Patents Assigned to J. Schmalz GmbH
  • Patent number: 11969886
    Abstract: A valve device comprising a valve housing with a flow channel having a fluid outflow side and a fluid inflow side, a leaf spring having a fastening portion and a free portion. The fastening portion is connected to the valve housing such that, in a closed configuration, the free portion bears against a valve seat and that, in order to bring about an open configuration, the free portion, from the closed configuration, can be elastically bent away from the valve seat, and an actuating device which is designed to transfer the leaf spring from the closed configuration to an open configuration against an elastic reset force of the leaf spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: J.Schmalz GmbH
    Inventor: Kelson Sutherland
  • Patent number: 11685060
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for gripping an object by a handling system, including a robot with at least one robot arm, a gripping device which is connected to the robot arm and has a pneumatically operated suction gripper having an elastically deformable contact portion for contact with an outer surface of the object to be gripped, an identifier for identifying the outer surface of the object to be gripped and a controller which interacts with the identifier and is designed to control the robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: J. Schmalz GmbH
    Inventors: Bernd Heinzmann, Matthias Frey, Simon Eisele, Aline Defranceski
  • Patent number: 11661962
    Abstract: The invention relates to a connection system for connecting at least two plate-like elements, the connection system having a bolt, a nut that corresponds to the bolt and has a screwing channel which extends along a screwing axis and into which the bolt can be screwed, and a cage for receiving the nut, wherein the nut has a foot portion and a head portion adjoining the foot portion along the screwing axis, the foot portion projecting, at least in portions, beyond the head portion in a direction perpendicular to the screwing axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: J. Schmalz GmbH
    Inventors: Daniel Müller, Ernst Thielicke, Steffen Beck, Dennis Keck, Kai Kunzmann
  • Patent number: 11660766
    Abstract: The invention relates to a handling device for handling objects, including a base unit which extends overall in an elongate manner along a base axis from a first end to a second end, wherein a flange portion is arranged at the first end for fastening the handling device to a robot arm and wherein a pivot unit having a pivot portion is arranged at the second end, wherein the pivot portion is mounted so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis by a pivot joint, wherein the base unit has a pneumatic cylinder which is designed to pivot the pivot portion about the pivot axis, and including a couplable or coupled, pneumatically operated end effector for gripping an object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: J.Schmalz GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Frey, Simon Eisele, Florian Schittenhelm, Bernd Heinzmann, Jan Gauß
  • Patent number: 11548121
    Abstract: The invention relates to a suction device (12) comprising a valve housing (18), a flexible partition wall (28) which runs in such a way that a control space (30) extends on one side and an intake side (21) lies on the other side, wherein the control space (30) is connected to the intake side (21) via a throttle passage (38), wherein the throttle passage (38) is formed in such a way that a flow resistance for flows is defined by the throttle passage (38) in such a way that, in the case of free suction, a negative pressure in relation to the intake side occurs in the control space (30) on account of the flow resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignees: J. SCHMALZ GMBH, TRUMPF WERKZEUGMASCHINEN GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Rainer Hoehn, Jonas Horst, Magnus Deiss
  • Patent number: 11529744
    Abstract: An operating device for a handling device, with a gripping section and a coupling for a gripping device, with at least a part of the coupling being at or in the gripping section, so that it is rotatable about an axis of rotation, with a reading device for reading out an information carrier with coded data being placed on the side of the griping section facing the coupling, where the reading device is designed to read out an information carrier of a gripping device coupled to the coupling regardless of the rotational position of the coupling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: J. Schmalz GmbH
    Inventors: Jonas Mast, Dominik Heinzelmann, Bernd Heinzmann
  • Publication number: 20220379495
    Abstract: A valve device comprising a valve housing with a flow channel having a fluid outflow side and a fluid inflow side, a leaf spring having a fastening portion and a free portion. The fastening portion is connected to the valve housing such that, in a closed configuration, the free portion bears against a valve seat and that, in order to bring about an open configuration, the free portion, from the closed configuration, can be elastically bent away from the valve seat, and an actuating device which is designed to transfer the leaf spring from the closed configuration to an open configuration against an elastic reset force of the leaf spring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2021
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Applicant: J.Schmalz GmbH
    Inventor: Kelson Sutherland
  • Publication number: 20220332523
    Abstract: A handling device comprising an extending support, comprising a first projection element which is arranged on the support in a rotationally fixed and/or non-displaceable manner and extends in a first projection plane transversely to the support in a first projection direction, comprising a second projection element which is connected to the first projection element via a first joint so as to be pivotable in a second projection plane, comprising a third projection element which is connected to the second projection element via a second joint so as to be pivotable in a third projection plane, wherein, along the support axis, the first projection plane overlies the second projection plane and the second projection plane overlies the third projection plane, wherein the second projection element can be pivoted under the first projection element and the third projection element can be pivoted under the second projection element and the first projection element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2022
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Applicant: J.Schmalz GmbH
    Inventors: Ernst Thielicke, Steffen Beck, Jonathan Kohler, Hans Burt, Sandro Katz
  • Patent number: 11383392
    Abstract: A support frame for a handling device comprising a base body and at least two structural elements extending away from the base body, at least two structural elements being constructed similarly to each other in that they have at east the following common characteristics: a radial beam which is elongated and has a first end and a second end, the second end having a connecting section for connection to a pneumatically actuatable gripping element, a lattice wing which is integrally connected with the radial beam and runs between the first end of the radial beam and the second end of the radial beam, the lattice wing extending flatly away from the radial beam, wherein for each of the at least two structural elements the first end of the radial beam is integrally connected with the base body in a manner that the radial beam extends away from the base body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: J.Schmalz GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Lorenz, Kevin Huber, Peter Gröning
  • Publication number: 20220090614
    Abstract: The invention relates to a connection system for connecting at least two plate-like elements, the connection system having a bolt, a nut that corresponds to the bolt and has a screwing channel which extends along a screwing axis and into which the bolt can be screwed, and a cage for receiving the nut, wherein the nut has a foot portion and a head portion adjoining the foot portion along the screwing axis, the foot portion projecting, at least in portions, beyond the head portion in a direction perpendicular to the screwing axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2021
    Publication date: March 24, 2022
    Applicant: J. Schmalz GmbH
    Inventors: Daniel Müller, Ernst Thielicke, Steffen Beck, Dennis Keck, Kai Kunzmann
  • Patent number: 11192167
    Abstract: A loading and unloading device for a machine, a machine for machining panel-like workpieces, and a workpiece support for such a machine and a method for loading and unloading such a machine, having a loading and unloading module, wherein the loading and unloading module has a vertically upwardly oriented raising device for lifting a cut-free workpiece part and a vertically downwardly oriented gripping device (38) for holding an unmachined, panel-like workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignees: TRUMPF Werkzeugmaschinen GmbH + Co. KG, J. Schmalz GmbH
    Inventors: Magnus Deiss, Peter Epperlein, Frank Schmauder, Fabian Gaeckle, Jens Ottnad, Heinz-Juergen Prokop, Stefan Stroebel, Walter Dunkmann, Thomas Eisele, Rainer Hoehn, Dirk Plaueln, Hermann Reinisch
  • Publication number: 20210299885
    Abstract: The invention relates to a human-robot collaboration system including a robot having at least one manipulator, the at least one manipulator having an in particular terminal end portion, the HRC system includes a coupling device connected to the end portion of the at least one manipulator and at least one hand connection, it being possible to connect the at least one hand connection in a force-coupled manner to the end portion via the coupling device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Applicant: J.Schmalz GmbH
    Inventors: Walter Schaaf, Harald Kuolt
  • Patent number: 11084176
    Abstract: The invention is a holding device for a suction gripper or for another interface member on a base of a vacuum handling apparatus, wherein the holding device is designed for detachable and preferably tool-free attachment of the suction gripper to the base and has a first direction and a second direction orthogonal thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: J. Schmalz GmbH
    Inventor: Leonhard Harter
  • Publication number: 20210213626
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for gripping an object by a handling system, including a robot with at least one robot arm, a gripping device which is connected to the robot arm and has a pneumatically operated suction gripper having an elastically deformable contact portion for contact with an outer surface of the object to be gripped, an identification means for identifying the outer surface of the object to be gripped and a control means which interacts with the identification means and is designed to control the robot, wherein an outer surface of an object to be gripped is identified, wherein a distinction is made between planar portions of the outer surface on the one hand and convex elevations or outer edges on the other, and wherein the suction gripper is made to approach the outer surface of the object to be gripped in such a way that at least a part of the contact portion of the suction gripper clings to a convex elevation or outer edge of the outer surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Applicant: J. Schmalz GmbH
    Inventors: Bernd Heinzmann, Matthias Frey, Simon Eisele, Aline Defranceski
  • Publication number: 20210213629
    Abstract: The invention relates to a handling device for handling objects, including a base unit which extends overall in an elongate manner along a base axis from a first end to a second end, wherein a flange portion is arranged at the first end for fastening the handling device to a robot arm and wherein a pivot unit having a pivot portion is arranged at the second end, wherein the pivot portion is mounted so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis by means of a pivot joint, wherein the base unit has a pneumatic cylinder which is designed to pivot the pivot portion about the pivot axis, and including a couplable or coupled, pneumatically operated end effector for gripping an object, wherein the base unit includes an integrated negative-pressure generator and is constructed as a structural unit with its own module housing, wherein the module housing is designed to extend in an elongate manner along the base axis and in particular surrounds the pneumatic cylinder and the negative-pressure generator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Applicant: J.Schmalz GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Frey, Simon Eisele, Florian Schittenhelm, Bernd Heinzmann, Jan Gauß
  • Patent number: 11059186
    Abstract: A vacuum gripper comprising a base body having a suction side and an upper side, the suction side having a plurality of suction points and in each case a fixed number of suction points being combined to form a suction point group, a number of suction chambers (SC) corresponding to the number of suction point groups, each SC being assigned a suction point group, a distributor chamber (DC), the DC having at least a number of DC openings corresponding to the number of SC and a DC opening being flow-connected to a respective SC opening of a SC assigned thereto, and a plurality of valves, a valve being assigned to each suction point group and each valve having a valve channel. The respective valve is designed as a valve module having its own valve housing and the valve housing can be arranged on the upper side of the base body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: J.Schmalz GmbH
    Inventors: Fabian Schneider, Daniel Bienger
  • Publication number: 20210069915
    Abstract: A support frame for a handling device comprising a base body and at least two structural elements extending away from the base body, at least two structural elements being constructed similarly to each other in that they have at east the following common characteristics: a radial beam which is elongated and has a first end and a second end, the second end having a connecting section for connection to a pneumatically actuatable gripping element, a lattice wing which is integrally connected with the radial beam and runs between the first end of the radial beam and the second end of the radial beam, the lattice wing extending flatly away from the radial beam, wherein for each of the at least two structural elements the first end of the radial beam is integrally connected with the base body in a manner that the radial beam extends away from the base body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2020
    Publication date: March 11, 2021
    Applicant: J.Schmalz GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Lorenz, Kevin Huber, Peter Gröning
  • Publication number: 20200338754
    Abstract: A vacuum gripper comprising a base body having a suction side and an upper side, the suction side having a plurality of suction points and in each case a fixed number of suction points being combined to form a suction point group, a number of suction chambers (SC) corresponding to the number of suction point groups, each SC being assigned a suction point group, a distributor chamber (DC), the DC having at least a number of DC openings corresponding to the number of SC and a DC opening being flow-connected to a respective SC opening of a SC assigned thereto, and a plurality of valves, a valve being assigned to each suction point group and each valve having a valve channel. The respective valve is designed as a valve module having its own valve housing and the valve housing can be arranged on the upper side of the base body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2020
    Publication date: October 29, 2020
    Applicant: J.Schmalz GmbH
    Inventors: Fabian Schneider, Daniel Bienger
  • Patent number: 10647550
    Abstract: The invention relates to an operating device for a tube lifter having a lifting tube that has a tube interior and can be shortened by applying a vacuum to the tube interior, and having a suction grip device arranged on one end of the tube lifter, which suction grip device can be supplied with a vacuum through the tube interior, the operating device having a suction port for fluid communication with the suction grip device, a lifting tube port for fluid communication with the tube interior of the lifting tube, and a valve for controlling the fluid communications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: J. Schmalz GMBH
    Inventor: Norman Paul
  • Patent number: 10634243
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for monitoring a functional state of a pressure-driven actuator which comprises an actuator compartment defined at least in portions by a flexibly deformable wall, the actuator being actuated by applying pressure to the actuator compartment by means of an operating pressure supply, a work process being carried out to actuate the actuator, which process is accompanied by the actuator transitioning from a starting configuration to an end configuration. The pressure the pressure applied to the actuator compartment is measured depending on time by means of a sensor apparatus during the transition from the starting configuration to the end configuration. The invention also relates to a pressure-driven actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: J. Schmalz GmbH
    Inventors: Aline Defranceski, Walter Dunkmann