Gripping device for a handling device, and also mechanical arrangement having such a handling device

Abstract

The invention relates to a gripping device (43) for a handling device (31) of a processing machine (11), in particular for handling plate-form or panel-form workpieces (12, 37), having a carrying structure (45), having at least one gripper bar (46, 47), which is arranged on the carrying structure (45) and is oriented for displacement along an axis of the carrying structure (45) and extends along a further axis of the carrying structure (45), which differs from the displacement axis, and having gripping elements (49), which are arranged on the underside of the gripper bars (46, 47) and are intended for handling the at least one workpiece (12, 37), wherein the gripper bars (46, 47) each have, in an end region, at least one gripper finger (51), which - as seen in the longitudinal axis of the gripper bar (46, 47) - is of a tapered design in relation to a main portion (50) of the gripper bar (46, 47).

Description

[0001] Gripping device for a handling device and mechanical arrangement with such a handling device

[0002] The invention relates to a gripping device for a handling device of a processing machine, in particular for handling plate-shaped workpieces, as well as a mechanical arrangement for handling at least one plate-shaped workpiece with a gripping device.

[0003] From DE 10 2020 128 656 A1, a mechanical arrangement for producing at least one plate-shaped workpiece from a sheet metal is known. This mechanical arrangement comprises a processing machine which has at least one processing device by means of which the at least one plate-shaped workpiece arranged on a workpiece support is processed. The supplied workpiece, in particular a plate-shaped raw material, can be separated into one or more workpieces and / or into a residual skeleton. The processing device is assigned a loading station in which the at least one workpiece to be processed is provided lying on a support surface. Furthermore, an unloading station is provided in which the at least one processed workpiece and / or the residual skeleton is placed on a deposit surface. This unloading station orThe storage area of ​​the unloading station is positioned below a workpiece support of the processing device. A linear axis device, which comprises at least one horizontally aligned linear axis, accommodates a gripping device that is guided for movement along a first movement axis. The gripping device comprises a support structure with gripper bars arranged so that they can be moved thereon, which have gripping elements, in particular in the form of suction grippers, on their underside. This allows the workpiece to be processed to be transferred from the loading station to the processing device, and then the at least one processed workpiece can be placed on the storage area of ​​the unloading station, which is positioned below the workpiece support. Such movements are time-consuming and require the gripping device to be started and stopped several times.In addition, separating the plate-shaped workpieces provided at the loading station without additional aids is time-consuming. EP 1 967 301 A1 discloses another mechanical arrangement for processing plate-shaped workpieces, in particular sheet metal. This mechanical arrangement comprises a processing device to which a plate-shaped workpiece is fed by means of a handling device. After the plate-shaped workpiece has been processed by the processing device, the processed workpieces and / or the residual skeleton or the residual skeleton parts are removed from the processing device by the handling device and transferred to an unloading station. The handling device comprises a support structure on which several gripper beams are provided so as to be movable relative to the support structure.Each gripper beam is equipped with several vacuum suction elements, which can grip the plate-shaped workpiece(s). The gripper beams have rectangular formats, which determine the gripping area. In the area of ​​interference contours within the processing area of ​​the processing device, which can be caused, for example, by a punching tool and / or a laser cutting head, dead zones for the gripper beam can occur, within which the workpiece(s) cannot be gripped.

[0004] The invention is based on the object of proposing a gripping device and a mechanical arrangement with a processing device comprising such a gripping device, by means of which a flexible assumption of different removal positions adjacent to at least one interfering contour within the processing area of ​​the processing machine for handling workpieces is made possible.

[0005] This object is achieved by a gripping device for a handling device of a processing machine, which comprises a support structure on which at least one, preferably two, gripper bars are arranged such that they can move along a first axis of the support structure and extend along a further axis which is oriented differently from the first axis of the support structure and with gripping elements arranged on the underside of the gripper bar for handling the workpieces, wherein the gripper bar has at least one gripper finger in an end region which extends in the longitudinal axis of the gripper bar and is tapered compared to a main section of the gripper bar.This gripper finger of the gripper bar allows the gripping device to be positioned directly adjacent to an interfering contour, thereby significantly reducing or even eliminating previous dead zones for the gripper bar, which are formed due to the at least one interfering contour within a processing space of the processing machine, within which the gripper bar cannot be positioned for handling, in particular gripping, a workpiece. This enables, in particular, improved and flexible removal of workpieces from the workpiece support after their processing.

[0006] Preferably, the main section of the gripper bar extends at least over a length along which the gripper bar is movably mounted on the support structure. As a result, the at least one gripper finger is oriented outside a spatial extent of the support structure.

[0007] Furthermore, it is preferably provided that the main section of the gripper bar extends from one end region to the gripper finger, preferably with a constant width. As a result, one end region of the gripper bar can be designed with a reduced gripping surface width due to the formation of the gripper finger, whereas the opposite end provides an increased gripping width on the gripper bar.

[0008] The gripper finger is preferably aligned asymmetrically to the longitudinal axis of the gripper beam. In particular, it is provided that the gripper finger is designed with an outer side flush or aligned with an outer side of the main section of the gripper beam. This allows a fictitious zero line to be formed, in which both the outer side of the gripper finger and the outer side of the main section of the gripper beam lie. This facilitates the control of travel movements of the gripping device between a loading station, an unloading station, and / or a workpiece support of the processing device.

[0009] A preferred embodiment of the gripper finger provides that the gripper finger, viewed transversely to the longitudinal axis of the gripper bar and starting from its free front end, is designed to increase in width toward the main section. This allows for easy adaptation to dead zones around the interfering contour through the length and / or width of the gripper finger in order to minimize or eliminate these. The gripper finger preferably has a transition region that merges flush into the main section. This enables a gripping force reduced by the gripper finger to act only to the extent that is absolutely necessary to avoid the dead zones around the interfering contour.

[0010] The gripper finger is preferably attached to the main section of the gripper beam by means of an interface, preferably detachably. This also allows the gripper finger to be replaceable.

[0011] The gripper finger can be designed to gradually increase in width starting from its free end face. This allows gripping elements, particularly vacuum suction elements, to be positioned, particularly in the corner areas of the gradually increasing width of the gripper finger, so that a maximum gripping surface can be achieved by the gripping elements within the gripper finger.

[0012] Furthermore, the gripper finger can be designed to be smaller in height than the main section of the gripper beam. This allows this gripping device to reach even very low areas between the interfering contour, in particular a machining head, and the workpiece support for removing at least one workpiece.

[0013] Advantageously, the gripper finger is designed to increase in height, particularly in a stepped manner, from its free end face toward the main section of the gripper bar. This allows for specific adaptation to the at least one interfering contour within the processing area of ​​the processing device.

[0014] Preferably, the gripper bars, each with at least one asymmetrically aligned gripper finger, are provided on the support structure in the same alignment with one another, so that the longitudinal sides of the gripper bars, along which the gripper finger and the main section extend, are in the same alignment.

[0015] The width of the gripper fingers on the respective gripper beam is preferably reduced to a size such that the free distance between two gripper fingers in two adjacent main sections of the gripper beams is equal to or smaller than the interference contour in the processing area of ​​the processing device. This enables an interference contour to be optimally enclosed by two adjacent gripper beams.

[0016] The object underlying the invention is further achieved by a mechanical arrangement for handling at least one plate-shaped workpiece, in particular made of sheet metal, which comprises a processing machine, a loading station, an unloading station, and a linear axis device. A handling device can be moved into the loading station, the unloading station, and / or the processing machine by means of the linear axis device. The handling device comprises a gripping device according to one of the previously described embodiments. This enables the support structure of the handling device to be moved relative to the at least one interfering contour within the processing machine in order to position the gripper fingers of the gripper bars directly adjacent to the interfering contours for depositing or removing the at least one workpiece.This allows dead zones that can form around the interfering contour(s) to be avoided or eliminated. Furthermore, it allows for flexible control of removal positions.

[0017] The invention, as well as further advantageous embodiments and developments thereof, are described and explained in more detail below with reference to the examples shown in the drawings. The features shown in the description and the drawings can be used individually or in any combination according to the invention. They show:

[0018] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine arrangement,

[0019] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a gripping device of the machine arrangement according to Figure 1,

[0020] Figure 3 is a perspective view from below of the gripping device according to Figure 2, Figure 4 is a schematic view from above of an interfering contour in a processing area of ​​the processing machine with a gripping device aligned therewith,

[0021] Figure 5 is a perspective view of two interference contours in a processing area of ​​the processing machine with a gripping device aligned therewith,

[0022] Figure 6 is a schematic view from above of an interfering contour in a processing area of ​​the processing machine with a gripping device aligned therewith, and

[0023] Figure 7 is a perspective view of two interfering contours in a processing area of ​​the processing machine with a gripping device aligned therewith.

[0024] Figure 1 shows a mechanical arrangement 10. This mechanical arrangement 10 comprises a processing machine 11 which is designed to process a plate-shaped workpiece 12. The plate-shaped workpiece 12 can be processed by separating machining and / or by forming and / or embossing or the like. For this purpose, this processing machine 11 comprises a processing device 13 by means of which the processing can be carried out. This processing device 13 can have a punching head 14 and / or a laser processing head 15. The processing machine 11 can have a C-shaped frame or a closed or O-shaped frame. The processing device 13 is arranged on the frame facing a workpiece support 16. The workpiece 12 to be machined rests on a workpiece support 16 of the processing machine 11 during workpiece processing.The workpiece 12 is held during machining by a holding device 17, which preferably comprises clamps 18. The holding device 17 can be moved along an X-axis, which corresponds to a first axis of movement of the mechanical arrangement 10. The holding device 17 allows the plate-shaped workpiece 12 to be moved relative to the machining device 13 in the X-direction of the workpiece plane by means of a conventional drive 19 indicated by an arrow. The workpiece 12 can be moved in a Y-direction of the workpiece plane by a further drive 20. This Y-direction corresponds to a second axis of movement of the mechanical arrangement 10. In this way, the workpiece 12 can be moved in the X- and / or Y-direction relative to the machining device 13 for machining on the workpiece support 16.The working area 21 of the processing machine 11 is defined by the movement in the X and Y directions of the workpiece support 16 relative to the processing device 13. For the defined reception of the plate-shaped workpiece 12 for processing in the processing machine 11, a zero line 29 is provided, which extends along the longitudinal side of the workpiece support 16 facing the holding device 17 or is formed by the holding device 17. This provides a defined stop and a defined alignment of the workpiece 12 to be machined in the Y direction.

[0025] The mechanical arrangement 10 further comprises a loading station 22. This loading station 22 has a support surface 23 on which at least one plate-shaped workpiece 12, preferably a plurality of plate-shaped workpieces 12, are provided stacked one above the other. The support surface 23 can be designed in the form of a pallet. The plate-shaped workpiece 12 can also be placed directly onto the support surface 23 using a handling device 31. In the loading station 22, a raw material, i.e., an unmachined plate-shaped workpiece 12, is preferably provided. An already partially machined plate-shaped workpiece can also be provided for further processing. A separating device 30 can be provided in a corner region 27 of the loading station 22.By means of this separating device 30, the uppermost plate-shaped workpiece 12 can be lifted from the underlying plate-shaped workpiece at least in one corner area.

[0026] At the same time, it can be checked that only one plate-shaped workpiece 12 is being lifted. The plate-shaped workpiece 12 can then be gripped in the loading station 22 and removed from the loading station 22 using a gripping device 43. The separating device 30 is known from DE 10 2022 105 125 A1, to which reference is made in its entirety.

[0027] The machine arrangement 10 further comprises an unloading station 35. This unloading station 35 comprises a storage area 36, ​​on which at least one machined plate-shaped workpiece 37 and / or a residual skeleton 38 resulting from the machining of the plate-shaped workpiece 12 can be deposited. The size of the storage area 36 can form the working area 39 of the unloading station 35. The

[0028] Storage area 36 can be formed by pallets or the like, so that these can be easily removed and provided for further transport.

[0029] The handling device 31 can comprise a linear axis device 40, which has at least one horizontally oriented linear axis 41. A gripping device 43 is guided along this linear axis 41 for movement in the first axis of movement (X-axis). This linear axis device 40 can also have a second linear axis (Y-axis), which is oriented perpendicularly and in the same plane as the first linear axis 41. In this case, the gripping device 43 can be controlled for movement in a second axis of movement (Y-axis). The horizontally oriented linear axis 41 extends such that the gripping device 43 can be moved into the work area 24 of the loading station 22, into the work area 21 of the processing machine 11, and into the work area 39 of the unloading station 35. The linear axis device 40 can further comprise a lifting unit 44.This lifting unit 44 allows the gripping device 43 to be moved along a Z-axis, which corresponds to a third movement axis. Alternatively, the lifting unit 44 can be assigned to the gripping device 43.

[0030] Figure 2 shows a perspective view of an exemplary gripping device 43. Figure 3 shows a perspective view from below of the gripping device 43 according to Figure 2. The gripping device 43 comprises at least one, preferably two, gripper bars 46, 47, which are advantageously mounted on a support structure 45 so that they can move relative to one another. It is provided that the gripper bars 46, 47 are arranged on the support structure 45 so that they can move at least in and counter to the second movement axis (Y-axis).

[0031] The gripping device 43 comprises a support structure 45. The support structure 45 can be arranged on the lifting unit 44. The two gripping beams 46, 47 are movably received on an underside of the support structure 45. This movable arrangement is aligned such that the gripping beams 46, 47 can be moved at a distance from one another and independently to an end stop of the support structure 45 according to the arrows 48. The gripping device 43 is aligned with the support structure 45 relative to the horizontal linear axis 41 such that the direction of travel is aligned in and opposite to the second movement axis (Y-axis) according to arrow 48. The gripping beams 46, 47 have a plurality of gripping elements 49 on their underside. Vacuum suction cups or suction gripping elements are preferably provided. These can differ from one another in shape and / or size and can also be provided in any desired arrangement relative to one another.At one end of the gripper bar 46, 47, a gripper finger 51 is provided, which is tapered in width compared to the opposite end of the gripper bar 46, 47. This gripper finger 51 can be used to pick up very small parts. The gripper finger 51 is aligned asymmetrically to the gripper bar 46, 47. Advantageously, it extends along an outer side of the gripper bar 46, 47. The gripper bars 46, 47 are provided with the same alignment on the support structure 45 with respect to the asymmetrical arrangement of the gripper fingers 51.

[0032] The gripper bar 46, 47 preferably comprises a main section 50. This main section 50 preferably extends beyond the width of the support structure 45, which is aligned with the Y-axis. The main section 50 of the gripper bar 46, 47 is preferably of the same width across its length. The gripper finger 51 is provided at a front end of the main section 50. This can be detachably connected to the main section 50 via an interface 52. This allows different geometries of the gripper fingers 51 to be easily attached to the gripper bar 46, 47. This enables simple adaptation of the gripping device 43 to at least one interfering contour 61, 63 (Figures 4 to 7) of the processing device 13.

[0033] Figures 2 and 3 show an exemplary geometry for a gripper finger 51. This gripper finger 51 comprises a first step 53, which extends from a free end face 57 in the direction of the main section 50. This first step 53 has a constant width. The first step 53 is followed, for example, by a second step 54 of the gripper finger 51. This second step 54 can, for example, be wider than the first step 53. The second step 54 can be the same height as the first step 53 or even higher. The exemplary embodiment also shows a third step 55 of the gripper finger 51. This third step 53 is wider than the second step 54 and the first step 53. It is also possible to adjust the height of the third step 55. This interfering contour 61 is formed, for example, by the processing device 13, in particular the punching head 14.Figure 4 shows a schematic view from above of the interference contour 61. Furthermore, the plate-shaped workpiece 12 is shown, which rests on a workpiece support 16 and is positioned below the interference contour 61 and extends at least partially beyond the interference contour 61. The interference contour 61 is formed, for example, by an external geometry of the punching head 14. In the exemplary embodiment, an elongated connection 62 is provided on the punching head 14, which also forms the interference contour 61. Furthermore, the top view shows the positioning of two adjacent gripper bars 46, 47 of the gripping device 43. The gripper finger 51 of the gripper bar 47 is positioned, for example, with its first step 53 directly adjacent to the elongated connection 62.The first step 53 of the gripper finger 51 is adapted, for example, to the elongated connection 62, so that a positioning of the gripper finger 51 directly adjacent to the interfering contour 61 is possible. At the same time, the front end 57 of the gripper finger 51 is aligned directly with the punching head 14. Due to the format of the plate-shaped workpiece 12, 37, the adjacent gripper bar 46 is positioned adjacent to the interfering contour 61 and the elongated connection 62, which also forms an interfering contour. If the plate-shaped workpiece 12, 37 is narrower, the gripper bar 46 can be positioned adjacent to the gripper bar 47, so that, for example, the gripper finger 51 of the gripper bar 46 can also be positioned directly adjacent to the elongated connection 62.It is therefore obvious that, due to the design of the gripper fingers 51 on the gripper beams 46, 47 in the exemplary embodiment of the interference contour 61 with the elongated connection 62 to the interference contour 61, dead zones adjacent to the interference contour 61 are eliminated.

[0034] In Figure 5, in addition to the interference contour 61, which is formed by the punching head 14 and the elongated connection 62, a further interference contour 63 is shown. The further interference contour 63 is formed, for example, by the laser processing head 15. To also take this interference contour 63 into account, the gripper finger 51 is adjusted in height in the respective steps 53, 54, 55. Thus, the gripper finger 51 of the gripper beam 46, 47 can be adapted not only to a single interference contour 61 but to multiple interference contours 61, 63.

[0035] Figure 6 shows a further view from above of the interfering contour 61 with a plate-shaped workpiece 12, 37. The gripper fingers 51 of the gripper beams 46, 47 are positioned, for example, laterally to the interfering contour 61. This gripper finger 51 has, for example, a first step 53 and a second step 54, which merges into the main section 50 of the gripper beam 46, 47 via the interface 52. The gripper finger 51 is adapted such that the first step 53 of the gripper finger 51 can be positioned laterally and adjacent to the interfering contour 61 and the interface 52 to the main section 50 is formed such that this interface 52 rests on the end face of the further elongated connection 62. Alternatively, it can also be provided that the gripper finger 51 also has three steps 53, 54 and 55, so that the interface 52 to the main section 50 is provided on the third step 55.In Figure 7, the interfering contour 63 is shown as an example in addition to the interfering contour 61 according to Figure 6. Due to the design of the stepped height of the gripper finger 51 in the first stage 53, the second stage 54, and / or the third stage 55, the additional interfering contour 63 can be taken into account. At the same time, an end face 57 of the gripper finger 51 can also be positioned laterally to the interfering contour 61.

[0036] The gripping device 43 thus has the advantage that the respective gripper finger 51 arranged on the gripper beams 46, 47 enables flexible assumption of various storage positions and / or removal positions for handling plate-shaped workpieces within a processing area or directly adjacent to the processing device 13.

Claims

Claims 1. Gripping device for a handling device (31) of a processing machine (11), in particular for handling plate-shaped workpieces (12, 37), with a support structure (45), with at least one gripper bar (46, 47) arranged on the support structure (45), which is movably aligned along an axis of the support structure (45) and extends along a further axis of the support structure (45) that deviates from the movable axis, with gripping elements (49) arranged on the underside of the gripper bar (46, 47) for handling the at least one workpiece (12, 37), characterized in that the at least one gripper bar (46, 47) has at least one gripper finger (51) in an end region, which, viewed in the longitudinal axis of the gripper bar (46, 47), is tapered compared to a main section (50) of the gripper bar (46, 47).

2. Gripping device according to claim 1, characterized in that the main section (50) of the gripper bar (46, 47) extends at least over the length along which the gripper bar (46, 47) is movably received on the support structure (45).

3. Gripping device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the main section (50) of the gripper bar (46, 47) extends from a free end region to the at least one gripper finger (51) and is preferably of the same width along the main section (50).

4. Gripping device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one gripper finger (51) is aligned asymmetrically to the longitudinal axis of the gripper bar (46, 47).

5. Gripping device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the gripper finger (51) is aligned with its outer side flush or aligned with an outer side of the main section (50) of the gripper bar (46, 47).

6. Gripping device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the gripper finger (51) merges into the main section (50) of the gripper bar (46, 47) in an interface (52), and preferably the gripper finger (51) is detachably fastened to the main section (50) in the interface (52).

7. Gripping device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the gripper finger (51) is designed to increase in width when viewed transversely to the longitudinal axis of the gripper bar (46, 47), starting from its free end face (57) in the direction of the main section (50).

8. Gripping device according to claim 7, characterized in that the gripper finger (51) has, starting from its free end face (57) in the direction of the main section (50), at least one step (53, 54, 55) in which the gripper finger (51) increases in width.

9. Gripping device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the gripper finger (51) is designed to be lower in height than the main section (50), at least on the free end face (57).

10. Gripping device according to claim 9, characterized in that the gripper finger (51) is designed to increase in height starting from the free end face (57) of the gripper finger (51) in the direction of the main section (50), and is preferably designed to increase in height for each step (53, 54, 55).

11. Gripping device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the gripper bars (46, 47) with the at least one respectively asymmetrically designed gripper finger (51) are arranged on the support structure (45) in the same alignment with one another, so that in each case the outer side of the gripper bars (46, 47), along which the gripper finger (51) extends, is aligned with the same end face of the support structure (45).

12. Gripping device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the width of the gripper fingers (51) is reduced to a dimension such that a free distance between the gripper fingers (51) of two adjacent main sections (50) of the gripper bars (46, 47) is equal to or smaller than an interfering contour (61, 63).

13. A mechanical arrangement for handling at least one plate-shaped workpiece (12, 37), comprising a processing machine (11) comprising at least one processing device (13) which processes the at least one plate-shaped workpiece (12) arranged on a workpiece support (16) and for producing at least one unprocessed workpiece (37) and / or a residual skeleton (38), comprising a loading station (22) in which the at least one plate-shaped workpiece (12) to be processed is provided resting on a support surface (23), comprising an unloading station (35) in which the at least one processed workpiece (37) and / or the residual skeleton (38) can be positioned on a depositing surface (36), comprising a linear axis device (40) comprising at least one linear axis (41) which is aligned horizontally and forms a first axis of movement for a gripping device (43) movably guided on the linear axis (41),wherein the gripping device (43) comprises at least one gripper bar (46, 47) which is attached to a support structure (45) of the, Gripping device (43) is movable along a second movement axis which is perpendicular to the first movement axis and in the horizontal plane, wherein the processing machine (11), the loading station (22) and the unloading station (35) are aligned with the linear axis device (40), characterized in that the gripping device (43) is designed according to one of claims 1 to 12.

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