GRIPPER FOR GRIPING, HOLDING AND GUIDING CONTAINERS AND TRANSPORT DEVICE HAVING SUCH A GRIPPER - Patent application

Abstract

The present invention relates to a gripping device for gripping, holding and guiding containers, in particular bottle-shaped containers, comprising at least one gripper arm pair 1 having a first gripper arm 2 and an oppositely designed second gripper arm 2', both gripper arms 2, 2' having respective bearing holes 4, 4' via which both gripper arms can be pivotally mounted, and closing means 13 (or opening means) for the gripper arm pair 1. In order to provide a reliable opening mechanism, the first gripper arm 2 has a contoured lever 3 and the second gripper arm 2' has a driven lever 3' which operatively engage with each other and which serve as opening means (or closing means) for the gripper arm pair 1.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a gripping device for gripping, holding and guiding containers, in particular bottle-shaped containers, as well as to a conveying device comprising such a gripping device. [Background technology]

[0002] Gripping and conveying devices for gripping, holding and / or guiding containers are already known from the prior art, in particular under the name "clamping stars". They are mainly used in processes on production lines for containers or receptacles which are particularly intended to be filled with liquids or other bulk products. Such devices are also used in labelling machines for applying labels to containers, for example labelling machines which identify the contents of the containers, or in cleaning or washing stations, so-called "washing machines".

[0003] What is to be understood by the term "container" in the context of the present invention is in particular, but not exclusively, a container having a substantially circular cross section, for example a bottle, a can or a glass product made of glass, metal or plastic depending on the respective application. What is to be understood by the term "bearing element" in the context of the present invention is in particular, but not exclusively, a pin-shaped fixing element, for example in the form of a bearing pin which fits rotatably in a socket sized for the respective bearing element.

[0004] Bulk processing of such containers or receptacles requires frequent opening and closing of a pair of gripper arms. Opening mechanisms for that purpose, such as control cams or pivot shafts, are known from the prior art. For the gripper arms, positioning devices are known which provide suitable first and second toothed portions on the respective gripper arms for operative engagement with each other. The toothed portions support the opening mechanism and therefore have both a force transmission and positioning function, since they ensure the planar alignment and synchronous movement of the gripper arms relative to each other. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] One problem existing in the prior art is that the teeth are subjected to high forces and as a result wear out quickly. This is due to the fact that the forces required to open and close the gripper arm pair act directly on only one gripper arm and are transmitted to the second gripper arm via the teeth. Failure of the teeth not only leads to a stoppage of the filling equipment, but also requires consideration of hygiene aspects within the production assembly line, especially when food products etc. are filled or subsequently processed.

[0006] The present invention is based on the task of eliminating or at least minimizing the problems known from the prior art. In particular, the task aims to reduce the high degree of wear of the toothed parts of the gripper arms.

[0007] The present invention solves this problem with a gripping device according to claim 1. There is therefore provided a gripping device for gripping, holding and guiding containers, in particular bottle-shaped containers, comprising at least one gripper arm pair with a first gripper arm and an oppositely designed second gripper arm, both gripper arms having respective bearing holes, via which both gripper arms can be pivotally mounted, and closing means for the gripper arm pair. In order to provide a reliable opening mechanism, the first gripper arm is provided with a profiled lever and the second gripper arm is provided with a driven lever, which are operatively engaged with each other and serve as opening means for the gripper arm pair.

[0008] One advantage of such a designed device is that the contoured lever of the first gripper arm establishes a force-transmitting connection to the driven lever of the second gripper arm. This allows external forces, which can act directly on the contoured lever, to be directly transmitted to the driven lever. This causes the pair of gripper arms to transition from the closed position to the open position. The direct transmission of forces not only causes a pivoting movement of the first gripper arm, but also simultaneously a pivoting movement of the second gripper arm. This provides a more reliable opening mechanism, which can also be used without toothed sections. Due to the fact that these levers, also called active engagement levers, are designed as opening means and therefore shaped and assembled accordingly, the transmitted forces do not induce premature lever wear. Finally, the possibility of failure of the gripper arm pair is reduced or the service life is increased.

[0009] The gripping device according to the invention further has the advantage that it consists of a small number of components, known elements such as mounting plates, control camshafts etc. being omitted.

[0010] A further advantage of the gripping device of the invention, in particular the contour lever of the first gripper arm and the driven lever of the second gripper arm, is that when actuated and therefore when opening the gripping device, there is less material wear compared to gripping devices which operate with a control camshaft or pivot shaft as actuating device.

[0011] Alternatively, a profile lever and a follower lever can be designed as the closing means and a pair of magnets or spring elements as the opening means. The magnet pair is in this case designed as a repelling magnet pair and is arranged in the gripping device between the gripper part and the bearing shaft of the gripper arm. The spring element is designed as an element which expands in the gripping position, for example a helical spring, and is arranged between the gripper part and the bearing shaft.

[0012] The profile lever and the driven lever are preferably configured such that at a certain pivot angle of the gripper arm, there is a maximum abutment surface between the two levers. Thus, when the two levers are operatively engaged, the force is distributed over the surface and does not result in a point load on one of the levers. Thus, material wear of the levers is reduced. The certain angle is in particular the opening angle at which the gripper arm remains in the open position for a certain time to grip the next container.

[0013] It has hereby been found to be advantageous for the profiled lever to have an active part and for the driven lever to have a first driven part and in particular a second driven part. The first driven part is formed in close proximity to the second driven part and presents an abutment surface with the active part, by means of which the pivoting movement of the profiled lever is transmitted to the driven lever. During the pivoting movement of the gripper arm, for example when the gripper arm is opened, this abutment surface shifts (together with the driven lever) from the first driven part to the second driven part in the direction of the bearing of the gripper arm, or vice versa. Furthermore, the second driven part is at least partially of a shape complementary to the active part and operatively engages at least for the most part or with the maximum abutment surface at a certain pivoting angle. The complementary shape allows for a continuous abutment surface or a maximum abutment surface and thus a uniform distribution of the force transmitted from the active part of the profiled lever to the second driven part of the driven lever. This therefore eliminates point loads and reduces hard wear of the lever.

[0014] A particularly simple complementary design is used in an advantageous embodiment, in which the active part is convex, the first driven part is convex and the second driven part is concave. This is to be understood in particular as an arcuate or circular part. Parts of such a shape can be easily and quickly manufactured. In addition, this shape is advantageous for the lever, especially when the lever is guided along the part, because the abutment surface can steadily increase in size, as a result of which there is no jerking or rattling of the lever and therefore of the gripper arm.

[0015] To stop the movement of the profile lever and thus the gripper arm, the profile lever preferably has an abutment which actively engages or abuts the second gripper arm, in particular the outside of its hollow cylinder, at a certain or second pivot angle and prevents further pivoting. Since the gripping device is integrated with a highly dynamic rotating transport device, which is driven quickly as well, the closing means often cannot slow down the opening movement of the gripper arm quickly enough. This can lead to undesirable vibrations that accelerate wear of interacting parts of the gripper arm, such as the lever or the toothed portion, for example.

[0016] The abutment of the profiled lever is preferably shaped complementary to the outer side of the second gripper arm, in particular concavely, so that a larger area of ​​the abutment abuts against the outer side of the gripper arm, resulting in a faster stopping or interruption of the opening movement of the gripper arm.

[0017] In a further advantageous embodiment, the profile lever has an actuating part, which is arranged opposite the effective part and is capable of absorbing forces for pivoting the first gripper arm. With this configuration, the force of the actuating element on the actuating part of the profile lever is converted into a pivoting movement of the profile lever. This movement or force is transmitted to the driven lever, in particular via the effective part, in essentially the same direction as the original force.

[0018] Advantageously, the actuating part is convex in shape in order to absorb forces acting on it in a direction from a certain angular range α and causing the first gripper arm to pivot. The actuating element used to interact with the actuating part (and thus to open the gripper arm pair) is typically arc-shaped and, due to its shape, presses against the contoured lever of the gripping device which rotates past. Thereby, the edge of the actuating element is typically formed with a certain angle or gradient in order to guide the lever along the actuating element. Due to the actuating part, and in particular its shape, different gradients of the actuating element and thus different opening movement speeds of the gripper arm pair are possible.

[0019] Likewise advantageous is the configuration of the first and second gripper arms each having a geared or toothed section. These sections operably engage with one another and thus primarily result in the motion or position synchronization of the two gripper arms. The gripper arms therefore always have the same angle with respect to the axis of symmetry, which is the bisector between the first and second gripper arms. These sections additionally serve for force transmission, as do the contour lever and the driven lever.

[0020] For optimal space distribution and force transmission between the interacting components of the gripper arm, the geared portion is preferably formed below or above the profile / follower lever, along with the bearing bore.

[0021] Advantageously, the tooth or teeth of the geared part are made thinner than the profiled lever and / or the driven lever, which saves material, achieves higher precision and allows the components to be designed appropriately for their function, i.e. the toothed part for synchronizing the movements and the profiled lever and the driven lever for transmitting the forces.

[0022] The invention also provides a conveying device for conveying containers, comprising one or more gripping devices according to the invention. The conveying device is also called a "clamping star", which in particular denotes a rotating shaft with a carrier plate on which the gripping devices are mounted.

[0023] The carrier plate is preferably annular or circular and is designed to allow one or more gripping devices to be positioned and fixed on said carrier plate.

[0024] In a further advantageous embodiment, the gripping device comprises a bolt-shaped pivotable actuating element, which is non-rotatably connected to the first gripper arm, in particular in its bearing bore, as a bearing element and has an actuating roller for pivoting the actuating element, whereby the profile lever no longer has to be directly actuated but instead transmits the pivoting movement of the first gripper arm initiated by the actuating element directly to the driven lever and thus to the second gripper arm.

[0025] Alternatively, an arc-shaped actuating element may be provided for actuating the profile lever of the first gripper arm of one or more gripping devices and thus opening the gripper arm pairs, so that only one actuating element is required for all gripping devices, thus saving material and costs.

[0026] The following features are not specified in the claims, but serve as clarification and may be found in other advantageous embodiments.

[0027] The driven lever is formed by a projection of pointed or rounded shape, in particular from the outside of the hollow cylinder of the second gripper arm. This shape is particularly stable and distributes the applied force evenly to the outside of the gripper arm on which the driven lever is formed or fixed.

[0028] The second pivot angle for the abutment comes before or after the first angle at which the maximum abutment surface between the levers is obtained, whereby it is advantageous for the levers to be shaped such that the abutment surface increases steadily up to the first angle and / or decreases or remains the same after said angle.

[0029] In a further embodiment, the toothed portion exhibits teeth arranged at least partially radially on the outside of the hollow cylinder in order to ensure positioning of the gripper arms relative to one another. This positioning device, which is known per se from the prior art, realizes the advantages of the known prior art. In particular, a precise positioning of the gripper arms relative to one another is ensured, as well as a precise synchronization of the gripper arms. A further fundamental advantage according to the invention is that the positioning device is used only for positioning and does not transmit any forces itself, which significantly extends the service life of the device.

[0030] Functionally, it has been found to be advantageous to use two oppositely polarized magnets as closing means for the gripper arm pair in addition to or instead of a leaf spring. A first magnet is arranged inside the first gripper arm and a second magnet is arranged inside the second gripper arm, in particular positionally aligned with the first magnet. In the context of the present invention, the term "positionally aligned" is not exclusive, but should in particular be understood as two oppositely positioned components inducing a positive connection to spatially adjacent or contacting components. It should be pointed out here that depending on the opposing poles and their arrangement relative to the bearing shaft, the two magnets can be used as closing or opening means. Magnets as closing means are used in particular when handling PET or plastic bottles or containers, since they are more flexible compared to glass or metal containers and can be damaged if a spring element is used as closing means.

[0031] In one advantageous development, the gripping device comprises one or more spring elements as force transmitters, preferably pressure springs, leaf springs, torsion springs or tension springs, with one end of the spring element being located on the inner gripper arm side of the first gripper arm and a second end of the spring element being located on the inner gripper arm side of the second gripper arm. By using one or more spring elements, as known per se from the prior art, the advantages known in connection with spring elements are achieved. Spring elements as closing means are used in particular when handling bottles or containers with crown cork bottle caps and / or made of glass or metal. A magnet as closing means can attract crown cork bottle caps and thus hinder the smooth transportation of the container. In addition, spring elements, which often exhibit stronger forces than magnets, cannot damage such containers. Finally, depending on the design of the closing means as magnets (pairs) or spring elements, it may require less maintenance work, be less susceptible to contamination and / or be easier to clean.

[0032] The gripping device, in particular the pair of gripper arms, can further comprise two bolts and a plate. The two bolts are attached or fixed to the bearing holes of the gripper arm pair and are themselves fixed or rotatably attached to the carrier plate or to an additional holding plate piece. The bolts can function as holding or bearing elements for the gripper arm pair. If at least one of the bolts further comprises an actuating lever, the bolt can also pivot the gripper arm attached to it and thus open and close the gripper arm pair.

[0033] The gripper arm can be made from various materials, in particular in one piece. Various manufacturing processes are therefore available, such as injection molding processes for plastics or sintering processes for ceramics or metals. Gripper arms made from ceramics preferably have a polished surface, thereby exhibiting better chemical resistance and cleaning properties.

[0034] In a further advantageous embodiment, the gripper arm, in particular its gripping part, has so-called spikes, which are made from the same material as the gripper arm or are part of the gripper arm. These spikes are at least partially pointed, wedge-shaped and / or hook-shaped in design and when transporting the plastic container, gently press from its outer circumference / surface and / or from below into the so-called neck ring at the front of the container. The spikes are minimally invasive and do not cause any damage, or at least any significant damage, to the container. This provides better stability and holding ability when gripping the container, in particular to the extent required during some processes, for example when closing the container.

[0035] The gripping device may also be equipped with a stabilizing guide element designed such that further stabilizing points / areas are provided adjacent to the gripping part of the gripping device. The body and / or base of the bottle are preferably guided through the element. The guide element is passive and only comes into contact with the container. It may therefore be configured in a semicircular or any other container shape in which the container can be placed and guided.

[0036] The figures described below relate to preferred exemplary embodiments of the gripping device of the present invention, which serve to substantially illustrate the present invention, rather than to limit it. Elements from different figures having the same reference number are identical. Thus, the description of an element from one figure also applies to elements with the same name and / or number in other figures.

[0037] The diagram is shown below. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0038] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a top view of a gripping device according to a first preferred exemplary embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the gripping device of FIG. 1; [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the gripping device of FIG. 1; [Figure 4] FIG. 2 shows a gripping device according to a second preferred embodiment in a top view; [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 shows an enlarged view from above of an opening means of a gripping device according to a further preferred embodiment; [Figure 6] FIG. 13 shows a gripping device according to a third preferred embodiment in a top view; [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a side view of the gripping device of FIG. 6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a view from above of a gripping device according to a preferred exemplary embodiment, comprising a gripper arm pair 1 with two gripper arms 2, 2'. Both gripper arms 2, 2' are each one of one piece and feature gripping parts 5, 5', hollow cylinders 10, 10' (with bearing holes 4, 4'), toothed parts 11, 11' as part of a positioning device 9 and active engagement levers 3, 3' as part of the opening mechanism of the gripper arm pair 1. In particular, the profile lever 3 of the first gripper arm 2 and the driven lever 3' of the second gripper arm 2' are actively engaged with each other as active engagement levers. The same is true for the first toothed part 11 and the second toothed part 11'. With the exception of the toothed parts 11, 11' and the active engagement levers 3, 3', the first gripper arm 2 is thereby essentially inversely shaped to the second gripper arm 2'. The gripper 5, 5' is designed to grip and hold the neck of the bottle and is arranged away from the hollow cylinder. The hollow cylinder 10, 10' or the bearing bore 4, 4' serves to accommodate a bearing pin (not shown) which is inserted non-rotatably or rotatably in the hollow cylinder 10, 10', respectively, depending on the opening mechanism. The toothed portion 11, 11' and the active engagement lever 3, 3' are formed on the outside of the hollow cylinder. The gripper 5, 5' is also connected to the hollow cylinder 10, 10'. The gripper arm pair 1 further has a closing means in the form of a leaf spring 13 which wraps around the gripper arm pair 1 like a clasp. The leaf spring 13 thereby exerts a force on the outside of the gripper arm pair 1 so that the gripper arm pair 1 is closed or guided into the gripping position. The toothed portion 11, 11' is arranged below the active engagement lever 3, 3'. The lever 3, 3' serves primarily to transmit the force from the first gripper arm 2 to the second gripper arm 2' and is therefore of a wider configuration than the teeth of the toothed portion 11, 11'. On the right side of the gripping device shown in Figure 1, an enlarged view of the area between the two hollow cylinders 10, 10' is shown in order to better appreciate the details, in particular of the profiled lever 3 and of the driven lever 3'. The profiled lever 3 presents, at its edge, a convex effective portion 6, a concave abutment portion 7 and a convex actuating portion 8 in succession.The driven lever 3' is formed with a first convex driven part 6' and a second concave driven part 6'', which is in or can be in active engagement with the effective part 6. Thereby, at a certain first pivot angle of the gripper arms 2, 2', a maximum contact or abutment surface is formed between the effective part 6 and the second driven part 6''. During the pivoting movement, the effective part 6 and the first driven part 6' roll away from each other while in contact with each other. The abutment part 7 abuts, at a similar or second pivot angle, respectively, against the outside or braking part 7' of the second hollow cylinder 10', thereby stopping the further movement of the profile lever 3 and thus the driven lever 3'. The actuating part 8 allows an arc-shaped actuating element (not shown) to press against the part 8 and thus initiate the pivoting or opening movement of the gripper arm pair 1. Due to the convex shape on the actuating part 8, the compressive force of the actuating element can come from different directions, which is why the actuating element for initiating the operation can first contact the part 8 within this angle.

[0040] Figure 2 shows a side view of the gripping apparatus of Figure 1, in particular the outside of the second gripper arm 2' of gripper arm pair 1. As mentioned above, a leaf spring 13 wraps around gripper arm pair 1, each end engaging in a recess or slot 12 in the first or second gripper arm, respectively. A contoured lever 3 is positioned above the leaf spring 13 so that the gripper arm pair 1 can be opened by an actuating element (not shown). This ensures that the contoured lever 3 at the rear of the gripper arm pair 1, opposite the gripping portions 5, 5', is not obstructed.

[0041] Figure 3 shows a view from below of the gripping device of Figure 1, in particular the gripper arm pair 1 with a first gripper arm 2 and a second gripper arm 2'. In addition to the features previously described in connection with Figure 1, the positioning device 9 is particularly clearly visible. The positioning device 9 comprises a first toothed portion 11 on the outside of the hollow cylinder 10 of the first gripper arm 2 and a second toothed portion 11' on the outside of the hollow cylinder 10' of the second gripper arm 2'. The first toothed portion 11 is configured with three teeth, whereas the second toothed portion 11' comprises two teeth. They engage with each other (interlocking) and mainly serve to synchronize the respective pivoting movements or sequences of movements of the first gripper arm 2 and the second gripper arm 2'.

[0042] Fig. 4 shows a view from above of a gripping device with a gripper arm pair 1' according to a further preferred exemplary embodiment. This gripping device has the same features as the gripping device of Fig. 1, except for the blind hole 15 with the magnet element 14, 14' as a closing means. The blind hole 15, 15' runs from the outside of the gripper arm 2, 2' and is formed perpendicular to the bearing axis of the gripper arm. The magnet element 14, 14', in particular in the form of a permanent magnet, is integrated in the blind hole 15, 15' and fixed, for example by a pressure fit or by a fixing element. The two magnet elements 14, 14' have opposite polarities so as to attract each other and thus form the closing means of the gripping device. The strength of the attractive force can be defined depending on the strength and the distance between the magnet elements 14, 14', which is also determined, inter alia, by the shape of the blind hole, in particular its depth.

[0043] FIG. 5 shows an enlarged view from above of the opening means of the gripping device according to a preferred embodiment. The elements in this figure are identical to those of the enlarged view of the opening means from FIG. 1, depicted on the right side of the gripping device 1. In addition, the profiled lever 3 on the actuating part 8 has a partially cylindrically shaped reinforcing element 16 on the actuating part 8, i.e. the reinforcing element 16 has a side corresponding to a cylinder that partially protrudes from the actuating part 8. The reinforcing element 16 may be formed from the same material as the gripper arm and / or may be part of an integral gripper arm. Alternatively, the reinforcing element 16 may be formed as a cylinder and inserted and fixed in a cavity or recess in the area of ​​the actuating part 8 of the profiled lever 3. The reinforcing element 8 has the advantage of further reducing the wear of the actuating part and providing a more defined or faster reaction control.

[0044] FIG. 6 shows a view from above of a gripping device with a gripper arm pair 1″ according to a further preferred exemplary embodiment. The gripper arm pair 1″ has a first gripper arm 2 and a second gripper arm 2′ that are pivotable relative to one another. Each gripper arm 2 and 2′ has a toothed portion 11 and 11′, respectively, formed around the axis of rotation or on the outside of the hollow cylinder of the gripper arm 2 and 2′, so that the movements can be performed synchronously, i.e. the first gripper arm 2 and the second gripper arm 2′ each perform a movement of equal pivoting towards or away from one another. Compared to the gripper arm pair 1′ from FIG. 4, the gripper arm pair 1″ depicted here differs in the completely semicircular gripping parts 5 and 5′, the wider arm extension between the hollow cylinder / bore and the gripping parts, as well as in the blind holes for the magnets as closing means that are arranged closer to one another, or in the outer surfaces of the blind holes 17 and 17′. Furthermore, below the toothed portions 11 and 11', a profile lever 3 and a driven lever (not shown) are formed.

[0045] FIG. 7 shows a side view of a gripping device with the gripper arm pair 1'' of FIG. 6. Mainly visible here is the first gripper arm 2 with the profiled lever 3. The profiled lever 3 comprises a cylindrical reinforcing segment 16 which, in terms of volume, is inserted into or arranged mostly within the profiled lever 3. The opening of the blind hole 15 is formed on the outside of the gripper arm 2 and not facing the other gripper arm. A preferably cylindrical magnet which acts as a closure means with the other magnet of the other gripper arm is inserted through this opening. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1: Gripper arm pair (first embodiment) 1': Gripper arm pair (second embodiment) 1): Gripper arm pair (third embodiment) 2: First gripper arm 2': Second gripper arm 2' 3: Contour lever (as opening means) 3': A driven lever (as an opening means) 4: First bearing hole 4': Second bearing hole 5: Gripper part (of the first gripper arm) 5': Gripper part (of second gripper arm) 6: Effective part 6': First follower (convex) 6): Second follower (recess) 7: Contact part 7': Braking part 8: Operating part 9: Positioning / synchronization device 10: Hollow cylinder / bore (of first gripper arm) 10': Hollow cylinder / bore (of second gripper arm) 11: First toothed / geared part 11': Second toothed / geared section 12: Recess / slot (for leaf spring) 13: Leaf spring (as closing means) 14: Magnet element (as closing means) of the first gripper arm 14': magnet element (as closing means) of the second gripper arm 15: First gripper arm blind hole 15': Second gripper arm blind hole 16: Reinforcement segments / elements 17: Outside of the blind hole of the first gripper arm 17': Outside of the blind hole of the second gripper arm

Claims

1. A gripping device for gripping, holding and guiding containers, in particular bottle-shaped containers, comprising: at least one gripper arm pair (1) having a first gripper arm (2) and an oppositely designed second gripper arm (2'), both gripper arms (2; 2') having respective bearing holes (4; 4') via which both gripper arms (2; 2') can be pivotably mounted; and closing means (13) or opening means for said gripper arm pair (1), said first gripper arm (2) having a profiled lever (3) and said second gripper arm (2') having a driven lever (3') which are operatively engaged with each other and serve as an opening or closing means for said gripper arm pair (1); the first gripper arm (2) and the second gripper arm (2') each have a hollow cylinder (10; 10') for receiving a bearing pin, said first gripper arm and said second gripper arm (2; 2') each have respective toothed portions (11; 11') which operatively engage with each other for the motion synchronization or positioning of the two gripper arms, said profiled lever (3), said driven lever (3') and said toothed portion (11; 11') being formed along the circumference of the corresponding hollow cylinder (10; 10') of said gripper arm, Grip device, characterized in that said toothed portion (11; 11') is formed below or above said profile lever or said driven lever (3; 3'), respectively.

2. 2. Grip device according to claim 1, characterized in that the profile lever (3) and the driven lever (3') are shaped in such a way that at a certain pivot angle of the gripper arm (2; 2') there is a maximum abutment surface between the two levers.

3. The profile lever (3) has an active part (6), and the driven lever (3') has a first driven part (6'), Grip device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the active part (6) is convex in shape and the first follower part (6') is convex in shape.

4. 3. The gripping device according to claim 2, characterized in that the contoured lever (3) has an abutment (7) which actively engages or abuts with a braking portion (7') of the second gripper arm (2') at the specific pivot angle, thereby stopping further pivoting.

5. 5. The gripping device according to claim 4, characterized in that the abutment portion (7) of the profiled lever (3) is shaped in a complementary manner to the braking portion (7') of the second gripper arm (2'), in particular concavely.

6. 4. The gripping device according to claim 3, characterized in that the profiled lever (3) comprises an actuating part (8) arranged opposite the effective part (6) and capable of absorbing forces for pivoting the first gripper arm (2).

7. 7. The gripping device according to claim 6, characterized in that the actuating part (8) is convex in shape in order to absorb forces acting on the actuating part (8) in a direction from a particular angular range α and causing the first gripper arm (2) to pivot.

8. Grip device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that one or more teeth of the toothed portion (11; 11') are made thinner than the profile lever (3) and the driven lever (3').

9. Grip device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the closing means or the opening means are configured as a leaf spring (13), another type of spring and / or a pair of magnetic elements (14, 14').

10. Gripping device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a bearing pin for pivotally fixing each gripper arm (2; 2').

11. A transport device for transporting containers having one or more gripping devices according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized by an annular carrier plate designed to enable the one or more gripping devices to be positioned and fixed on the carrier plate.

12. 12. The conveying device according to claim 11, characterized by a bolt-shaped pivotable actuating element, which is non-rotatably connected to the first gripper arm as a bearing element and has an actuating roller for pivoting the actuating element.

13. 12. The conveying device according to claim 11, characterized by an arc-shaped actuating element for actuating the contoured lever (3) of the first gripper arm (2) of the one or more gripping devices and thus opening and closing the at least one gripper arm pair (1).

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