Attachment of a tray gripper of a tray sealing machine

Abstract

A tray gripper may be attached to a gripper arm of a tray sealing machine. For this purpose, the tray gripper is moved to a pre-assembly position by hooking the tray gripper onto the gripper arm. In addition, an eccentric is operated for exerting a clamping force upon the tray gripper that is disposed in the pre-assembly position, so that an attachment structure of the tray gripper is tensioned against an abutment structure of the gripper arm.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for detachably attaching a tray gripper to a gripper arm of a tray sealing machine, comprising:
 moving the tray gripper into a pre-assembly position by hooking the tray gripper onto the gripper arm; and   operating an eccentric for exerting a clamping force upon the tray gripper that is disposed in the pre-assembly position, so that an attachment structure of the tray gripper is tensioned against an abutment structure of the gripper arm.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein operating the eccentric causes adjustment of the eccentric between a receiving position, in which the tray gripper is configured to be moved to the pre-assembly position, and a tensioning position, in which the attachment structure of the tray gripper is tensioned against the abutment structure of the gripper arm. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein operating eccentric comprises operating a lever that is connected to an axis of the eccentric, wherein the lever in the receiving position of the eccentric projects away from the gripper arm and in the tensioning position of the eccentric bears against the gripper arm. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the force upon the tray gripper by the eccentric is exerted indirectly via an intermediate element. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the intermediate element is mounted to be slidable on a body of the gripper arm. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the intermediate element comprises a receiving structure which receives the attachment structure of the tray gripper. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein at least one region of the intermediate element is elastically deformed by the eccentric. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the force upon the tray gripper by the eccentric is exerted directly by contact between the eccentric and the tray gripper. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein a line contact between the attachment structure and the gripper arm is present when the attachment structure of the tray gripper is tensioned against the abutment structure of the gripper arm. 
     
     
         10 . A tray sealing machine with a sealing device for sealing trays and a gripper system for introducing the trays into the sealing device, the gripper system comprising;
 a gripper arm; and   a tray gripper detachably attachable to the gripper arm for gripping the trays;   wherein the gripper arm comprises an eccentric which is operable to be adjusted between a receiving position and a tensioning position;   in the receiving position of the eccentric, the tray gripper is configured to be brought into a pre-assembly position by hooking the tray gripper onto the gripper arm; and   the eccentric is configured to be adjusted to the tensioning position when the tray gripper is in the pre-assembly position and to thereby exert a force upon the tray gripper so that an attachment structure of the tray gripper is tensioned against an abutment structure of the gripper arm.   
     
     
         11 . The tray sealing machine according to  claim 10 , wherein the gripper arm further comprises a lever that is connected to an axis of the eccentric for operating the eccentric, wherein the lever in the receiving position of the eccentric projects away from the gripper arm and in the tensioning position of the eccentric bears against the gripper arm. 
     
     
         12 . The tray sealing machine according to  claim 10 , further comprising an intermediate element mounted to be slidable on a body of the gripper arm, wherein the force upon the tray gripper when adjusting the eccentric to the tensioning position is exerted indirectly via the intermediate element. 
     
     
         13 . The tray sealing machine according to  claim 12 , wherein the intermediate element comprises a receiving structure that is configured to receive the attachment structure of the tray gripper. 
     
     
         14 . The tray ceiling machine according to  claim 13 , wherein the receiving structure is hook-shaped. 
     
     
         15 . The tray sealing machine according to  claim 12 , wherein the intermediate element comprises a region that is elastically deformable by the eccentric when the eccentric is adjusted to the tensioning position. 
     
     
         16 . The tray sealing machine according to  claim 10 , wherein the abutment structure of the gripper arm forms a support for a line contact with the attachment structure of the tray gripper. 
     
     
         17 . A method for detachably attaching a tray gripper to a gripper arm of a tray sealing machine, the method comprising:
 moving the tray gripper into a pre-assembly position by hooking the tray gripper onto the gripper arm; and   operating an eccentric for exerting a clamping force upon the tray gripper that is disposed in the pre-assembly position, so that an attachment structure of the tray gripper is urged against an abutment structure of the gripper arm.