Sorting installation and sorting method using a gripping tool

A sorting installation for sorting a plurality of articles according to a predefined sort characteristic, the sorting installation comprising:

• a measuring device configured to measure, for each article to be sorted, what value the predefined sort characteristic assumes for the article;
• a plurality of holding apparatuses;
• at least one supply station configured to place a respective article to be sorted into a holding apparatus or otherwise detachably connect the article to said holding apparatus in such a way that, after the article has been placed into said holding apparatus, said holding apparatus holds the article as a held article;
• a sorting and transporting device configured:
• to transport said holding apparatuses together with the held articles to be sorted to the removal station;
• and
• during the transportation of the holding apparatuses, to place the holding apparatuses with the articles into a sequence;
• wherein the sequence of the holding apparatuses so generated depends on the measured sort characteristic values of the articles in or on the holding apparatuses, and thereby to sort the held articles according to the predefined sort characteristic;
• as a result of which said sorting and transporting device generates at least one holding-apparatus sequence of holding apparatuses with held articles;
• and
• at least one removal station configured to remove the articles to be sorted from the holding apparatuses;
• said removal station having a gripping tool with at least two gripper arms disposed in a defined gripper-arm sequence, said gripping tool being configured to:
• place said gripper arms between a plurality of holding apparatuses of a holding-apparatus sequence in such a way that:
• in each case at least one holding apparatus is located between two adjacent gripper arms of said gripper-arm sequence;
• and
• said gripper arms of said gripper-arm sequence can simultaneously grip a total of at least two articles which are held by the same holding apparatus or by two different holding apparatuses;
• and
• alter a distance between two adjacent gripper arms such that the two gripper arms grip and temporarily retain between the two adjacent gripper arms each article in or on a holding apparatus;
• and
• said removal station being configured to remove simultaneously from the respective said holding apparatuses or otherwise to separate from said holding apparatuses the articles gripped in each case by two gripper arms, by way of a relative movement of said gripper arms relative to those holding apparatuses that are located in each case between at least two gripper arms of said gripping tool.

A method for sorting articles according to a predefined sort characteristic with a sorting installation,

• the sorting installation including:
• a plurality of holding apparatuses and a gripping tool, wherein
• the gripping tool having at least two gripper arms disposed in a gripper-arm sequence;
• and
• the method comprising the following steps, to be executed for each article to be sorted:
• measuring a value which the predefined sort characteristic assumes for the given article;
• placing the article into a holding apparatus or otherwise detachably connecting the article to the holding apparatus;
• and
• placing the holding apparatuses together with the articles held thereby in a sequence;
• to produce at least one holding-apparatus sequence of holding apparatuses with held articles;
• the sequence of holding apparatuses depending on the measured sort-characteristic values of the articles in the holding apparatuses;
• removing the article from the holding apparatus with the gripping tool and thereby executing the following steps:
• the gripping tool moving the gripper arms between a plurality of holding apparatuses of a holding-apparatus sequence such that in each case at least one holding apparatus is located between two adjacent gripper arms of the gripper-arm sequence, and two adjacent gripper arms grip and temporarily clamp between them an article in or on the holding apparatus;
• and
• the gripper arms of the gripper-arm sequence simultaneously gripping a total of at least two articles held by holding apparatuses;
• and
• causing a relative movement of the gripper arms relative to those holding apparatuses which in each case are located between two gripper arms of the gripping tool, for simultaneously removing the articles gripped by each two gripper arms from the respective holding apparatuses or otherwise spatially separating the articles from the holding apparatuses.