Container gripper and transporting element with such container grippers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9446909-B2
Application number	US-201314421550-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2013
Priority date	Aug 13, 2012
Publication date	Sep 20, 2016
Grant date	Sep 20, 2016

Abstract

A one-piece container gripper for suspending containers from a container region beneath a container mouth has segments, a locking portion, and a spring portion. On a front side of the container gripper, the segments define a container mount between them. The spring portion exerts a closing force pre-stressing the segments, thus urging the container mount to close. The segments can be moved apart against a spring-exerted closing force to open the gripper. The locking portion, which is integral with the container gripper, moves resiliently between a position that locks the gripper and a position that unlocks it.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for handling containers, said apparatus comprising a one-piece container gripper for suspending containers from a container region beneath a container mouth, wherein said container gripper comprises a first segment, a container mount, a locking portion, a spring portion, and a second segment, wherein said container gripper has a front side and a back side, wherein, on said front side of said container gripper, said first and said second segment define said container mount therebetween, wherein said container mount has a closed position and an open position, wherein said container mount transitions between said closed position and said open position, wherein said spring portion exerts a closing force to pre-stress said first and second segments, thus urging said container mount to transition into said closed position, wherein said first and second segments can be moved apart from one another counter to action of said closing force exerted by said spring portion to cause said container mount to transition into said open position from said closed position, wherein said locking portion is integral with said container gripper, wherein said locking portion moves resiliently between a first position, in which said container gripper is locked, and a second position, in which said container gripper is unlocked, wherein said spring portion merges into said first segment, wherein said spring portion merges into said second segment on said front side of said container gripper, and wherein said first and said second segment define said container mount therebetween.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said spring portion comprises a clip.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said spring portion comprises first and second legs, wherein said legs are bent to cause said spring portion to assume a hooked profile, wherein said legs pass through a space between said first and second segments, wherein said legs extend between a locking tab that forms said locking portion and said container mount, wherein a distance between said spring portion and each of said segments increases monotonically along said legs, wherein said distance reaches a maximum at a point on said spring portion that is most remote from said container mount.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said first segment comprises an inner side and wherein said second segment comprises an inner side, wherein said inner side of said first segment faces said inner side of said second segment, wherein said spring portion comprises a first leg and a second leg, wherein, at a first end of said first leg, said first leg merges into said inner side of said first segment, wherein at a first end of said second leg, said second leg merges into an inner side of said second segment.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a locking tab that forms said locking portion, wherein said locking tab has a free end, wherein said locking tab tapers towards said free end, wherein in said locking position, said locking tab bears with an edge thereof against mutually facing inner surfaces or edges of said segments.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said spring portion is arranged between said first segment and said second segment.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first segment is configured for pivotal attachment to a transporting element, and said second segment is configured for pivotal attachment to said transporting element.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said segments are flat.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said segments comprise flat levers.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a transporting element for transporting containers, wherein said transporting element comprises a plurality of transport positions, wherein said container gripper is one of a plurality of identical container grippers, wherein each of said transport positions comprises one of said container grippers.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising means for moving said locking portion into a non-locking state, wherein said means for moving said locking portion is disposed at a handover region at which a container handover takes place, said container handover being selected from engagement of a container at a transport position and removal of a container from a transport position.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said means for moving comprises a ramp.

Assignees

• Khs Gmbh

Inventors

• Singur Igor

Classifications

• B65G47/908

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

• B65G2201/0247

  Suspended bottles · CPC title

• B65G47/847 Primary

  the article-engaging elements being grippers · CPC title