# US 12,006,164 B2 · Operating device for placing or retrieving bottle-like piece goods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,006,164 B2 - Document ID: US12006164B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/197,268 - Filed: 2023-05-15 - Published: 2023-09-07 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2018-10-08 - Assignees: Becton Dickinson Rowa Germany GmbH - Applicants: Becton Dickinson Rowa Germany GmbH - Inventors: Christoph Hellenbrand - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12006164B2 ## CPC - B65G 47/90: Devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials - B25J 15/0038: {Cylindrical gripping surfaces} - B65G 47/902: {provided with drive systems incorporating rotary and rectilinear movements} - B65G 1/04: mechanical - B65G 2201/0244: Bottles - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) - 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 An operating device for placing or retrieving piece goods onto or from storage places of a picking device is provided. The operating device includes a gripping jaw assembly having two gripping jaws with opposite lying inner surfaces extending in a first horizontal direction corresponding to a direction for placing and retrieving piece goods. The gripping jaws are configured so that the distance of the inner surfaces from each other tapers in the downward direction at least in sections and the piece goods can be lifted from below or the gripping jaws can be moved to clamp the piece goods between them. The operating device also includes an actuation unit coupled to the gripping jaw assembly for moving the gripping jaw assembly in the first horizontal direction. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of moving piece goods, the method comprising: moving a gripping jaw assembly comprising first and second gripping jaws disposed opposed to each other along a lengthwise axis, the first and second gripping jaws having inner surfaces, wherein a distance between upper portions of the inner surfaces is greater than a distance between lower portions below the upper portions of the opposed inner surfaces in a first position of the first and second gripping jaws, wherein the moving comprises moving by a first actuation unit the gripping jaw assembly along the lengthwise axis toward a storage place having one or more piece goods; moving, by the first actuation unit, the first and second gripping jaws adjacent a first piece good disposed in a first location of the storage place, wherein the first piece good is one of having a rectangular base and cylindrical; engaging, by the first and second gripping jaws, the first piece good by: rotating, by a second actuation unit, the first and second gripping jaws from the first position into a second position in which the inner surfaces of the first and second gripping jaws are aligned parallel to each other; moving, by a third actuation unit, the first and second gripping jaws toward each other along a widthwise axis transverse to the lengthwise axis; and clamping the first piece good between the first and second gripping jaws; and moving, by the first actuation unit, the first and second gripping jaws away from the first location of the storage place to remove the first piece good from the first location of the storage place. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first piece good is cylindrical and engaging the first cylindrical piece good in the first location of the storage place comprises: lifting, by the first and second gripping jaws, the first cylindrical piece good from below. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: pivoting, by a fourth actuation unit, at least one of the first and second gripping jaws so that terminal ends of the first and second gripping jaws are moved toward each other. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second gripping jaws each have a flat profile with the inner surface being a plane inner surface. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein at least a portion of one of the first and second gripping jaws comprises a web extending along the lengthwise axis. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second gripping jaws each have a round profile and the opposed inner surfaces are convex to each other. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: moving the first piece good to a second location of the storage place, and sliding, by a sliding device, the first piece good onto the second location. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: catching, by a catching section at an end of the first gripping jaw, the first piece good between the first and second gripping jaws, and pulling the first piece good from the storage place onto a tray disposed below the first and second gripping jaws. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: moving the gripping jaw assembly and the tray to a second location of the storage place and sliding, by a sliding device, the first piece good onto the second location. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: moving, by the first actuation unit, the first and second gripping jaws to a second location in the storage place; and disengaging, by the first and second gripping jaws, the first piece good to place the first piece good in the second location of the storage place. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: moving, by the first actuation unit, the first and second gripping jaws to a second location not in the storage place; and disengaging, by the first and second gripping jaws, the first piece good to place the first piece good in the second location. ### Claim 12 A method of moving cylindrical piece goods, the method comprising: moving a gripping jaw assembly comprising first and second gripping jaws disposed opposed to each other along a lengthwise axis, the first and second gripping jaws having inner surfaces, wherein a distance between upper portions of the inner surfaces is greater than a distance between lower portions of the opposed inner surfaces in a first position of the first and second gripping jaws, wherein the moving comprises moving, by a first actuation unit, the gripping jaw assembly along the lengthwise axis toward a storage place having one or more piece goods; lifting, by the first and second gripping jaws, a first cylindrical piece good from below; catching, by a catching section at an end of the first gripping jaw, the first cylindrical piece good between the first and second gripping jaws; moving, by the first actuation unit, the first and second gripping jaws to move the first cylindrical piece good to a different location; and pulling the first cylindrical piece good onto a tray disposed below the first and second gripping jaws. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising: sliding, by a sliding device, the first piece good onto the different location. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the opposed inner surfaces are convex to each other. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the first and second gripping jaws each have a flat profile with the inner surface being a planar inner surface. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the different location is not in the storage place. ### Claim 17 A method of moving piece goods, the method comprising: moving a gripping jaw assembly comprising first and second gripping jaws disposed opposed to each other along a lengthwise axis, the first and second gripping jaws having inner surfaces, wherein a distance between upper portions of the inner surfaces is greater than a distance between lower portions below the upper portions of the opposed inner surfaces in a first position of the first and second gripping jaws, wherein the moving comprises moving by a first actuation unit the gripping jaw assembly along the lengthwise axis toward a storage place having one or more piece goods; moving, by the first actuation unit, the first and second gripping jaws adjacent a first piece good disposed in a first location of the storage place; engaging, by the first and second gripping jaws, the first piece good; catching, by a catching section at an end of the first gripping jaw, the first piece good between the first and second gripping jaws; moving, by the first actuation unit, the first and second gripping jaws away from the first location of the storage place to remove the first piece good from the first location of the storage place; and pulling the first piece good from the storage place onto a tray disposed below the first and second gripping jaws.