which can be seen in the illustration to the left in front of the spacer element 13. The length of the two recesses 123a and 123b is thus greater than half the total length of the workpiece carrier 1 in the first direction of movement B1. As in . Fig. 1 As can be clearly seen, both recesses 123a and 123b extend through the positioning plane PE. In the embodiment shown, the two projections 124a and 124b are formed by the outward-facing outer surfaces of the V-shaped partial regions 12a and 12b. The first projection 124a is to be understood as that region of the first partial region 12a which extends from the two guide elements 125a and 125b on the outer sides to the tip, which faces to the rear right. It can be clearly seen that this first projection 124a also extends in regions on two opposite sides of the positioning plane PE. The same applies to the second projection 124b, which, in a plan view of the support surface 121, is arranged mirrored around the positioning plane PE to the first projection 123a on the second partial region 12b.

[0057] In the illustrated embodiment, the two partial regions 12a and 12b are essentially identical in shape and size. However, the two partial regions 12a and 12b are oriented differently relative to the positioning plane PE. In a plan view of the support surface 121, each partial region 12a and 12b has an outer contour on a first side which essentially corresponds to the outer contour of this partial region 12a and 12b on its opposite side in the first direction of movement B1. In the illustrated embodiment, these two opposing outer contours are each V-shaped. In this way, the projections 124a and 124b formed by a first outer contour are designed to be complementary in shape to the recesses 123a and 123b formed by the opposite second outer contour and can thus be inserted into one another particularly well.In a plan view of the support surface, the entire support element 12 is formed symmetrically to the positioning plane PE, with the support element 12 being formed by the two superimposed partial areas 12a and 12b. Such a plan view of the support surface 121 is shown, for example, in . Fig. 5 und 7 can be seen. Furthermore, the support element 12 and also each partial region 12a and 12b are designed to be axially symmetrical to an axis in a plan view of the support surface 121, which axis is oriented perpendicular to the positioning plane PE. In the illustrated embodiment, this axis of symmetry runs through the outward-facing tips of the two projections 124a and 124b. In the illustrated embodiment, each partial region 12a and 12b is V-shaped in a plan view of the support surface. The two legs of the V run straight and are aligned at an angle of approximately 70° to one another. This angle between the legs of the V can, however, also be designed differently and is preferably in a range between 5° and 150°. The illustrated V-shape of the two partial regions 12a and 12b is advantageous because it is easy to manufacture and assemble to form a support element 12.On the other hand, the V-shape with its flat, straight outer contours also allows for the inclined stacking of multiple workpiece carriers, which will be described later. The two partial areas 12a and 12b can of course also be shaped differently, for example, in a double V-shape or in a shape with rounded or curved outer contours in the direction of the first movement direction B1.

[0058] In the illustrated embodiment, the support element 12 has a total of four guide elements 125a, 125b, two of which are arranged on the first partial area 12a and two further ones on the second partial area 12b. These guide elements 125a, 125b are intended to rest at least temporarily and / or partially on a guide during the transport of the workpiece carrier 1 by a conveyor system. In the illustrated embodiment, each guide element 125a, 125b is formed by a flat guide surface. Alternatively, however, each guide element 125a, 125b can also be formed by a combination of two guide points or by a guide line. The guide elements 125a, 125b are arranged on the outside of the support element 12 in a direction perpendicular to the first direction of movement B1. In the illustrated embodiment, the guide elements 125a, 125b are arranged at the free ends of the legs of the V-shaped sections 12a and 12b.Free ends are understood to be the ends which are not connected to one another at the tip of the V. The guide elements 125a, 125b are arranged on the front sides of the free ends of the legs, wherein the guide elements 125a, 125b on the first partial area 12a are aligned with the guide elements 125a, 125b on the second partial area. In the embodiment shown, the guide elements 125a, 125b designed as guide surfaces run parallel to the first direction of movement B1 and perpendicular to the positioning plane PE. The guide elements 125a, 125b serve to guide the workpiece carrier in the conveyor system when it moves parallel to the first direction of movement B1. When the workpiece carrier 1 moves in the second direction of movement B2, the guide elements 125a, 125b can also serve as stop surfaces between two adjacent workpiece carriers 1. This state is shown, for example, in . Fig. 4 shown.

[0059] In Fig. 1 The first movement direction B1, in which a sliding of several workpiece carriers 1 into one another is possible, and the second movement direction B2, in which a sliding of several workpiece carriers 1 into one another is not possible, are symbolically indicated by arrows. In addition, however, it is also possible to slide several workpiece carriers 1 into one another in a direction which lies between the first movement direction B1 and the second movement direction B2. For example, starting from the Fig. 1 In the illustrated state, a second, not shown workpiece carrier 1, which is oriented in space identically to the illustrated workpiece carrier 1, is moved from the front left in the illustration in a direction towards the illustrated workpiece carrier 1, which deviates from the first direction of movement B1 symbolized by the arrow by, for example, 30° to the rear left. In this case, the first projection 124a of the second, supplied workpiece carrier 1 also penetrates into the first recess 123a of the illustrated workpiece carrier 1, but from a direction oriented obliquely to the first direction of movement B1. The outer contour of the first projection 124a of the supplied workpiece carrier strikes the inner contour in the recess 123a of the illustrated workpiece carrier 1.Because both the outer contour of the projection 124a and the inner contour of the recess 123a are flat, the two contours slide along one another, translating the oblique advance of the second workpiece carrier 1 into a movement of the second workpiece carrier parallel to the first direction of movement B1. This translation between the two contours ensures that even when a second workpiece carrier 1 is advanced obliquely, the first projection 124a is ultimately inserted into the first recess 123a. The same applies to the second projection 124a and the second recess 123b. This oblique advanceability, which also leads to adjacent workpiece carriers 1 being pushed into one another and thus to a build-up, makes it easier to direct the workpiece carriers in different directions within the conveyor system.Because adjacent workpiece carriers 1 more or less guide themselves when they are moved towards each other at an angle, other sub-sections of the conveyor system can be designed much more simply and therefore more reliably and cost-effectively. In particular, the effort required for stations for rotating or deflecting the workpiece carriers in the conveyor system is saved. The V-shape, which the two sub-sections 12a and 12b have in the embodiment shown, is particularly advantageous for such an inclined feed of workpiece carriers 1, since the flat outer contours of the sub-sections 12a and 12b enable such an inclined feed from two inclined directions. In addition, workpiece carriers can be guided starting from the point shown in . Fig. 3 The accumulated state shown in the figure can also be separated again in an oblique direction. Starting from the Fig. 3 In the state shown, a workpiece carrier can be moved in a direction which lies between the first direction of movement B1 and the second direction of movement B2. In this case too, the outer contour of a projection 124a, 124b initially slides along an inner contour of a recess 123a, 123b until the projection 124a, 124b has emerged from the recess 123a, 123b. From then on, the detached workpiece carrier 1 can be moved individually along the new direction of movement. For such an inclined feeding or accumulation and subsequent separation in an inclined direction, it is particularly advantageous if some of the outer surfaces or outer contours of the two partial regions 12a and 12b are flat, at least in some regions. Preferably, the two legs of the V-shaped partial areas 12a, 12b are each oriented at an angle between 1° and 89° to the positioning plane PE.To enable uniform, inclined stacking or separating in opposite, inclined directions, the angles of the two legs of the V are preferably oriented at an identical angle to the positioning plane PE. A situation during the inclined stacking of two workpiece carriers 1 is shown in . Fig. 9 shown.

[0060] The workpiece carrier 1 in the Fig. 1 The embodiment shown comprises a spacer element 13 which, in cooperation with at least one stop 14, is intended to adjust the distance between two adjacent workpiece carriers 1 in the first direction of movement B1. In the embodiment shown, the spacer element 13 is plate-shaped. The spacer element 13 is arranged laterally on the workpiece base 11 between the receiving surface 111 and the first partial region 12a of the support element 12. The spacer element 13 is movably connected to the workpiece base 11. This movable connection is achieved in that elongated holes 132 are made in the spacer element, which penetrate the spacer element 13 in a direction parallel to the first direction of movement B1. The spacer element 13 is connected to the workpiece base 11 by two screws, one of which penetrates each elongated hole.The spacer element 13 is held in a sliding fit on the workpiece base 11 by the heads of the screws. The longitudinal alignment of the elongated holes is oriented perpendicular to the first direction of movement B1. This results in the spacer element 13 being displaceable perpendicular to the first direction of movement B1 and parallel to the positioning plane PE. In the embodiment shown, the spacer element has two circular recesses 131, each of which penetrates the spacer element 13 in the first direction of movement B1. If the spacer element 13 is displaced parallel to the positioning plane PE, the relative position of the recesses 131 to the workpiece base 11 changes. On the side of the workpiece base 11 opposite the spacer element 13, two stops 14 are arranged, which are shown in the illustration in . Fig. 1 are only visible in certain areas. The two stops 14, for example, are Fig. 5 better visible. Each of the stops 14 extends in a direction perpendicular to the positioning plane PE and parallel to the receiving surface 111. Each stop 14 has a shape and size which can be introduced into one of the recesses 131 in the spacer element 13 of another workpiece carrier 1. In the illustrated embodiment, each stop 14 is designed as a projection which is shaped like a circular cylinder and protrudes beyond the side surface of the workpiece base 11. In a first position of the spacer element 13 relative to the workpiece base 11, a recess 131 is aligned with a stop 14. In a second position of the spacer element 13 relative to the workpiece base 11, the recesses 131 are shifted perpendicular to the first direction of movement B1 relative to the stops 14.By changing the position of the spacer element 13 relative to the workpiece base 11, it is possible to adjust whether or not the stops 14 can penetrate the recess 131 of an adjacent workpiece carrier when several workpiece carriers 1 are stacked in the first direction of movement B1. In this way, the pitch S between two adjacent workpiece carriers 1 can be adjusted. This adjustability is described in . Fig. 5 bis 8 shown and described. The position of the spacer element 13 can be adjusted automatically during the transport of the workpiece carrier 1 by a conveyor system in the illustrated embodiment. For this reason, the workpiece base 11 has a cavity 113 on each of its end faces in the second movement direction B2, which penetrates the workpiece base 11 in a direction perpendicular to the positioning plane PE. Each of the two cavities 113 is open on the end face of the cuboid-shaped workpiece base 11. In the Fig. 1 In the state shown, the spacer element 13, viewed from the first direction of movement B1, is positioned in the cavity 113 located at the rear left. However, the spacer element 13 is not positioned in the cavity 113 located at the front right. Starting from the state shown, by inserting an object, in particular a blade of a conveyor system, into the cavity 113 at the rear left, the spacer element 13 can be displaced to the front right relative to the workpiece base 11. In this displaced state, the spacer element 13 is then positioned in the cavity 113 at the front right. By inserting an object into one of the two cavities 113, the relative position of the spacer element 13 to the workpiece base 11 can thus be adjusted. By this adjustment, the position of the two recesses 131 is also adjusted, which in turn influences whether the stops 14 of an adjacent workpiece carrier 1 can be inserted into the recesses 131 or not.Instead of providing the two cavities 113, the spacer element 13 can also be designed longer than the workpiece base 11, so that it always protrudes beyond the workpiece base 11 on at least one side. In this case, the total length of the spacer element 13 parallel to the positioning plane PE is greater than the total length of the workpiece base 11. In this case, the spacer element 13 can be displaced from the outside by an object without the object penetrating a cavity 113. The cavities 113 are not provided in this case and are also not required.

[0061] Fig. 2 shows a front view in the direction of the first movement direction B1 of a workpiece carrier 1 according to the Fig. 1 illustrated embodiment. Fig. 2 shows the same embodiment in the same condition as Fig. 1 . Therefore, for the elements not related to Fig. 2 be described in addition to the description Fig. 1 In the front view in Fig. 2 It can be clearly seen that the first partial area 12a and the second partial area 12b are arranged one above the other, with the guide elements 125a, 125b arranged on these partial areas 12a, 12b being aligned with one another. Between the second partial area 12b and the first partial area 12a, as well as between the first partial area 12a and the workpiece base 11, there is a distance which is defined by a spacer disk arranged between the elements. This distance or these distances prevent adjacent workpiece carriers 1 from tilting or jamming when accumulating in the first direction of movement B1. In the embodiment shown, the width of the support element 12 in the second direction of movement B2 is greater than the width of the workpiece base 11. Such a wide design of the support element 12 and thus of the support surface 121 ensures high tipping stability of the workpiece carrier 1 even in the second direction of movement B2.In the view in . Fig. 2 It is clearly visible that the spacer element 13 extends into the cavity 113 arranged on the left side or overlaps it. However, the spacer element 13 does not extend into the cavity 113 arranged on the right side, or only extends to a very small extent. Based on the Fig. 2 In the state shown, the spacer element 13 can be moved to the right, guided by the elongated holes arranged therein, so that it then fits into the cavity 113 arranged on the right. In the front view in Fig. 2 It is also clearly visible that both the support surface 121 and the receiving surface 111 are flat, with both surfaces oriented parallel to each other.

[0062] Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of two workpiece carriers 1 according to the Fig. 1 illustrated embodiment in the accumulated state along the first movement direction B1. Two workpiece carriers 1 can be seen, which are identical to the workpiece carrier in Fig. 1 are. The two workpiece carriers 1 are pushed into one another in the direction of the first direction of movement B1. It can be clearly seen that the second projection 124b of the workpiece carrier 1 shown at the back right is inserted into the second recess 123b of the workpiece carrier 1 shown at the front left. The second projection 124b of the right-hand workpiece carrier 1 is inserted into the second recess 123b of the left workpiece carrier 1 up to and beyond the positioning plane PE of the left workpiece carrier 1. Furthermore, the first projection 124a of the left workpiece carrier 1 is inserted into the first recess 123a up to and beyond the positioning plane PE of the right workpiece carrier 1. It can also be seen that the first partial regions 12a and the second partial regions 12b of both workpiece carriers 1 are each at a distance from one another and are oriented parallel to one another.All guide elements 125a of the two workpiece carriers 1 are aligned with one another in the illustrated stacked state. The same applies to all guide elements 125b. The two workpiece carriers 1 abut one another in the illustrated state, with the two stops 14 of the left workpiece carrier 1 abutting the spacer element 13 of the right workpiece carrier 1 without penetrating its recesses 131. This abutment is clearly visible in the top view in . Fig. 7 better recognized and described. The distance between the two positioning planes PE of the adjacent workpiece carriers 1 is the pitch S. In the case where workpieces are mounted on the workpiece carrier 1 with their center planes congruent with the positioning plane PE, the pitch S also corresponds to the center distance of the mounted workpieces. The length L or total length of the left workpiece carrier 1 in the first direction of movement B1 extends from the left-facing end of the first partial area 12a to the right-facing end of the second partial area 12b. The length L can also be defined as the distance between the tips of the V-shaped partial areas 12a and 12b. It is in Fig. 3 It can be clearly seen that in the accumulated state, the pitch S is smaller than half the length L of the workpiece carrier 1. This makes it possible to accumulate several workpiece carriers 1 in a space-saving manner, wherein the workpiece carriers 1 simultaneously have a large length L, which ensures high tipping stability in the first direction of movement B1. In a conveyor system (not shown), the guide elements 125a, 125b rest at least temporarily on a guide. The guide direction, which specifies the guidance of the conveyor system, essentially corresponds to the first direction of movement B1 in the state shown. The resting of the guide elements 125a, 125b on the guide ensures that the alignment of the positioning plane PE to the guide direction always remains the same and the workpiece carriers 1 cannot rotate. In the conveyor system, the support surfaces 121 rest on the surface of a conveyor element, which can be formed, for example, by a conveyor belt.

[0063] Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of two workpiece carriers 1 according to the Fig. 1 illustrated embodiment in the accumulated state along a second direction of movement B2. In contrast to Fig. 1 and 3 are in Fig. 4 the positioning planes PE of two workpiece carriers 1 are oriented parallel to the second direction of movement B2. The positioning planes PE are oriented parallel to the guide direction of the conveyor system. In this orientation, adjacent workpiece carriers 1 cannot be pushed into one another. In the illustrated accumulated state along the second direction of movement B2, the guide elements 125a of the workpiece carrier 1 shown on the left rest against the guide elements 125b of the workpiece carrier 1 shown on the right. In this orientation, the accumulated workpiece carriers 1 do not overlap. The positioning planes PE of the accumulated workpiece carriers 1 are aligned with one another. In a conveyor system, the guide direction runs parallel to the second direction of movement B2 in the illustrated state.During transport of the workpiece carriers 1 through the conveyor system, the projections 124a, 124b of the workpiece carriers 1 rest at least temporarily on the guide of the conveyor system, as a result of which the workpiece carriers 1 are guided and cannot rotate during transport. In the illustrated accumulated state along the second direction of movement B2, each positioning plane PE is easily accessible from a direction perpendicular to the second direction of movement B2, which facilitates machining of a workpiece which is mounted on the workpiece carrier 1. If, for example, a plate-shaped workpiece is mounted on the workpiece carrier with its central plane congruent with the positioning plane PE, the large side surfaces of this plate-shaped workpiece can be machined particularly easily, wherein the workpieces can remain on the workpiece carrier 1. A particular advantage of the workpiece carrier 1 according to the invention is that it can be used both in the . Fig. 4 shown condition as well as in the Fig. 3 shown state. In a conveyor system, it is possible to separate the workpiece carriers during transport from the Fig. 4 shown condition in the Fig. 3 shown state and vice versa. This allows for a very high degree of flexibility in the processing of the workpieces mounted on the workpiece carrier 1. Depending on the processing step to be performed, the orientation of the positioning plane PE relative to the guide direction of the conveyor system can be easily changed.

[0064] In the Fig. 5 bis 8 It is shown how, when several workpiece carriers are stacked along the first movement direction B1, the pitch S between the positioning planes PE of adjacent workpiece carriers 1 can be adjusted by the spacer element 13. This adjustment of the pitch S can be used, for example, to carry out a method in which workpieces, each attached to a workpiece carrier 1, are joined together during transport.

[0065] Fig. 5 shows a top view of two workpiece carriers 1 according to the Fig. 1 illustrated embodiment in the accumulated state along the first direction of movement B1 with a first pitch S. Fig. 5 shows the Fig. 3 shown state in a plan view from above from a direction perpendicular to the support surface 121. The elements and components in Fig. 5 should also be added to the description Fig. 1 and 3In the top view, the positioning planes PE of the workpiece carriers 1 are shown as dashed lines. The pitch S corresponds to the distance between the positioning planes PE of the two adjacent, stacked workpiece carriers 1. The spacer element 13 of the workpiece carrier 1 shown above is in a second position in the state shown, in which the two recesses 131 in the spacer element 13 are not opposite the two stops 14 in a direction perpendicular to the positioning plane PE. In the state shown, the two recesses 131 are offset relative to the two stops 14 in a direction parallel to the positioning plane PE.Thus, the two stops 14 of the workpiece carrier 1 shown below cannot be inserted into the two recesses 131 of the workpiece carrier 1 shown above, but strike the surface of the spacer element 13 of the upper workpiece carrier 1 facing away from the workpiece base 11. By this striking of the stops 14 on the surface of the spacer element 13, the pitch S is determined in the state shown. The pitch S can be structurally influenced or adjusted by the length of the stops 14 in a direction perpendicular to the positioning plane PE. It is also possible to design the stops 14 so that the pitch S can be easily influenced by exchanging the stops 14 if necessary. Fig. 5 It can be seen that there is a distance between the partial areas 12a, 12b of the adjacent workpiece carriers 1. This distance can be seen, for example, between the two tips of the V-shaped partial areas 12a, 12b.

[0066] Fig. 6 shows a side view of the Fig. 5 shown workpiece carrier 1. In this illustration, the workpiece carriers 1 are in the same condition as in Fig. 5 The section plane is shown in Fig. 5 marked BB. In the sectional view Fig. 6 It can be seen that the stops 14 of the workpiece carrier 1 shown on the left rest on the left-facing surface of the spacer element 13 of the workpiece carrier 1 shown on the right. There is a distance between the first partial areas 12a and the second partial areas 12b of the two workpiece carriers 1 in the first direction of movement B1.

[0067] Fig. 7 shows a top view of two workpiece carriers 1 according to the Fig. 1 illustrated embodiment in the accumulated state along the first direction of movement B1 with a second, reduced pitch S. Fig. 7 shows a state in which, starting from the Fig. 5 und 6 shown state, the spacer elements 13 of the two workpiece carriers 1 have been shifted to the right. This shift can, for example, be carried out automatically by inserting a blade from the side into the cavity 113 in the workpiece base 11. Alternatively, the spacer elements 13 can also be moved in another way, for example electronically controlled by a server drive, magnetic switch or similar. By shifting the spacer elements 13 parallel to the positioning plane PE, Fig. 7 a state is created in which the recesses 131 in the spacer elements 13 are aligned with the stops 14 arranged opposite one another on the workpiece base 11. In this way, the stops 14 of the workpiece carrier 1 shown below can penetrate into the recesses 131 in the spacer element 13 of the workpiece carrier 1 shown above. This allows the two workpiece carriers 1 to be pushed further into one another until the end faces of the stops 14 rest against the surface of the workpiece base 11 of the adjacent workpiece carrier 1 or the workpieces on adjacent workpiece carriers 1 come into contact with each other. The pitch S between the two positioning planes PE is in Fig. 7 thus smaller than the gauge S in the Fig. 5 shown state. Only a very small distance remains between the partial areas 12a and 12b of the adjacent workpiece carriers 1, which can be clearly seen, for example, in the area of ​​the tips of the V-shaped first partial areas 12a.

[0068] Fig. 8 shows a side view of the Fig. 7 shown workpiece carrier 1. In this illustration, the workpiece carriers 1 are in the same condition as in Fig. 7 The section plane is shown in Fig. 7 marked AA. In the sectional view Fig. 8 It can be seen that the stops 14 of the workpiece carrier 1 shown on the left penetrate into the recesses 131 in the spacer element 13 of the workpiece carrier 1 shown on the right, penetrate these recesses 131 and rest against the left-facing surface of the workpiece base 11. Between the first partial areas 12a and the second partial areas 12b of the two workpiece carriers 1, there is a very small distance in the first movement direction B1, which is significantly smaller than the distance between these elements in the Fig. 6 shown condition. Starting from the state shown in Fig. 7 und 8 In order to increase the pitch S again during accumulation in the state shown, the workpiece carriers 1 must be moved far enough apart from each other so that the spacer elements 13 return to the position shown in Fig. 5 und 6 shown state. This enlargement of the pitch S can also occur automatically during the transport of the workpiece carriers 1 in a conveyor system.

[0069] The information related to Fig. 5 bis 8 The described adjustability of the pitch S between two stacked, adjacent workpiece carriers 1 can be used, for example, to carry out a joining process for workpieces. The workpieces are first placed on workpiece carriers 1, which are positioned at a larger pitch S to one another. Subsequently, a joining material, for example an adhesive, is introduced or applied between the workpieces. The actual joining process between the workpieces then takes place by reducing the pitch S as described. This also reduces the distance between the workpieces, whereby they are joined, in particular glued, by the joining material arranged between them. This joining process can take place automatically during the passage through a conveyor system.A combination of several workpiece carriers 1 according to the invention is particularly suitable for joining end products composed of several plate-shaped individual parts. For example, batteries made up of several plate-shaped individual cells can be joined or assembled easily and efficiently.

[0070] Fig. 9 shows a top view of two workpiece carriers 1 according to the Fig. 1 illustrated embodiment when accumulating from an oblique direction of movement B3. In the Fig. 9 In the illustrated state, the workpiece carrier 1 shown above is at rest and is, for example, in a waiting position in which several workpiece carriers 1 are to be accumulated. The workpiece carrier 1 arranged below in the illustration moves from an oblique direction of movement B3 towards the stationary workpiece carrier 1. The oblique direction of movement B3 differs from the first direction of movement B1 and the second direction of movement B2. The oblique direction of movement B3 lies between the first direction of movement B1 and the second direction of movement B2 and is oriented at an acute angle to the first direction of movement B1. Such a movement of a workpiece carrier 1 along an oblique direction of movement B3 can occur, for example, when several workpiece carriers 1 are to be moved around a curve or a bend in the conveyor element in a conveyor system. As in Fig. 9 As can be seen, workpiece carriers 1 moving along an oblique direction of movement B3 can be accumulated in a similar way to when the workpiece carriers 1 move along the first direction of movement B1. In the state shown, the first projection 124a of the lower workpiece carrier 1 has already penetrated into the first recess 123a. The flat outer contour of the first projection 124a of the lower workpiece carrier 1, which is pointing upwards to the left in the illustration, rests against the likewise flat inner contour of the first recess 123a of the upper workpiece carrier 1. Due to the flat design of these contours, the two workpiece carriers 1 slide along each other until the stops 14 of the lower workpiece carrier strike the spacer element 13 of the upper workpiece carrier. This state is, for example, in Fig. 3 or Fig. 5 can be seen. The symmetrical V-shape of the two partial areas 12a and 12b is particularly favorable for the illustrated inclined stacking of several workpiece carriers 1. This V-shape provides, on the one hand, flat outer contours of the projections 124a and 124b as well as flat inner contours of the recesses 123a and 123b, which, as shown, can slide along one another. On the other hand, the V-shape enables inclined stacking in inclined movement directions B3 that are different from the first movement direction B1. For example, the lower workpiece carrier 1 could also be moved towards the upper workpiece carrier in an inclined movement direction B3 that is a mirror image of the drawn inclined movement direction B3, relative to the first movement direction B1. Deflecting the workpiece carriers 1 in two differently oriented directions, relative to the current movement direction, is thus possible.The larger the angle between the two legs of the V-shaped sections 12a and 12b, the larger the angle can be that is spanned between the first direction of movement B1 and the oblique direction of movement B3. A particularly advantageous feature of the illustrated embodiment is that the accumulated state of several workpiece carriers 1, which, for example, is a... Fig. 5 is shown, is always identical due to accumulation from many different oblique directions of movement B3 as well as from the first direction of movement 1. The illustrated embodiment of a workpiece carrier 1 is therefore particularly versatile and allows easy accumulation from different, even tolerance-affected or fluctuating directions of movement. In connection with Fig. 9 For details not described regarding the workpiece carriers 1 and the different possibilities of accumulation, please refer to the description Fig. 1 referred to. List of reference symbols:

[0071] 1Workpiece carrier 11Workpiece base 111Support surface 112Base surface 113Cavity 12Support element 12a, 12First partial area, second partial area 121Support surface 123a, 123First recess, second recess 124a, 124First projection, second projection 125a, 125First guide element, second guide element 13Spacer element 131Recess 14Stop B1, B2, B3First direction of movement, second direction of movement, oblique direction of movement LLength PEPositioning plane SSteep

Claims

1. A workpiece carrier (1) for transporting a workpiece or a product in a conveyer system, comprising: - at least one workpiece base (11) provided for accommodating at least one workpiece, wherein the workpiece base (11) includes a receiving surface (111) on which a workpiece is mountable, and the workpiece base (11) further includes a base surface (112) which is disposed at a distance from the receiving surface (111), - at least one contact element (12) which, in the operation of the workpiece carrier (1), is provided to rest on a conveyer element of a conveyer system including a contact surface (121), wherein the contact element (12) is connected to the base surface (112) of the workpiece base (11), wherein a first moving direction (B1) along which the workpiece carrier (1) is movable in a conveyer system is provided for the workpiece carrier (1), and a positioning plane (PE) is defined which is oriented perpendicular to the contact surface (121) and perpendicular to the first moving direction (B1), wherein the positioning plane (PE) intersects the receiving surface (111) and is disposed in the centre of the length of the workpiece carrier (1) along the first moving direction (B1), and wherein the contact element (12) includes at least two apertures (123a, 123b) which are disposed so that they are offset relative to each other in a direction perpendicular to the contact surface (121), and wherein the contact element (12) includes at least two protrusions (124a, 124b) which are disposed so that they are offset relative to each other in a direction perpendicular to the contact surface (121), wherein the protrusion (124a) of one workpiece carrier (1) disposed closer to the workpiece base (11) in a direction perpendicular to the contact surface (121) is insertable into the aperture (123a) of another workpiece carrier (1) disposed closer to the workpiece base (11) in a direction perpendicular to the contact surface (121) in a direction perpendicular to the positioning plane (PE), and the protrusion (124b) of one workpiece carrier (1) disposed closer to the contact surface (121) in a direction perpendicular to the contact surface (121) is insertable into the aperture (123b) of another workpiece carrier (1) disposed closer to the contact surface (121) in a direction perpendicular to the contact surface (121) in a direction perpendicular to the positioning plane (PE), characterised in that each of the apertures (123a, 123b), at least in sections, extends on two opposing sides of the positioning plane (PE), particularly through the positioning plane (PE).

2. The workpiece carrier (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that each of the apertures (123a, 123b) and each of the protrusions (124a, 124b), at least in sections, extends on two opposing sides of the positioning plane (PE) so that, when a protrusion (124a, 124b) of a first workpiece carrier (1) is inserted into an aperture (123a, 123b) of a second workpiece carrier (1), the first and the second workpiece carrier (1) can be positioned relative to each other so that the distance between their positioning planes (PE) is smaller than half the length (L) of a workpiece carrier (1) in a direction perpendicular to the positioning plane (PE).

3. The workpiece carrier (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the contact element (12) includes at least two guide members (125a, 125b) which respectively comprise at least two guide points which are disposed on the outside of the contact element (12) in a direction perpendicular to the first moving direction (B1) , wherein connecting lines between the guide points of the guide members (125a, 125b) are oriented perpendicular to the positioning plane (PE) and spaced apart from each other in the direction parallel to the positioning plane (PE), wherein the guide members (125a, 125b), in the operation of the workpiece carrier (1), are provided to, at least temporarily or in sections, abut on a guide of a conveyer system.

4. The workpiece carrier (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the contact element (12) includes a first segment (12a) and a second segment (12b) which are disposed adjacent to each other and connected to each other in a direction perpendicular to the contact surface (121), wherein the two segments (12a, 12b) have a substantially identical shape and size, wherein the two segments (12a, 12b) are differently positioned relative to the positioning plane (PE).

5. The workpiece carrier (1) according to claim 4, characterised in that the first segment (12a) is connected to the workpiece base (11), and the second segment (12b) is connected to the first segment (12a) on its side located opposite of the workpiece base (11), wherein the contact surface (121) is disposed on the second segment (12b) on its side located opposite of the first segment (12a).

6. The workpiece carrier (1) according to one of the claims 4 to 5, characterised in that at least one of the guide members (125a, 125b) is disposed on the first segment (12a) and at least one of the guide members (125a, 125b) is disposed on the second segment (12b), and / or a first aperture (123a) and a first protrusion (124a) are disposed on or in the first segment (12a) and a second aperture (123b) and a second protrusion (124b) are disposed on or in the second segment (12b).

7. The workpiece carrier (1) according to one of the claims 4 to 6, characterised in that, in a plan view of the contact surface (121), the outer contour of each segment (12a, 12b) on a first side substantially corresponds to the outer contour of the segment (12a, 12b) on a second side located opposite of the first side, wherein the first side is located opposite of the second side in a direction perpendicular to the positioning plane (PE) and / or the contact element (12), in a perpendicular plan view of the contact surface (121), is formed so that it is symmetric to the positioning plane (PE) and / or, in a plan view of the contact surface (121), each segment (12a, 12b) is formed so that it is axially symmetric about an axis which is oriented perpendicular to the positioning plane (PE).

8. The workpiece carrier (1) according to one of the claims 4 to 7, characterised in that, in a plan view of the contact surface (121), each segment (12a, 12b) is formed in a V-shape, wherein particularly the two arms of the V are disposed at an angle of 5° to 150° relative to each other, wherein the free ends of the V respectively include a guide member (125a, 125b) on their front sides, wherein the guide members (125a, 125b) of the segments (12a, 12b) disposed adjacent to each other one above the other are flush with each other on each end of the contact element (12).

9. The workpiece carrier (1) according to one of the claims 4 to 8, characterised in that, in a plan view of the contact surface (121), each segment (12a, 12b), at least in sections, is formed in a V-shape, wherein an aperture (123a, 123b) is disposed between the arms of the V, and a protrusion (124a, 124b) is formed by the convex outer side of the tip of the V, wherein, in a plan view of the contact surface (121), each segment (12a, 12b) is formed in a V-shape, wherein the tips of the V of the two segments (12a, 12b) interconnecting its two arms are disposed on opposite sides of the positioning plane (PE), and the two segments (12a, 12b), in a plan view, are disposed about the positioning plane (PE) so that they are symmetric to each other.

10. The workpiece carrier (1) according to one of the claims 4 to 9, characterised in that, in a plan view of the contact surface (121), each segment (12a, 12b), at least in sections, is formed in a V-shape, wherein the outer surfaces of the segments (12a, 12b), at least in sections, are designed to be planar on two sides located opposite of each other perpendicular to the positioning plane (PE), wherein the two arms of the V are respectively oriented at an angle of 1° to 89°, preferably at the same angle, to the positioning plane (PE).

11. The workpiece carrier (1) according to one of claims 4 to 10, characterised in that a spacer element (13) is provided which is movably connected to the workpiece base (11), wherein the spacer element (13) is laterally disposed on the workpiece base (11) between the receiving surface (111) and the first segment (12a) of the contact element (12), and the spacer element (13) includes at least one aperture (131) which is incorporated in its side located opposite of the workpiece base (11) and which extends in a direction perpendicular to the positioning plane (PE) and parallel to the receiving surface (111), and at least one stopper (14) is provided which extends in a direction perpendicular to the positioning plane (PE) and parallel to the receiving surface (111), wherein the stopper (14) is mounted on the side of the workpiece base (11) located opposite of the spacer element (13) in a direction perpendicular to the positioning plane (PE) and wherein the stopper (14), at least in sections, has a size and shape which fits into the aperture (131) of the spacer element (13), wherein, in a first position of the spacer element (13) relative to the workpiece base (11), the aperture (131) is located opposite of and flush with the stopper (14) in a direction perpendicular to the positioning plane (PE) and, in a second position of the spacer element (13) relative to the workpiece base (11), the aperture (131) is not located opposite of and not flush with the stopper (14) in a direction perpendicular to the positioning plane (PE).

12. The workpiece carrier (1) according to claim 11, characterised in that the workpiece base (11) has the shape of a cuboid, wherein either the spacer element (13) has an overall length which is larger than the overall length of the workpiece base (11) in a direction parallel to the positioning plane (PE) so that the spacer element (13) protrudes beyond the workpiece base (11) in a direction parallel to the positioning plane (PE), or a cavity (113) which extends through the workpiece base (11) in a direction perpendicular to the positioning plane (PE) and which is open on the front side of the workpiece base (11) implemented as a cuboid in the direction of the positioning plane (PE) is disposed on at least one end in the direction of the positioning plane (PE), and the spacer element (13), in a view from the first moving direction (B1), is inserted into or overlaps at least one cavity (113) disposed on a front side of the workpiece base (11), wherein the spacer element (13) is shiftable in its position relative to the workpiece base (11) by inserting an object, particularly a blade of a conveyer system, into the cavity (113).

13. A conveyer system for transporting workpieces and / or goods comprising: - a conveyer element which is provided to move a plurality of workpiece carriers (1) through the conveyer system, and wherein the conveyer element is drivable by a drive, - a guide which confines the conveyer element on two opposite sides and which is provided to guide the workpiece carriers (1) which are moved by conveyer element, wherein the guide determines a guide direction at any location of the conveyer element, - at least two workpiece carriers (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the contact surface (121) of each workpiece carrier (1) rests on the conveyer element and at least one guide member (125a, 125b) or at least one segment of a protrusion (124a, 124b), at least temporarily, abuts on the guide.

14. The conveyer system according to the preceding claim, characterised in that the workpiece carriers (1) are oriented parallel to the guide direction with their positioning plane (PE), and the two guide members (125a, 125b) of a first workpiece carrier (1) abut on the two guide members (125a, 125b) of a second workpiece carrier (1), or the workpiece base (11) of a first workpiece carrier (1) abuts on the workpiece base (11) of a second workpiece carrier (1), wherein the two workpiece carriers (1) do not overlap, wherein the two protrusions (124a, 124b) of the two workpiece carriers (1), at least temporarily, abut on the guide during the transport through the conveyer system (100) and / or the workpiece carriers (1) are oriented perpendicular to the guide direction with their positioning plane, and the workpiece carriers (1), in sections, overlap, wherein a protrusion (124a, 124b) of a first workpiece carrier (1) is inserted into the aperture (123a, 123b) of a second workpiece carrier (1), and a protrusion (124a, 124b) of the second workpiece carrier (1) is inserted into an aperture (123a, 123b) of the first workpiece carrier (1), wherein the guide members (125a, 125b) of each workpiece carrier (1), at least temporarily, abut on the guide during the transport through the conveyer system (100), wherein particularly the stopper (14) of the first workpiece carrier (1) abuts on the spacer element (13) of the second workpiece carrier (1).

15. A method for joining a plurality of workpieces using a conveyer system according to claim 13 or 14 comprising the steps of: A) accumulating a plurality of workpiece carriers (1), wherein the positioning planes (PE) of the workpiece carriers (1) are oriented perpendicular to the guide direction for the accumulation, and the workpiece carriers (1) overlap each other, and the stopper (14) and the spacer element (13) of adjacent workpiece carriers (1) contact each other or separating of a plurality of workpiece carriers (1), wherein adjacent workpiece carriers (1) are spaced apart from each other and the positioning planes (PE) are oriented perpendicular or parallel to the guide direction, B) applying a joining material, at least locally, to at least one workpiece, C) pushing together the workpiece carriers (1), wherein the spacer elements (13) of the workpiece carriers (1) are adjusted so that the stoppers (14) are flush with the apertures (131) of the workpiece carriers (1) so that the workpieces contact each other via the joining material and are joined thereby, wherein particularly the workpiece carriers (1) are lifted off the conveyer element for performing process step B) and / or process step C).