US 12,466,676 B2Granted

Sheet material processing unit and sheet material processing machine

AssigneeBobst Mex SA

InventorChristophe De Gaillande

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Abstract

A sheet material processing unit (20, 22, 24) comprises a transport system (32) for transporting sheets (12) or parts thereof from a respective input end (20i, 22i, 24i) to a respective output end (20o, 22o, 24o). A gripper unit (46) is releasably coupled to the transport system (32) and is configured for holding at least a part of one of the sheets (12). Additionally, at least one handover mechanism (47d, 47r) is provided being configured for decoupling the gripper unit (46) from the transport system (32) and providing the gripper unit (46) to a neighboring sheet material processing unit (20, 22, 24) and/or receiving a gripper unit (46) from a neighboring sheet material processing unit (20, 22, 24) and coupling the received gripper unit (46) to the corresponding transport system (32). Additionally, a sheet material processing machine (10) is presented which comprises at least two such sheet material processing units (20, 22, 24).

Claims14

Dependent claims

A sheet material processing machine, comprising:

at least two neighboring sheet material processing units, each sheet material processing unit including:
an input end where sheets to be processed enter the sheet material processing unit, and an output end where at least parts of the sheets leave the sheet material processing unit,
a transport system for transporting the sheets or parts thereof from the input end to the output end, and
a gripper unit releasably coupled to the transport system and configured for holding at least a part of one of the sheets,
wherein the input end and/or the output end are/is equipped with a handover mechanism configured for decoupling the gripper unit from the transport system and providing the gripper unit to a neighboring sheet material processing unit and/or receiving a gripper unit from a neighboring sheet material processing unit and coupling the received gripper unit to a corresponding transport system;
and
a recirculation module comprising a transport system for transferring gripper units from an output end of a second sheet material processing unit of the at least two neighboring sheet material processing units to an input end of a first sheet material processing unit of the at least two neighboring sheet material processing units,
wherein the at least two neighboring sheet material processing units are coupled by a first handover mechanism provided at an output end of the first sheet material processing unit and configured for decoupling the gripper unit from the corresponding transport system and providing the gripper unit to the second sheet material processing unit, and a second handover mechanism provided at an input end of the second sheet material processing unit and configured for receiving the gripper unit from the first sheet material processing unit and coupling the received gripper unit to a corresponding transport system.

5 more elements

A sheet material processing machine, comprising:

at least two neighboring sheet material processing units, each sheet material processing unit including:
an input end where sheets to be processed enter the sheet material processing unit, and an output end where at least parts of the sheets leave the sheet material processing unit,
a transport system for transporting the sheets or parts thereof from the input end to the output end, and
a gripper unit releasably coupled to the transport system and configured for holding at least a part of one of the sheets,
wherein the input end and/or the output end are/is equipped with a handover mechanism configured for decoupling the gripper unit from the transport system and providing the gripper unit to one of the at least two neighboring sheet material processing units and/or
receiving a gripper unit from another of the at least two neighboring sheet material processing units and coupling the received gripper unit to a corresponding transport system,
wherein the at least two neighboring sheet material processing units are coupled by:
a first handover mechanism provided at an output end of a first sheet material processing unit of the at least two neighboring sheet material processing units and configured for decoupling the gripper unit from the corresponding transport system and providing the gripper unit to a second sheet material processing unit of the at least two neighboring sheet material processing units,
a second handover mechanism provided at an input end of the second sheet material processing unit and configured for receiving the gripper unit from the first sheet material processing unit and coupling the received gripper unit to a corresponding transport system,
a third handover mechanism provided at an input end of the second sheet material processing unit and configured for decoupling the gripper unit from the corresponding transport system and providing the gripper unit to the first sheet material processing unit, and
a fourth handover mechanism provided at an output end of the first sheet material processing unit and configured for receiving the gripper unit from the second sheet material processing unit and coupling the received gripper unit to a corresponding transport system.

8 more elements

A sheet material processing machine, comprising:

at least two neighboring sheet material processing units, each sheet material processing unit including:
an input end where sheets to be processed enter the sheet material processing unit, and an output end where at least parts of the sheets leave the sheet material processing unit,
a transport system for transporting the sheets or parts thereof from the input end to the output end, and
a gripper unit releasably coupled to the transport system and configured for holding at least a part of one of the sheets,
wherein the input end and/or the output end are/is equipped with a handover mechanism configured for decoupling the gripper unit from the transport system and providing the gripper unit to one of the at least two neighboring sheet material processing units and/or receiving a gripper unit from another of the at least two neighboring sheet material processing units and coupling the received gripper unit to a corresponding transport system,
wherein the at least two neighboring sheet material processing units are coupled by a first handover mechanism provided at an output end of a first sheet material processing unit of the at least two neighboring sheet material processing units and configured for decoupling the gripper unit from the corresponding transport system and providing the gripper unit to a second sheet material processing unit of the at least two neighboring sheet material processing units, and
a second handover mechanism provided at an input end of the second sheet material processing unit and configured for receiving the gripper unit from the first sheet material processing unit and coupling the received gripper unit to a corresponding transport system,
wherein the transport system of the first sheet material processing unit of the at least two neighboring sheet material processing units comprises a first transport wheel arranged at the output end thereof, and the transport system of the second sheet material processing unit comprises a second transport wheel arranged at the input end thereof, and
wherein the first transport wheel and the second transport wheel are substantially arranged coaxially.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/999,732Filed 26 May 2021
Priority: EP 201790249 Jun 2020
Published: US 2023/0234795 A127 Jul 2023
Granted: 11 Nov 2025
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification26 codes

B65H 5/085
By grippers, e.g. suction grippers: by combinations of endless conveyors and grippers
B65H 29/044
Intermediate conveyors, e.g. transferring devices: conveying through a machine
B41F 1/28
Details: sheet-conveying, -aligning or -clamping devices
B41F 1/30
Sheet-conveying, -aligning or -clamping devices: using rotary grippers