Gripper for manipulator

Abstract

To provide a gripper for an automatic handling assembly for quickly and surely gripping an object and loading and unloading the object.SOLUTION: The present invention is related to a gripper for a handling assembly in order to grip an object, the gripper comprising: a coupling element to be mounted to the object; and a base body to be mounted to the handling assembly, the base body including a clamping bracket arranged on the outside of a housing, and a clamping mechanism arranged in the housing and operationally connected to the clamping bracket. The clamping bracket has a latched state and an unlatched state. In the latched state, the clamping bracket is drawn to a position closely to the housing. In the unlatched state, the clamping bracket is pushed away from the housing. The clamping bracket is returned to the latched state when the clamping mechanism is not activated, allowing the coupling element to be clamped to the housing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a gripper for an automated handling assembly, in particular for a handling robot, for loading and unloading objects, and is particularly directed to a gripper for a robot that grips a pallet or workpiece used in a machine tool. [Background technology]

[0002] An automated handling assembly is a device capable of automatically performing certain operations in industry, such as a handling robot. Automation can improve production efficiency. One frequently used automated operation is the loading and unloading of objects. One particular application is the machining industry. Before machining, workpieces must first be loaded into the machine tool, and after machining, the produced parts must be unloaded from the machine tool. Typically, workpieces are attached to a pallet with a clamping means, which is automatically clamped to the machine tool's worktable. In such applications, handling robots are used to remove pallets with machined workpieces from a magazine, load them into the machine tool, and then load the pallets with the machined parts back into the magazine. One important element of a handling robot is a gripper for safely gripping the pallet. Grippers are often required to grip heavy loads.

[0003] Chinese Patent Application Publication No. 107433484 describes a gripping device for a pallet exchange system, which includes a gripping device main plate and a gripping device tool plate. The gripping device main plate is connected to the tail end of a robot gripping arm, and the gripping device tool plate is connected to a standard pallet. The gripping device main plate includes a main plate base. Positioning tapered pins and ball holding frames are disposed on the main plate base and protrude outward. Each gripping device tool plate includes a tool plate base that can be inserted into the ball holding frame. In many of the gripping devices described in this specification, the main plate and tool plate are fastened at one position, usually at the center of one side. This requires an extremely large clamping force.

[0004] Another known gripper is the RCS gripper from Erowa. This gripper includes an interface element to which a pallet can be attached and a corresponding component that is attached to the robot. A clamping spigot is attached to the interface element and clamps the interface element to the corresponding component. The single spigot, located at half the height of the interface element, must provide a large clamping force to ensure secure clamping. Furthermore, most pallets have a fixed length and width, and the interface element is attached laterally to the pallet. Therefore, the center of gravity of the pallet is not located close to the interface element but at least 150 mm away from the interface element. The total weight of the pallet and the workpiece attached to it is usually large. The moment generated by the pallet at the clamping point must be compensated for by the moment generated by the clamping spigot. Due to the limited height of the interface element and the spigot being located at half the height of the interface element, only a small distance can contribute to the moment generated by the clamping spigot, resulting in a large clamping force. This type of gripper has the disadvantage of limited loading capacity. This means that the weight of the pallet is limited, limiting the margin of safety in case of loss of air pressure. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide a gripper for an automated handling assembly, in particular for a handling robot, for loading and unloading objects, which is capable of gripping objects quickly and reliably.A further object of the present invention is to provide a compact gripper for reliably gripping heavy objects.In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a gripper for safely clamping objects when air pressure is lost. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to the invention, these objects are achieved by the features of the independent claims. In addition, further advantageous embodiments result from the dependent claims and the description.

[0007] The present invention provides a gripper for a handling assembly, particularly for a handling robot, for gripping an object, comprising a coupling element and a base. The base includes a housing, a clamping bracket disposed outside the housing, and a clamping mechanism disposed within the housing and operably connected to the clamping bracket. The coupling element is securable to the object. The clamping bracket has a latched state and an unlatched state. In the latched state, the clamping bracket is pulled to a position adjacent to the housing, and in the unlatched state, the clamping bracket is pushed away from the housing to accommodate the coupling element between the clamping bracket and the housing. When activated by pneumatic or hydraulic pressure, the clamping mechanism can forcibly change the clamping bracket from the latched state to the unlatched state. Furthermore, when deactivated, the clamping mechanism can return the clamping bracket to the latched state, thereby clamping the coupling element to the housing. When the clamping mechanism is not activated, the clamping bracket maintains the latched state. This further improves safety. For example, even if the air pressure on the gripper becomes too low or drops to zero, the connecting element and the heavy object will not fall because the connecting element is fastened to the housing by the clamping bracket, which provides a self-locking effect and improves safety.

[0008] In one embodiment, the clamping mechanism includes a piston and a piston rod having one end fixedly connected to the clamping bracket and another end operably connected to the piston to transfer motion of the piston to the clamping bracket.

[0009] Systems for automatically loading objects, such as robots, automatic tool changers, and automatic pallet changers, are widely used in industry. For example, to shorten machining time and improve production efficiency, automatic pallet changers are used to load and unload pallets from machine tools. Typically, a connecting element is attached to the pallet, and a base is attached to the robot arm. When the robot arm loads or unloads a pallet into or from the machine tool, the pallet must first be securely grasped by a gripper so that the robot arm can perform the loading and unloading process.

[0010] The clamping bracket has a central portion and two clamping jaws, between which the connecting element and the housing are clamped. In particular, the clamping bracket has a U-shape, with the clamping jaws forming the legs of the U. This structure allows for increased load capacity. In particular, the weight of the pallet, the distance to the center of gravity, and the clamping force maintained when air pressure is lost are increased compared to known grippers. Preferably, the central portion and the clamping jaws are integrated to achieve high rigidity. The clamping force generated by the clamping bracket acts over the entire height of the connecting element and the housing, thus improving the clamping torque. The clamping bracket is configured to generate a large clamping force by amplifying the retraction force generated by the piston, i.e., the clamping force is several times greater than the retraction force. This is achieved by selecting an angle between the clamping jaws and the central portion in the range of 5° to 25°. This allows for a power transmission ratio of approximately 2:1 to 5:1 between the clamping bracket and the connecting element alone. For example, if the retraction force exerted by the piston rod on the clamping bracket is of the order of 4,000 N, the clamping force exerted by the clamping jaws will be of the order of 20,000 N.

[0011] The housing has a substantially rectangular shape and is rigid. In a preferred variant, the housing has a front wall, a rear wall, a top wall, a bottom wall and two side walls.

[0012] In one embodiment, the clamping bracket is disposed on the side of the housing and can be shifted laterally by the clamping mechanism when the clamping bracket changes from the latched position to the unlatched position and vice versa. A connecting element having a pallet can be brought into contact with the front surface of the housing and clamped by clamping jaws therebetween. To achieve a secure clamping, the clamping jaws have the same height as the housing, and the connecting element has at least the same height as the housing, so that the clamping force acts along the entire height of the housing, thereby achieving a high torque.

[0013] Furthermore, a coupling contact area is formed on the coupling element and engages with a clamping area formed on the clamping jaw. At least one support area is formed on the front wall and / or rear wall of the housing, and this support area is subjected to a clamping force when the coupling element is clamped to the housing.

[0014] In particular, a cleaning hole is provided in the support area on the front of the housing. Because the gripper is intended for industrial use, particularly in the machining industry, it is used in environments where debris and chips are present. If the support area is covered with debris, the clamping force will be significantly reduced, directly affecting the clamping safety. Therefore, a clean contact surface is important. Additionally, the air pressure passing through the cleaning hole can be measured to monitor the clamping state between the connecting element and the housing.

[0015] Furthermore, cleaning slots are formed in the clamping bracket adjacent to the clamping jaws, particularly between the rigid bodies of the clamping jaws, and allow air supplied from the air inlet to be blown onto the contact surfaces.

[0016] In some embodiments, the clamping mechanism includes a retaining means fixedly attached to the housing to retain the clamping bracket in the latched position. In particular, a resetting means is attached between the inner surface of the front wall of the housing and the piston to exert a retaining force on the piston.

[0017] In an advantageous variant, the holding means comprises at least one spring, preferably several springs, to generate a sufficient holding force, for example of the order of 1,000 N. In a preferred variant, the spring is a compression spring. When the clamping bracket is in the unlatched state, the spring is compressed and thus highly preloaded. When the pneumatic drive is deactivated, the compressed spring is partially relaxed, pushing the piston back, and the piston rod pulls the clamping bracket into the latched state. In this state, the spring preload is reduced, but still maintained to generate the holding force. In the absence of an external drive, the clamping bracket remains in the latched state.

[0018] Additionally, the piston may be pneumatically or hydraulically actuated to overcome the retaining force and move the clamping bracket from the latched position to the unlatched position, thereby pushing the clamping bracket laterally away from the housing. Preferably, the piston rod is positioned perpendicular to the clamping bracket and parallel to the direction of movement of the clamping bracket to push the clamping bracket away from the housing and then pull the clamping bracket back into the housing.

[0019] In one variation, the piston is cylindrical and is mounted in a hole in the rear wall of the housing, and the spring is attached to the piston, extending axially, and presses against the inner surface of the front wall of the housing.

[0020] In one variant, the clamping mechanism comprises a transmission means for transmitting the movement of the piston to the piston rod, which makes it possible to change the axial movement of the piston into another direction, in particular to move the piston rod in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the piston.

[0021] Since the gripper is required to be compact, the space inside the housing is limited. Therefore, a slider is used as a transmission means. The slider is connected to the piston so as to follow the movement of the piston and is configured to convert the movement of the piston in an axial direction defined as a first direction into movement of the piston rod in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. Preferably, the first direction and the second direction are on the same plane, particularly a horizontal plane.

[0022] The slider has a plate shape with a defined thickness and is positioned on a horizontal plane parallel to the top wall of the housing. One end is attached to the piston and follows the movement of the piston. A guide groove is formed on one surface of the slider to accommodate a guide pin formed on one end of the piston rod. The piston rod has a cylindrical shape and is accommodated in a hole drilled in the side wall of the housing, so that the piston rod can move substantially only in the axial direction of the piston rod. The guide pin is always engaged with the guide groove. As the slider follows the movement of the piston, the guide pin can move along the guide groove. In particular, the guide groove runs in a direction inclined with respect to the axial direction of the piston. When the piston presses the slider moving in a first direction, a lateral force is generated on the piston rod through the engagement between the guide pin and the guide groove due to the inclination of the guide groove, pushing the piston rod sideways.

[0023] To allow for compensation for production precision, the slider is mounted so that its position can have a floating capability of several tens of millimeters in one axial direction.

[0024] In an advantageous variant providing a high clamping force, the slider is configured to amplify the holding force acting on the piston by the relaxed spring to generate a clamping force for clamping the connecting element and the housing, in particular the clamping force being at least twice as large as the holding force, preferably the clamping force being 10 times larger than the holding force, for example the holding force being of the order of 1,000 N, the retraction force acting on the clamping bracket by the piston rod being of the order of 4,000 N and the clamping force acting by the clamping jaws being of the order of 16,000 N.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment, the guide groove has a first portion and a second portion. The guide groove is configured so that the guide pin is locked to the first portion, providing a self-locking function. In a preferred embodiment, the first portion and the second portion have two different inclination angles α and β defined relative to the axial direction of the piston. In particular, the first portion has a small inclination angle, for example, less than 20°, preferably about 10°, while the second portion has a larger inclination angle than the first portion. When the clamping bracket is in the latched state, the guide pin engages with the first portion. The small inclination angle of the first portion provides a self-locking function, thereby reliably locking the clamping bracket in the latched position. Without an external driving force, the guide pin cannot move from the first portion to the second portion. As a result, the connecting element is securely fixed to the front surface of the housing. When the piston is pneumatically driven to press the slider toward the front surface of the housing, the guide pin is guided within the guide groove and repositioned from the first portion to the second portion. The large inclination angle of the second part is selected so that the travel distances of the piston rod and the piston are equal.

[0026] To ensure secure clamping, two clamping brackets are provided, each attached to one side of the housing, to clamp the connecting element and the housing from two sides, particularly opposite sides. Preferably, the clamping brackets are positioned adjacent to the two sides of the housing.

[0027] The gripper is not limited to a gripper for gripping a pallet, but may also include, for example, a further gripper, and thus may be provided with pneumatic and / or electrical transport means for connecting two pneumatic and / or electrical devices.

[0028] Furthermore, the front surface of the housing is provided with at least one mounting hole for receiving a connecting pin formed on the connecting element, and the connecting pin and the mounting hole function as an alignment element between the gripper and the connecting element.

[0029] A more particular description of the principles briefly described above will now be given by reference to specific embodiments thereof, which are illustrated in the drawings. These drawings depict exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. The principles of the present disclosure will be explained in detail using the following accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0030] [Figure 1] FIG. 10 is a three-dimensional view of the pallet and gripper in a clamped state. [Figure 2a] This is a three-dimensional view of the gripper seen from the back. [Figure 2b] FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional view of the gripper from the front. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the gripper. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the gripper. [Figure 5] FIG. 3D view of the piston rod. [Figure 6] FIG. 3D view of the slider. [Figure 7a] FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional view of a clamping bracket. [Figure 7b] FIG. 10 is a detailed view of the cleaning slot. [Figure 7c] FIG. [Figure 8a] FIG. [Figure 8b] FIG. [Figure 8c] 10A-10C show pallets attached to connecting elements in different positions. [Figure 8d] 10A-10C show pallets attached to connecting elements in different positions. [Figure 9a] FIG. 10 illustrates the gripper in an unlatched state. [Figure 9b] FIG. 10 illustrates the gripper in an unlatched state. [Figure 9c] FIG. 10 illustrates the gripper in a latched state. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 shows a gripper with a further gripping device attached. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] 1 is a three-dimensional view of a gripper 100 including a base 20 and a connecting element 10 that can be fixedly attached to the sidewall of a pallet 1. The base can be attached to a robot or a loading device. When the robot needs to load the pallet into a machine tool, it brings the base into proximity with the connecting element to which the pallet is attached, as shown in FIG. 1, and receives and tightens the connecting element. The robot can then move the pallet toward the machine tool and place the pallet on the machine tool's work table.

[0032] 2a and 2b are three-dimensional views from the back and front, respectively, of base 20. The base includes a housing 21 with a front wall 23, a rear wall 22, and two side walls 24, and two clamping brackets 30a, 30b, one on each side of the housing.

[0033] Figures 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views of the base in the XZ and YZ planes, respectively. In these figures, the clamping brackets are not clamping the connecting elements but are in a latched state. This is the initial state of the clamping brackets and will remain in this state unless some actuation is performed. As shown in Figure 3, each clamping bracket is connected to a slider 60 by a piston rod 45a, 45b. A piston 51 is disposed within the housing through a hole in the rear wall of the housing and is movable in a first direction, i.e., its axial direction, in this example, the Y direction. The slider is located in a horizontal plane, i.e., the XY plane, and one end is connected to the piston and follows the movement of the piston in the first direction. Each piston rod is housed in a hole in the side wall of the housing and is movable in a second direction, in this example, the X direction. One end of the piston rod is fixedly connected to the clamping bracket, and the other end is engaged with the slider.

[0034] FIGS. 5 and 6 show the piston rod and slider 60 in detail. A guide pin 48 is formed at one end of the piston rod and can be received in a guide groove 61a formed in the slider so that the piston rod engages with the slider. As shown in FIG. 6, the slider has two guide grooves 61a, 61b, each formed by two portions: a first portion 62 and a second portion 63 of a guide groove with a different inclination. The first portion of the guide groove has a first angle α with respect to a first direction, symbolized by a dotted line, and the second portion of the guide groove has a second angle β with respect to the first direction. The first angle α is smaller than the second angle β. When the clamping bracket is in a latched state, the guide pin is located in the first portion of the guide groove. A smaller angle of the first portion provides a stronger engagement between the piston rod and the slider, thereby increasing the clamping force of the clamping bracket. When the clamping bracket is driven from a latched state to an unlatched state, the piston is driven to move in a first direction, and the slider follows this movement, so that the guide pin is guided along the guide groove and moves from the first part to the second part. Therefore, the larger the angle of the second part, the easier it is for the guide pin to move to the second part.

[0035] As shown in Figure 4, at least one, and preferably at least two, springs 53 are attached to the housing as a retaining means to hold the piston in an initial position adjacent to the rear wall of the housing. The springs are attached to the front of the piston and press against the inner surface of the front wall of the housing. In the embodiment shown in Figure 4, three springs are located above the slider and three below.

[0036] When the clamping bracket is latched, the spring is positioned between the piston and the inner surface of the front wall, holding the slider and piston in their initial positions. The guide pin is positioned in the first portion 62 of the guide groove. When the piston is driven by air and moves in the Y direction, the slider is pressed in the same direction by the piston, and the guide pin moves from the first portion 63 of the guide groove to the second portion 63. This pushes the piston rod away from the housing, releasing the latch. At the same time, the spring is pressed by the piston, applying a preload. In the released state, an object can be placed against the front wall of the housing. When the air supply to the piston is cut off, the preloaded spring pushes the piston backward, returning it to its initial position. As a result, the slider returns to its initial position following the movement of the piston, and the guide pin returns to the first portion of the guide groove. This pulls the clamping bracket back toward the housing, clamping both the front wall and the object placed in the housing together.

[0037] As shown in Figure 2b, a compressed air inlet 52 is provided at the top of the housing to supply air to drive the piston.

[0038] FIG. 7a shows a three-dimensional view of the clamping bracket. The clamping bracket has a U-shape with two protrusions, namely clamping jaws 40a and 40b, on each side. Each clamping jaw has two clamping areas that contact the object when clamping it to the housing. The first clamping jaw 40a has a first clamping area 31a at its upper end and a second clamping area 32a at its lower end. The second clamping jaw 41a has a third clamping area 33a at its upper end and a fourth clamping area 34a at its lower end. In the illustrated variant, the clamping areas have inclined surfaces to ensure a high clamping force and compensate for production tolerances. Therefore, the clamping force acting on the clamping areas is greater, for example, three times greater, than the force acting on the clamping bracket from the piston rod.

[0039] As shown in Figure 2b, the outer surface of the front wall of the housing, particularly each edge of the outer surface, is formed with support areas 58. When the connecting element and the housing are fastened together by the fastening bracket, the fastening force acts mainly on the four support areas.

[0040] When grippers are used to grip pallets attached to machine tools, cleaning of the clamping area is important to ensure reliable gripping. Therefore, cleaning air channels are formed in the clamping bracket. A first pair of air outlets 36a are formed adjacent to the first clamping area 31a and the second clamping area 32a, respectively, and are connected via channels to a pair of first pair of cleaning air inlets 39a formed adjacent to the clamping areas, as shown in Figure 7b, an enlarged view of section A in Figure 7c. The dotted arrows indicate the direction of airflow for air blade cleaning. The air outlets 36a are formed by a small gap of 0.3 mm or less, preferably 0.1 mm, between the cover and the bracket.

[0041] Cleaning air can be supplied to the first pair of air inlets and blown out through the slots to clean the clamping areas. Additionally, each support area 58 can be cleaned by blowing air through cleaning holes 59 provided in that support area. Furthermore, the cleaning holes can be used as sensing units to check the clamping state by measuring the pressure inside them.

[0042] Figures 8a and 8b show the connecting element in detail. In this embodiment, the connecting element has the shape of a plate, but the connecting element is not limited to this shape. The connecting plate has multiple connection holes 16 for attachment to the pallet. The height of the connecting element is greater than that of the pallet to increase the torque with which the gripper grips the pallet. In addition, two connection pins 15 are fixed to the connecting element and inserted into the base of the gripper. These connection pins also function as alignment means. The connecting element has connecting contact areas 11 formed on its two edges and is designed to be received in the clamping jaws of the clamping bracket. As shown in Figures 8c and 8d, the connecting element can be attached to the pallet in two different configurations to enable flexible mounting of the pallet.

[0043] Figures 9a, 9b and 9c show the operation of gripping a pallet. Figure 9a shows how compressed air is supplied into the housing of the base, opening the clamping bracket. The connecting element with the pallet can be inserted into the base. Once the connecting element is inserted into the base, as shown in Figure 9b, the air can be turned off. The clamping bracket secures the connecting element to the housing from both sides.

[0044] Figure 10 shows another application of the gripper. The gripper is attached to the robot 2 and the connecting element is attached to an additional gripper 200. As shown in Figures 2a and 2b, an electrical transport means 57 and a pneumatic transport means 56 are provided at the top of the housing. The electrical transport means serves to electrically connect the additional gripper and allows communication between the gripper and the additional gripper, for example, sending and receiving sensor signals. The pneumatic transport means can transport compressed air. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1 palette 2. Robot 10 Connected Components 11 Connecting contact area 15 connecting pins 16 Connection hole 20 Base 21 Housing 22 Rear wall of housing 23 Front wall of housing 24 Housing side wall 30 Fastening bracket 31a, 31b First clamping area 32a, 32b Second clamping area 33a, 33b Third clamping area 34a, 34b Fourth clamping area 36a First pair of air outlets 39a Cleaning air inlet 40a, 40b First clamping jaw 41a, 41b Second clamping jaw 45a, 45b Piston rod 48a, 48b Guide pin 51 Piston 52 Compressed air inlet 53 Spring 56 Pneumatic transport means 57 Electrical means of transport 58 Support area 59 Cleaning hole 60 sliders 61a, 61b Guide groove 62 First portion of guide groove 63 Second portion of guide groove 100 grippers 200 additional grippers 210 Additional Gripper Linkage Elements

Claims

1. A gripper (100) for gripping an object (1) for a handling assembly, comprising: a) a connecting element (10) attached to said object; b) a base (20) attachable to the handling assembly, the base (20) including a housing (21), clamping brackets (30a, 30b) disposed outside the housing, and a clamping mechanism disposed within the housing and operatively connected to the clamping brackets, the clamping brackets having a latched state and an unlatched state, wherein in the latched state the clamping brackets are pulled to a position adjacent to the housing, and in the unlatched state the clamping brackets are pushed away from the housing to accommodate the connecting element between the clamping bracket and the housing, the clamping mechanism being pneumatically or hydraulically actuated to forcibly change the clamping brackets from the latched state to the unlatched state when actuated, and returning the clamping brackets to the latched state when not actuated, thereby clamping the connecting element to the housing; Equipped with the clamping mechanism includes a piston (51) and a piston rod (45a, 45b) having one end fixedly connected to the clamping bracket and another end operably connected to the piston for transmitting motion of the piston to the clamping bracket; The clamping bracket has a U-shape having a central portion for connecting the piston rod and two clamping jaws (40a, 41a) protruding from the central portion, and the central portion and the clamping jaws are integrally formed. Gripper (100).

2. 2. The gripper of claim 1, wherein said clamping mechanism includes a retaining means (53) attached to said housing for retaining said clamping bracket in said latched condition, said retaining means being a spring.

3. 3. The gripper of claim 2, wherein the clamping mechanism includes a slider (60) connected between the piston rod and the piston, the slider engaged with the piston rod to convert movement of the piston in a first direction into movement of the piston rod in a second direction, the first direction and the second direction being perpendicular to one another.

4. 4. The gripper according to claim 3, wherein the slider is connected to the piston so as to follow the movement of the piston, and the slider has a guide groove (61, 61a, 61b) in which a guide pin (48a) formed on the piston rod is engaged, and the guide pin is movable along the guide groove during the movement of the slider.

5. 5. The gripper of claim 4, wherein the spring is mounted between the piston and an inner surface of the housing, the spring being compressed when the clamping bracket is in the unlatched state, and the compressed spring being partially relaxed to hold the clamping bracket in the latched state.

6. The gripper of claim 5 , wherein the slider is configured to amplify a holding force acting on the piston by the relaxed spring to generate a clamping force that clamps the coupling element and the housing together.

7. 7. The gripper according to claim 4, wherein the guide groove has a first portion (62) and a second portion (63), the guide groove is configured such that the guide pin can be locked in the first portion, the first portion and the second portion have different inclination angles (α, β), and the first portion has an inclination angle (α) that is smaller than the inclination angle (β) of the second portion.

8. 8. The gripper according to claim 1, wherein two clamping brackets (30a, 30b) are provided, each of which is attached to one side of the housing to clamp the connecting element and the housing from both sides, the two sides being opposite each other.

9. 9. The gripper according to claim 1, wherein at least one support area (58) is formed on the outer surface of the housing, on which the clamping force is exerted when the connecting element is clamped to the housing, and wherein the support area is provided with a cleaning hole (59), which allows the clamping state to be detected.

10. 10. The gripper of claim 1, wherein the height of the clamping bracket is equal to the height of the base.

11. Gripper according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the clamping jaws are provided with cleaning outlets (36a) through which air can be blown out for cleaning purposes.

12. Gripper according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that pneumatic and / or electrical transport means (56, 57) are provided in the housing.

13. 13. Gripper according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the coupling element has at least two connecting pins (15) which can be inserted into at least two mounting holes (55) provided in the housing of the base body.

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