# US 10,766,111 B2 · Loading and/or unloading device and method for operating a loading and/or unloading device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,766,111 B2 - Document ID: US10766111B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/354,302 - Filed: 2019-03-15 - Published: 2019-09-26 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2018-03-26 - Assignees: Sw Automation GmbH - Applicants: Sw Automation GmbH - Inventors: Sven Makis; Metin Kilic - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10766111B2 ## CPC - B23Q 7/04: by means of grippers {(B23Q7/1494 takes precedence)} - B25J 11/005: {Manipulators for mechanical processing tasks} - B25J 5/00: Manipulators mounted on wheels or on carriages (B25J1/00 takes precedence; program-controlled manipulators B25J9/00) - B25J 5/02: travelling along a guideway - B25J 9/0096: {co-operating with a working support, e.g. work-table} - B25J 15/00: Gripping heads {and other end effectors (grippers used in machine tools B23Q7/04; gripping members fitted on cranes B66C1/42, B66C1/44; gripping means used for mounting electrical components H05K13/04; gripping means used in the manufacture of semiconductors H10P72/7602)} - B23Q: DETAILS, COMPONENTS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR MACHINE TOOLS, e.g. ARRANGEMENTS FOR COPYING OR CONTROLLING (tools of the kind used in lathes or boring machines B23B27/00); MACHINE TOOLS IN GENERAL CHARACTERISED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF PARTICULAR DETAILS OR COMPONENTS; COMBINATIONS OR ASSOCIATIONS OF METAL-WORKING MACHINES, NOT DIRECTED TO A PARTICULAR RESULT - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) ## Abstract A mobile loading and/or unloading device with at least one transport unit for moving the loading and/or unloading device, with at least one storage unit fixed to the transport unit, on which at least one gripping object can be arranged or is arranged and with at least one on-the-transport-unit fixed manipulator unit. The manipulator unit includes at least one manipulator, which includes at least one gripping means for gripping the at least one gripping object through which the at least one gripping object can be arranged and/or removed in a processing station, such as a machine tool, and/or can be arranged in or on and/or removed from the storage unit. The storage unit includes at least one holding device by which the at least one gripping object can be fixed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A mobile loading and/or unloading device comprising: at least one transport unit for moving the loading and/or unloading device; at least one storage unit fixed to the transport unit, on which at least one gripping object is able to be arranged or is arranged; and at least one on-the-transport-unit fixed manipulator unit, said fixed manipulator unit comprising at least one manipulator, which comprises at least one gripping means for gripping the at least one gripping object through which the at least one gripping object is able to be arranged and/or removed in a processing station and/or is able to be arranged in or on and/or removed from the storage unit, wherein the storage unit comprises at least one holding means by which the at least one gripping object is able to be fixed against moving at least transversely or obliquely to a direction of travel of the loading and unloading device, further comprising at least one clamping element, by which the at least one gripping object is able to be fixed against movement parallel, transversely and obliquely to the direction of travel; and at least one processing unit fixed to the at least one transport unit, by which the at least one gripping object fixed to the at least one clamping element is able to be machined on the at least one transport unit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The mobile loading and/or unloading device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one holding means of the storage unit comprises a transversely or obliquely to the direction of travel extending recess, which in particular comprises a cross section which corresponds to a cross-section of the gripping object. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The mobile loading and/or unloading device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one holding means comprises the clamping element. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The mobile loading and/or unloading device according to claim 3, further comprising at least one handling means fixed to the transport unit for at least transferring the at least one gripping object from the holding means to the clamping element or from the clamping element to the holding means and/or by at least one control unit comprising at least one sensor means for controlling at least the handling means, the manipulator and/or the processing unit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The mobile loading and/or unloading device according to claim 1, wherein the transport unit is guided on a carrier and/or rail of a processing system or that the transport unit comprises at least one unwinding unit by which the loading and unloading device is freely mobile. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The mobile loading and/or unloading device according to claim 1, wherein the transport unit comprises a transport means on which the manipulator unit, the storage unit, the processing unit, the handling means and control unit are directly or indirectly fixed and/or that the transport unit is a first transport means, to which the manipulator unit is directly or indirectly fixed and at least one second transport means, which is detachably fixed or fixed to the first transport means and on which the storage unit, the processing unit, the handling means and control unit are fixed directly or indirectly. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The mobile loading and/or unloading device according to claim 1, wherein the gripping object comprises at least one of a workpiece, a tool and/or a gripping means of the manipulator. ### Claim 8 A mobile loading and/or unloading device comprising: at least one transport unit for moving the loading and/or unloading device; at least one storage unit fixed to the transport unit, on which at least one gripping object is able to be arranged or is arranged; and at least one on-the-transport-unit fixed manipulator unit, said fixed manipulator unit comprising at least one manipulator, which comprises at least one gripping means for gripping the at least one gripping object through which the at least one gripping object is able to be arranged and/or removed in a processing station and/or is able to be arranged in or on and/or removed from the storage unit, wherein the storage unit comprises at least one holding means by which the at least one gripping object is able to be fixed against moving at least transversely or obliquely to a direction of travel of the loading and unloading device, further comprising at least one clamping element, by which the at least one gripping object is able to be fixed against movement parallel, transversely and obliquely to the direction of travel; and at least one processing unit fixed to the at least one transport unit, by which the at least one gripping object fixed to the at least one clamping element is able to be processed, wherein the processing unit comprises at least one tool, by which the gripping object fixed on the clamping element is machinable, wherein the at least one tool comprises at least one of a grinding tool, milling tool, drilling tool, turning tool, deburring tool, laser tool and an embossing tool. ### Claim 9 A method for operating a loading and/or unloading device comprising at least one transport unit, at least one manipulator unit fixed to the transport unit and the at least one storage unit fixed to the transport unit, comprising the steps: arranging at least one gripping object on or at the storage unit, in particular in or on at least one recess of the storage unit by the at least one manipulator unit and/or by a handling means; arranging and/or removing the at least one gripping object in a processing station by the loading and/or unloading device; transferring the at least one gripping object from holding means to a clamping element by the manipulator unit and/or by the handling means and fixing the at least one gripping object in the clamping element; processing the at least one gripping object fixed in the clamping element by machining the at least one gripping object on the at least one transport unit by a processing unit fixed to the at least one transport unit; and transferring the at least one processed gripping object from the clamping element to the holding means, wherein at least one clamping element is used by which the at least one gripping object is able to be fixed against movement parallel, transversely and obliquely to the direction of travel.