Adaptive carrier unit and transfer system

A carrier unit for a transfer system having a transfer path, the carrier unit comprising:

• a first carrier and a second carrier, the first and the second carriers being engageable to the transfer path and configured for negotiating the transfer path, wherein the first carrier is coupled to a first gripper configured for cooperating with a second gripper coupled to the second carrier to define a socket for holding one or more products, the socket having a socket geometry determined by a relative position of the first gripper with respect to the second gripper, and
• first and second turntable assemblies rotatably coupling the respective first and second grippers to the respective first and second carriers,
• wherein:
• the first gripper is rotatably coupled to the first carrier around a respective first axis of rotation, whereby the relative position of the first gripper with respect to the first carrier is defined by a first angle between the first gripper and the first carrier around the first axis of rotation,
• the second gripper is rotatably coupled to the second carrier around a respective second axis of rotation, whereby the relative position of the second gripper with respect to the second carrier is defined by a second angle between the second gripper and the second carrier around the second axis of rotation, and
• each carrier unit comprises an angle control device configured for adjusting the first angle and the second angle to maintain a predetermined socket geometry upon negotiation of the transfer path by the carrier unit, wherein the angle control device comprises arrays of comb-like extensions of top walls and/or bottom walls of the first and second grippers, the comb-like extensions of one of the first and second grippers being configured to interdigitate with the comb-like extensions of the other of the first and second grippers, and
• the first and second turntable assemblies each include respective first and second:
• base plates coupling the respective first and turntable assemblies to the respective first and second carriers, each base plate including a protruding hub;
• thrust plates coupled to the base plates, including about the protruding hubs;
• rotary plates rotationally fitted onto the thrust plates and coupled to the respective first and second grippers;
• and
• closure plates coupled to the base plate and configured to retain the respective turntable assemblies in place and prevent axial separation of components of the turntable assemblies in a direction parallel to the first and second axes of rotation, which are each parallel to a longitudinal axis of each carrier unit.