PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING CUP-SHAPED CONTAINERS

摘要

The handling of cup-shaped containers (cups 10) for holding foods is difficult, as the cups (10) are delivered nested into one another in the form of a cup stack (14) in cartons. Hitherto, the cup stacks (14) formed by the cups (10) have been handled manually. A lifting and pivoting conveyor (25) with a gripper is used for an exclusively mechanical handling of the cups or cup stacks (14). The gripper (27) has holding mechanisms (31), each for engaging one cup stack (14). The holding mechanisms (31) of the gripper (27) are designed as suction chambers (32) with a lower suction opening (44) for engaging a cup stack (14) by negative pressure. In the region of the suction opening (44), sealing devices are attached to the suction chamber (32), especially an inner brush strip (48) and an outer rubber lip (50), which contact the critical contour of the cup stack (14) in a sealing manner.