Container clamping and holding arrangement for moving containers, such as bottles, cans, and similar containers, for holding products, such as beverages

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10294041-B2
Application number	US-201715584296-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 2, 2017
Priority date	Nov 3, 2014
Publication date	May 21, 2019
Grant date	May 21, 2019

Abstract

A container clamping and holding arrangement for moving containers, such as bottles, cans, and similar containers, for holding products, such as beverages. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. § 1.72(b). As stated in C.F.R. § 1.72(b): A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification must commence on a separate sheet, preferably following the claims, under the heading “Abstract of the Disclosure.” The purpose of the abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. Therefore, any statements made relating to the abstract are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A container clamp arrangement configured to clamp and hold containers comprising:
a first clamp portion and a second clamp portion, each comprising: a clamp arm, a control arm, and a connecting structure disposed between said clamp arm and said control arm;
said connecting structures being configured to permit said clamp portions to be pivotably mounted on a carrier structure;
a biasing arrangement comprising a first angled lever and a second angled lever, each being connected to said control arms;
each of said first and second angled levers comprises two arm portions disposed at an angle to one another;
said angled levers being configured and disposed to exert a biasing force on said control arms to press said control arms apart from one another and thus press said clamp arms toward one another;
said biasing arrangement comprising a resilient connecting arrangement being configured and disposed to connect said first angled lever and said second angled lever; and
said resilient connecting arrangement being configured to be temporarily deformed upon movement of said clamp arms apart to generate an increased pressing force on said angled levers, and thus increase said biasing force on said control arms and increase a clamping force on a container disposed between said clamp arms.

2. The container clamp arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein said biasing arrangement is mounted solely on said clamp arms.

3. The container clamp arrangement according to claim 2 , wherein said angled levers are configured to generate a biasing force sufficient to hold said clamp arms together upon a container not being held between said clamp arms.

4. The container clamp arrangement according to claim 3 , wherein said resilient connecting arrangement comprises:
a spring bridge connected to said first angled lever; and
a spring arm connected to said spring bridge and said second angled lever.

5. The container clamp arrangement according to claim 4 , wherein, upon movement of said clamp arms away from one another, said spring bridge and said spring arm press against one another.

6. The container clamp arrangement according to claim 5 , wherein said spring bridge is connected to said two arm portions of said first angled lever.

7. The container clamp arrangement according to claim 6 , wherein said container clamp arrangement comprises a control bolt configured to initiate movement of said first and second clamp portions.

8. The container clamp arrangement according to claim 7 , wherein said control bolt is configured to be moved toward said clamp arms to move said clamp arms away from one another, and to be moved away from said clamp arms to move said clamp arms toward one another.

9. The container clamp arrangement according to claim 8 , wherein said first and second angled levers are detachably connected to said control arms at the ends of said arm portions of each of said first and second angled levers.

10. The container clamp arrangement according to claim 9 , wherein said first angled lever, said second angled lever, and said resilient connecting arrangement together comprise a one-piece, plastic structure.

11. Container clamp for grasping a container comprising:
two clamp arms ( 2 a , 2 b ), which in each case are mounted so as to be movable by way of a bearing axis ( 3 a , 3 b ) on a carrier ( 11 ) between a resting position and an opening position,
a double-elbow lever ( 6 ) connected to the clamp arms ( 2 a , 2 b ), with a first and a second elbow lever ( 8 a , 8 b ),
wherein both elbow levers ( 8 a , 8 b ) are connected to a coupling unit ( 9 ), which is elastically movable in the direction of a centering axis (A);
wherein the double-elbow lever ( 6 ) is mounted exclusively at the clamp arms ( 2 a , 2 b);
wherein the elbow levers ( 8 a , 8 b ) produce a compression strength which holds the clamp arms ( 2 a , 2 b) in the position of rest; and
wherein the coupling unit ( 9 ) comprises a spring bridge ( 19 ) arranged at the first elbow lever ( 8 a ) and a spring arm ( 20 ) connected to the spring bridge ( 19 ) and the second elbow lever ( 8 b ).

12. Container clamp according to claim 11 , wherein, during an opening movement of the clamping arms ( 2 a , 2 b ), the spring bridge ( 19 ) and the spring arm ( 20 ) press against one another.

13. Container clamp according to claim 12 , wherein the spring bridge ( 19 ) is connected to two lever arms ( 15 a , 15 b ) of the first elbow lever ( 8 a ).

14. Container clamp according to claim 13 , wherein a control bolt ( 10 ) is arranged for the actuating of the container clamp ( 1 ).

15. Container clamp according to claim 14 , wherein, for the opening of the container clamp ( 1 ), the control bolt ( 10 ) can be moved in the direction of a gripper section ( 4 ) of the clamp arms ( 2 a , 2 b ), and for the closing of the container clamp ( 1 ) it can be moved away from the gripper section.

16. Container clamp according to claim 15 , wherein both elbow levers ( 8 a , 8 b ) are secured in each case in a detachable manner to one of the lever arms ( 15 a , 15 b ) at one of the clamp arms ( 2 a , 2 b).

17. Container clamp according to claim 16 , wherein the first elbow lever ( 8 a ), the second elbow lever ( 8 b ), and the coupling unit ( 9 ) are configured as of one piece, and wherein the double-elbow lever ( 6 ) comprises a plastic.

Assignees

• Mallitzki Nils
• Khs Gmbh

Inventors

• Mallitzki Nils

Classifications

• B65G2201/0235

  Containers · CPC title

• B65G2201/0244

  Bottles · CPC title

• B65G2201/0247

  Suspended bottles · CPC title

• B65G47/908

  with inflatable picking-up means (inflatable gripping members on load engaging elements for cranes B66C1/46) · CPC title

• B25J15/12

  with flexible finger members · CPC title