Handling apparatus for handling a preferably plate-like or panel-like workpiece

Abstract

A handling apparatus (1) for handling a workpiece, in particular a metal sheet, has a carrying structure (3) and a workpiece-side holding unit (4). An actuator can be used to move the holding unit (4) relative to the carrying structure (3), by way of an actuating movement, into a carrying-structure-remote end position and into at least one carrying-structure-side position. During the actuating movement, the holding unit (4) is held on the carrying structure (3). In the carrying-structure-remote end position of the holding unit (4), a holding-unit-side form-fitting element (20), which is connected to the holding-unit-side guide element (18), and a carrying-structure-side form-fitting element (21), which is connected to the carrying-structure-side guide element (17), establish a form fit with a controllable degree of freedom, on account of which the holding-unit-side guide element (18) has a controllable degree of freedom in the direction of the carrying structure (3) relative to the carrying-structure-side guide element (17). The degree of freedom of the holding-unit-side guide element (18) relative to the carrying-structure-side guide element (17) is controllable in that, in the carrying-structure-remote end position of the holding unit (4), a force generator can generate a contact-pressure force, by means of which the holding-unit-side form-fitting element (20) acts on the carrying-structure-side form-fitting element (21) and the magnitude of which is variably adjustable such that the holding-unit-side guide element (18) is or is not deflectable in the direction of the carrying structure (3) relative to the carrying-structure-side guide element (17) and, consequently, longitudinal movability of the holding element (4) is optionally enabled or blocked.

Description

[0001] Handling device for handling a, preferably plate-like, workpiece

[0002] The invention relates to a handling device for handling a preferably plate-like workpiece, in particular a sheet metal,

[0003] • with a support structure which can be moved with a transfer movement for handling the workpiece by means of a transfer drive,

[0004] • with a workpiece-side holding unit which is provided on the support structure and has at least one holding element which is designed to bear against the workpiece and to fix the workpiece to the holding unit,

[0005] • with an actuator for the holding unit, which has an actuator motor, by means of which the holding unit can be moved relative to the support structure with an adjusting movement into an end position remote from the support structure and into at least one support structure-side position, which is located along a movement path of the adjusting movement opposite the end position remote from the support structure towards the support structure, and

[0006] • with a guide device by means of which the holding unit is guided on the support structure during the adjusting movement and which has a support structure-side guide element which is connected in movement to the support structure and a holding unit-side guide element which is connected in movement to the holding unit.

[0007] Handling devices of the aforementioned type are used, for example, in sheet metal processing for the automated loading and unloading of sheet metal processing machines.

[0008] The prior art of this type is disclosed in DE 10 2008 019 110 A1. In the prior art, a sheet metal conveying device transfers sheet metal products from a sheet metal processing machine to a pallet or to a sheet metal transport vehicle. For this purpose, travel elements are provided which have base parts that can be moved on rails and suction plates that can be raised and lowered on the base parts and are equipped with holding suction cups. By means of the travel elements, sheet metal products are picked up from a workpiece support of the sheet metal processing machine, transferred to the pallet or to the sheet metal transport vehicle, and transferred to the pallet or to the sheet metal transport vehicle. To pick up the sheet metal products, the suction plates are lowered relative to the base parts of the travel elements towards the sheet metal products to be picked up.After the sheet metal products have been secured using the suction cups, the suction plates with the sheet metal products secured to them are raised relative to the base parts. The base parts, together with the suction plates and the sheet metal products secured to them, are then moved to the pallet or sheet metal transport vehicle. There, the suction plates are lowered relative to the base parts, the sheet metal products are placed on the pallet or sheet metal transport vehicle, and the sheet metal products are released from the suction cups.

[0009] The object of the present invention is to provide precautions integrated into the remaining functionality of a handling device in the event that the holding unit of the handling device and / or a workpiece fixed to the holding unit collides with an obstacle during transfer movements.

[0010] According to the invention, this object is achieved by the handling device according to claim 1. In the case of the invention, the holding unit can execute an evasive movement directed toward the support structure upon a collision of the holding unit and / or a workpiece fixed to the holding unit with an obstacle. This evasive movement is realized by means of a guide element on the support structure side and a guide element on the holding unit side, and thus using components of the handling device according to the invention, which also serve to guide the holding unit during the picking up and depositing of workpieces.

[0011] The control device according to the invention for controlling the longitudinal mobility of the holding unit directed toward the support structure can selectively block the holding unit in the end position remote from the support structure against an evasive movement directed toward the support structure or release it for an evasive movement directed toward the support structure. For this purpose, the control device according to the invention comprises a form-locking element on the holding unit side, which is connected to the guide element on the holding unit side, preferably formed in one piece, and a form-locking element on the support structure side, which is connected to the guide element on the support structure side, preferably formed in one piece.If the holding unit is in the end position remote from the support structure, the form-locking element on the holding unit side and the form-locking element on the support structure side create a form-locking connection that fundamentally permits an evasive movement of the holding unit toward the support structure. Whether the holding unit can actually execute such an evasive movement or whether the holding unit is blocked against such an evasive movement depends on the magnitude of the contact force with which the form-locking element on the holding unit side applies the form-locking element on the support structure side, and which is generated by a controllable force generator of the control device according to the invention.

[0012] The holding unit located in the end position remote from the support structure is preferably blocked against an evasive movement directed towards the support structure when the support structure moves together with the holding unit during transfer movements in an environment in which there is no risk of a collision of the holding unit and / or a workpiece fixed to the holding unit with obstacles.

[0013] The control device according to the invention allows an evasive movement of the holding unit arranged in the end position remote from the support structure, directed towards the support structure, in particular at the beginning or towards the end of a transfer movement of the support structure, when the holding unit is moved into the end position remote from the support structure and collisions of the holding unit and / or a workpiece fixed to the holding unit with obstacles in the vicinity of the receiving location or the deposit location of the workpiece are conceivable.

[0014] Notwithstanding the described controllable collision protection when the holding unit is in its final position remote from the supporting structure, the handling device according to the invention also offers the possibility of moving the holding unit to a position near the supporting structure. The holding unit is moved to a position near the supporting structure, for example, in order to remove a workpiece produced during the separating sheet metal processing from a residual skeleton of the sheet metal processing after it has been secured to the holding unit after completion of a separating sheet metal processing operation.

[0015] Various designs are conceivable for the holding elements of the holding unit intended for securing workpieces. Examples include controllable suction cups or controllable holding magnets.

[0016] Particular embodiments of the handling device according to the invention according to claim 1 result from the dependent claims 2 to 11.

[0017] According to claim 2, in a further development of the invention, the position of the holding unit along the trajectory of its actuating movement influences the functional state of the transfer drive of the support structure of the handling device according to the invention. If a detector of a preferably numerical transfer drive control detects an irregular deflection of the holding unit toward the support structure, a transfer drive motor of the transfer drive is switched to collision mode. To switch to collision mode, the transfer drive motor can, in particular, be switched off. Alternatively, it is conceivable, for example, to control the transfer drive motor such that the speed of the transfer movement performed by the support structure is reduced.

[0018] In the case of the inventive design according to claim 3, the actuator motor is provided for the sake of simplicity as the force generator for generating the variable contact pressure between the form-locking element on the holding unit side and the form-locking element on the support structure side. By means of this force generator, the holding unit is moved relative to the support structure into the position remote from the support structure and into at least one position on the support structure side. Alternatively, it is possible to use a separate force generator, for example, at least one magnet with an adjustable attractive force, to generate the variable contact pressure between the form-locking element on the holding unit side and the form-locking element on the support structure side.

[0019] In a further embodiment of the invention, a piston-cylinder unit is provided as the actuator motor of the actuator for the holding unit (patent claim 4).

[0020] Due to its high reliability and easy integration into the other functionality of the handling device according to the invention, a pneumatic piston-cylinder unit is preferred for positioning the holding unit relative to the support structure and for generating the variable contact pressure between the form-locking element on the holding unit side and the support-structure-side form-locking element of the control device for controlling the longitudinal mobility of the holding unit. Alternatively, a hydraulic or electric piston-cylinder unit is also conceivable in the case of the invention as the actuator motor for the actuator for the holding unit.

[0021] In a further preferred embodiment of the handling device according to the invention, as stated in claim 5, when the holding unit-side guide element is deflected relative to the support structure-side guide element in the direction of the support structure, the holding unit has transverse mobility relative to the support structure in the transverse direction of the movement path of the adjusting movement of the holding unit, in that the holding unit-side guide element has play relative to the support structure-side guide element in the transverse direction of the movement path of the adjusting movement of the holding unit. In the case of this inventive design, the holding unit can execute a biaxial evasive movement relative to the support structure.

[0022] In order to ensure the transverse mobility of the holding unit provided for the collision protection of the handling device according to the invention, the piston-cylinder unit is pivotally connected on the one hand to the support structure and on the other hand to the holding unit in the transverse direction of the movement path of the adjusting movement of the holding unit (patent claim 6).

[0023] In a further preferred design of the handling device according to the invention, the guide element on the holding unit side is guided relative to the guide element on the support structure side, and thus also the holding unit relative to the support structure, in the transverse direction of a plane spanned by an axis of longitudinal mobility and an axis of transverse mobility of the holding unit, without play on the support structure (patent claim 7). The direction of the play-free movement is determined depending on the application, in particular taking into account the direction of the transfer movement performed by the support structure.

[0024] According to patent claim 8, a sliding guide is provided for the play-free guidance of the guide element on the holding unit side perpendicular to the said plane.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the sliding guide has for this purpose a sliding element, in particular a sliding block, which is arranged between the guide element on the holding unit side and an abutment on the support structure side connected to the support structure (patent claim 9).

[0026] In order to adjust the sliding guide of the guide element on the holding unit side and / or to compensate for wear phenomena, the sliding element of the sliding guide for the guide element on the holding unit side can be adjusted relative to the abutment on the supporting structure side in the direction of the guide element on the holding unit side in a further development of the invention (patent claim 10).

[0027] In the case of the inventive design according to claim 11, the holding unit is connected to the support structure of the handling device at several points in the manner described above. For this purpose, several actuators, several guide devices, and several control devices for controlling the longitudinal mobility of the holding unit are provided for the holding unit.

[0028] The invention is explained in more detail below using exemplary schematic representations. They show:

[0029] Figure 1 shows a handling device for loading and unloading a sheet metal working machine, with a supporting structure and with a holding unit,

[0030] Figure 2 shows detail II of Figure 1 in an enlarged view,

[0031] Figure 3 shows the arrangement according to Figure 2 with the holding unit in an end position remote from the supporting structure,

[0032] Figure 4 shows the arrangement according to Figure 2 with the holding unit in a final position on the supporting structure side,

[0033] Figure 5a shows the mutual arrangement of a guide element on the supporting structure side and a guide element on the holding unit side in the conditions according to Figure 3 and

[0034] Figure 5b shows the mutual arrangement of the support structure-side guide element and the holding unit-side guide element from Figure 5a under the conditions according to Figure 4.

[0035] According to Figure 1, a handling device 1, which is intended for loading and unloading a sheet metal processing machine 2, comprises a support structure 3 and a workpiece-side holding unit 4. For handling a sheet metal to be processed and / or finished sheet metal parts produced on the sheet metal processing machine 2, the support structure 3 can be moved in a transfer movement together with the holding unit 4 by means of a conventional numerically controlled transfer drive 5 of the handling device 1. The holding unit 4 is provided with holding elements in the form of various types of holding suction cups 6 of conventional design.

[0036] To pick up a raw sheet to be processed on the sheet metal processing machine 2, the handling device 1 moves over a raw sheet stack (not shown). During the movement, the holding unit 4 is located in an end position remote from the support structure relative to the support structure 3 (Figures 1, 3, 5a). With the holding unit 4 in the end position remote from the support structure, the support structure 3 is lowered, and the holding suction cups 6 are applied to the upper side of the raw sheet located at the top of the raw sheet stack. By actuating the holding suction cups 6, the raw sheet acted upon by the holding suction cups 6 is fixed to the holding unit 4 in the usual manner. With the holding unit 4 in the end position remote from the support structure and the raw sheet fixed to it, the handling device 1 then moves to a position above a workpiece support (also not shown) of the sheet metal processing machine 2.By lowering the support structure 3 with the holding unit 4 arranged in the end position remote from the support structure, the raw sheet is placed on the workpiece support of the sheet metal processing machine 2.

[0037] After the suction cups 6 are released from the raw sheet metal placed on the workpiece support, the handling device 1, with the holding unit 4 arranged in the end position remote from the supporting structure, moves to a waiting position in the vicinity of the sheet metal processing machine 2. The handling device 1 remains there until a finished sheet metal part has been produced by separating the raw sheet metal on the sheet metal processing machine 2. The handling device 1 then moves back to the workpiece support of the sheet metal processing machine 2 to pick up the finished sheet metal part produced by processing the raw sheet metal.

[0038] For this purpose, the support structure 3, with the holding unit 4 arranged in the end position remote from the support structure, is lowered toward the finished sheet metal part until the respective holding suction cups 6 rest on the upper side of the finished sheet metal part. After activation of the holding suction cups 6 in contact with the finished sheet metal part, the holding unit 4, together with the fixed finished sheet metal part, is raised relative to the support structure 3 from the end position remote from the support structure to an end position on the support structure side (Figures 2, 4, 5b).

[0039] Two actuators 7 and two guide devices 8, which are spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction of the support structure 3, are used to carry out the described movements of the holding unit 4 relative to the support structure 3. The actuator 7 on the right in Figure 1 and the guide device 8 on the right in Figure 1 are shown in detail in Figures 2 to 4.

[0040] The actuator 7 has a pneumatic piston-cylinder unit 9 as the actuator motor. A piston 10 of the piston-cylinder unit 9 is pivotally mounted on a bearing and guide frame 12 of the support structure 3. A bearing eye 13 provided on the piston 10 is penetrated by a bearing axis 14 of the bearing and guide frame 12. The direction of the pivoting mobility of the piston 10 relative to the support structure 3 is illustrated in Figure 2 by a double arrow 15.

[0041] The free end of the piston rod 11 of the piston-cylinder unit 9 is pivotally fixed to the holding unit 4 (Figure 3).

[0042] A movement path along which the holding unit 4 is raised by means of the piston-cylinder unit 9 into the end position near the supporting structure and lowered into the end position remote from the supporting structure is indicated in Figures 3 to 5b as the movement axis 16 by dash-dotted lines.

[0043] During its adjusting movements, the holding unit 4 is guided on the support structure 3 by means of the guide device 8. The guide device 8 comprises, on both sides of the piston-cylinder unit 9, a support structure-side guide element 17 connected to the support structure 3 and a holding unit-side guide element 18 connected to the holding unit 4. Between the holding unit-side guide elements 18 on the one hand and the associated support structure-side guide elements 17 on the other hand, there is a gap 19 and thus play on both sides in the transverse direction of the movement axis 16.

[0044] A trapezoidal, holding-unit-side form-locking element 20 is formed integrally with each of the holding-unit-side guide elements 18. A supporting-structure-side form-locking element 21 is formed integrally with the support-structure-side guide elements 17 on both sides of the piston-cylinder unit 9. The support-structure-side form-locking elements 21 have an inner contour that is complementary to the outer contour of the respectively associated holding-unit-side form-locking element 20.

[0045] The holding unit-side form-locking elements 20 and the support structure-side form-locking elements 21 are part of a control device 28 for controlling a longitudinal mobility of the holding unit 4 relative to the support structure 3 along the movement axis 16.

[0046] If the holding unit 4 is lowered relative to the support structure 3 into the end position remote from the support structure (Figures 1, 3, 5a), a positive connection is created between the form-locking elements 20 on the holding unit side and the form-locking elements 21 on the support structure side.

[0047] Depending on the amount of force with which the piston-cylinder unit 9 acts on the holding unit 4 in its end position remote from the supporting structure, the form-locking elements 20 on the holding unit side are pressed with a greater or lesser contact force against the form-locking elements 21 on the supporting structure side.

[0048] If the pressure inside the piston 10 of the piston-cylinder unit 9 is set to a relatively low value, the holding unit 4 is longitudinally movable along the movement axis 16, and the holding unit 4, arranged in the end position remote from the support structure, can execute an evasive movement relative to the support structure 3 along the movement axis 16 toward the support structure 3. The pressure inside the piston 10 of the piston-cylinder unit 9 is set to a relatively low value to protect the handling device 1 from collisions when a raw sheet is placed on the workpiece support of the processing machine 2 and / or when a finished sheet metal part is picked up from the workpiece support. In these operating situations, there is a particular risk of collisions between the holding unit 4 or a workpiece fixed to the holding unit 4 and obstacles.

[0049] If the pressure inside the piston 10 of the piston-cylinder unit 9 is set to a high value, the form-locking elements 20 on the holding unit side apply a large contact pressure to the form-locking elements 21 on the support structure side, as a result of which the holding unit 4 is blocked against an evasive movement carried out along the movement axis 16 towards the support structure 3.

[0050] This setting of the pressure inside the piston 10 of the piston-cylinder unit 9 is selected in phases of the transfer movements performed by the handling device 1, in which there is at most a slight risk of collisions between the holding unit 4 or a workpiece fixed to the holding unit 4 and obstacles. By securely fixing the holding unit 4 in the position remote from the support structure, an accidental deflection of the holding unit 4 toward the support structure 4 and the associated undesired activation of the collision protection of the handling device 1 are effectively prevented.

[0051] If, as a result of a collision of the holding unit 4 or a workpiece fixed to the holding unit 4 with an obstacle, the holding unit-side form-locking elements 20 and the holding unit-side guide elements 18 are deflected relative to the support structure-side form-locking elements 21 and the support structure-side guide elements 17 towards the support structure 3, the holding unit 4 can also execute an evasive movement in the transverse direction of the movement axis 16 relative to the support structure 3 in addition to the evasive movement along the movement axis 16.

[0052] Evasive movements of the holding unit 4 in the transverse direction of the movement axis 16 are made possible by the play existing in the transverse direction of the movement axis 16 between the guide elements 18 on the holding unit side and the guide elements 17 on the support structure side. An axis 22 of the transverse mobility of the holding unit 4 is shown in dash-dotted lines in Figures 5a and 5b.

[0053] Figure 5a shows the conditions when the holding unit 4 is positioned away from the support structure. If the contact force between the form-locking elements 20 on the holding unit side and the form-locking elements 21 on the support structure side is low, in the event of a collision the guide elements 18 on the holding unit side, together with the holding unit 4, can execute an evasive movement directed towards the support structure 3 along the movement axis 16 with respect to the guide elements 17 on the support structure side and the support structure 3. If the form-locking elements 20 on the holding unit side are pressed against the form-locking elements 21 on the support structure side with a correspondingly large contact force, the holding unit 4 is blocked against an evasive movement directed towards the support structure 4 in the event of a collision.

[0054] Perpendicular to the drawing plane of Figures 5a and 5b spanned by the movement axis 16 (axis of the longitudinal mobility of the holding unit 4) and the axis 22 of the transverse mobility of the holding unit 4, the guide elements 18 on the holding unit side and with them the holding unit 4 are mounted on the support structure 3 without play.

[0055] For this purpose, a sliding guide 29 is provided on each side of the piston-cylinder unit 9 (Figure 2). The sliding guides 29 are each formed by sliding elements arranged on both sides of the respective holding-unit-side guide element 18. The sliding elements are sliding blocks 31, which are provided on both sides of each of the holding-unit-side guide elements 18. Only the sliding blocks 31 on the side of the two holding-unit-side guide elements 18 facing the viewer are visible in Figure 2.

[0056] To adjust the sliding guides 29, in particular to compensate for wear-related play in the sliding guides 29, the sliding blocks 31 can each be advanced relative to an abutment 32 on the support structure side in the direction of the relevant guide element 18 on the holding unit side. To protect the handling device 1 from collisions, irregular evasive movements of the holding unit 4 arranged in the position remote from the support structure along the movement axis 16 cause a corresponding control of the transfer drive 5. A numerical transfer drive control 23 of the transfer drive 5 provided for this purpose is shown very schematically in Figure 1. The transfer drive control 23 comprises a detector 24, by means of which the current position of the holding unit 4 can be detected, in which position the holding unit 4 is located relative to the support structure 3 along the movement axis 16 of the adjusting movement of the holding unit 4.In a comparison unit 25 of the transfer drive control 23, the current position of the holding unit 4 is compared with a target position stored in the transfer drive control 23, in which the holding unit 4 is located when the handling device 1 is in a collision-free state relative to the support structure 3 along the movement axis 16 of the actuating movement of the holding unit 4. If a comparison of the current position of the holding unit 4 with the target position reveals a relevant deviation of the current position from the target position, a transfer drive motor 27 of the transfer drive 5 is switched to a collision mode by means of a switching device 26, in the example case shown, stopped.

[0057] Figure 5b shows the conditions when the holding unit 4 is in its end position on the support structure side. By means of the piston-cylinder unit 9, the holding unit 4 was raised relative to the support structure 3 along the movement axis 16 into the position shown in order to separate a finished sheet metal part fixed to the holding unit 4 from the residual skeleton remaining on the workpiece support of the processing machine 2 after a separating sheet metal processing. To remove the finished sheet metal part, the support structure 3, together with the holding unit 4 arranged in the end position on the support structure side and the finished sheet metal part fixed to it, is first raised relative to the workpiece support.Subsequently, the holding unit 4 with the finished sheet metal part is lowered relative to the support structure 3 into the end position remote from the support structure and secured in the end position remote from the support structure by applying high pressure to the piston 10 of the piston-cylinder unit 9 for the subsequent transfer movement of the handling device 1.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Handling device for handling a preferably plate-like workpiece, in particular a sheet metal, • with a support structure (3) which can be moved with a transfer movement for handling the workpiece by means of a transfer drive (5), • with a workpiece-side holding unit (4) which is provided on the support structure (3) and has at least one holding element (6) which is designed to bear against the workpiece and to fix the workpiece to the holding unit (4), • with an actuator (7) for the holding unit (4), which has an actuator motor (9), by means of which the holding unit (4) can be moved relative to the support structure (3) with an adjusting movement into an end position remote from the support structure and into at least one support structure-side position, which is located along a movement path (16) of the adjusting movement relative to the end position remote from the support structure towards the support structure (3), and • with a guide device (8) by means of which the holding unit (4) is guided on the support structure (3) during the adjusting movement and which has a support structure-side guide element (17) which is connected in movement to the support structure (3) and a holding unit-side guide element (18) which is connected in movement to the holding unit (4), characterized in that • that a control device (28) is provided for controlling a longitudinal mobility of the holding unit (4) relative to the support structure (3) directed along the movement path (16) of the adjusting movement of the holding unit (4) towards the support structure (3), - with a holding unit-side form-locking element (20) which is connected to the holding unit-side guide element (18), - with a supporting structure-side form-locking element (21) which is connected to the supporting structure-side guide element (17), and - with a controllable power generator, • wherein the holding unit-side form-locking element (20) and the support structure-side form-locking element (21) produce a form-locking connection with a controllable degree of freedom when the holding unit (4) is in the end position remote from the support structure, due to which the holding unit-side guide element (18) has a controllable degree of freedom in the direction of the support structure (3) relative to the support structure-side guide element (17), and • wherein the degree of freedom of the guide element (18) on the holding unit side is controllable relative to the guide element (17) on the support structure side, in that when the holding unit (4) is in the end position remote from the support structure, a contact force can be generated by means of the force generator, with which the form-locking element (20) on the holding unit side acts on the form-locking element (21) on the support structure side and the amount of which can be variably adjusted such that the guide element (18) on the holding unit side can be deflected or cannot be deflected relative to the guide element (17) on the support structure side in the direction of the support structure (3) and consequently the longitudinal mobility of the holding element (4) is optionally present or blocked.

2. Handling device according to claim 1, characterized in that a transfer drive control (23) is provided for the transfer drive (5) of the support structure (3), • with a detector (24) by means of which a current position of the holding unit (4) can be detected, in which position the holding unit (4) is located relative to the support structure (3) along the movement path (16) of the adjusting movement of the holding unit (4), • with a comparison unit (25) by means of which the current position of the holding unit (4) is comparable with a target position of the holding unit (4) in which the holding unit (4) is located in a collision-free state of the handling device relative to the support structure (3) along the movement path (16) of the actuating movement of the holding unit (4) and • with a switching device (26) which is connected to the comparison unit (25) and by means of which a transfer drive motor (27) of the transfer drive (5) can be switched into a collision mode, provided that the current Position of the holding unit (4) deviates from the target position of the holding unit (4).

3. Handling device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the actuator motor (9) of the actuator (7) for the holding unit (4) is provided as the force generator of the control device (28) for controlling the longitudinal mobility of the holding unit (4).

4. Handling device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a preferably pneumatic piston-cylinder unit is provided as the actuator motor (9) of the actuator (7) for the holding unit (4).

5. Handling device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that when the holding unit-side guide element (18) is deflected relative to the support structure-side guide element (17) in the direction of the support structure (3), the holding unit (4) has a transverse mobility relative to the support structure (3) in the transverse direction of the movement path (16) of the adjusting movement of the holding unit (4), in that the holding unit-side guide element (18) has a play relative to the support structure-side guide element (17) in the transverse direction of the movement path (16) of the adjusting movement of the holding unit (4).

6. Handling device according to claim 4 and claim 5, characterized in that the piston-cylinder unit is pivotally connected on the one hand to the support structure (3) and on the other hand to the holding unit (4) in the transverse direction of the movement path (16) of the adjusting movement of the holding unit (4).

7. Handling device according to claim 5 or claim 6, characterized in that the holding unit-side guide element (18) is guided on the support structure (3) without play in the transverse direction of a plane which is spanned by an axis of longitudinal mobility and by an axis (22) of transverse mobility of the holding unit (4).

8. Handling device according to claim 7, characterized in that the holding unit-side guide element (18) is guided on the support structure (3) without play by means of a sliding guide (29).

9. Handling device according to claim 8, characterized in that the sliding guide (29) is formed by means of a sliding element (31) which is arranged between the holding unit-side guide element (18) and a support structure-side abutment (32) connected to the support structure (3).

10. Handling device according to claim 9, characterized in that the sliding element (31) can be advanced relative to the support structure-side abutment (32) in the direction of the holding unit-side guide element (18).

11. Handling device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the actuator (7) for the holding unit (4) is provided as the first actuator, the guide device (8) is provided as the first guide device and the control device (28) for controlling the longitudinal mobility of the holding unit (4) is provided as the first control device and that in addition at least one further actuator (7) and / or one further guide device (8) and / or one further control device (28) is provided.

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