DE102019130375B4 - SUCTION CUP ASSEMBLY FOR HANDLING OBJECTS - Google Patents

Abstract

Suction gripper arrangement (100) for handling objects, the suction gripper arrangement (100) having the following: - a first suction gripper (14a) with a flexible suction cup (1a); - at least one second suction gripper (14b, 14c) with a flexible suction cup (1b, 1c); and- a suction pad carrier (20) that is common to the first and the at least one second suction pad (14a, 14b, 14c), wherein the first suction pad (14a) has a correspondingly assigned first suction cup holder (2a), via which the suction cup (1a ) of the first suction gripper (14a) is connected, in particular detachably connected, to the suction gripper carrier (20), and wherein the at least one second suction gripper (14b, 14c) has a correspondingly assigned second suction cup holder (2b, 2c), via which the suction cup (1b , 1c) of the at least one second suction pad (14b, 14c) is connected, in particular releasably connected, to the suction pad carrier (20), the suction pad carrier (20) being designed so flexibly that the first suction cup holder (2a) is connected to the suction cup (1a) of the first suction gripper (14a) can be moved in at least one direction relative to the at least one second suction cup holder (2b, 2c) with the suction cup (1b, 1c) of the at least one second suction gripper (14b, 14c). is, the respective suction cup holders (2a, 2b, 2c) being connected to the suction pad carrier (20) in such a way that the suction cups (1a, 1b, 1c) of the corresponding suction pads (14a, 14b, 14c) are each positioned relative to the suction pad carrier (20 ) and are movable independently of one another, and wherein the respective suction cup holders (2a, 2b, 2c) are each connected to the suction pad carrier (20) via a ball joint arrangement (13a, 13b, 13c), the suction pad carrier (20) having a plurality of per se has rigid carrier areas (23a, 23b, 23c) which are connected to one another via corresponding joints (24a, 24b, 24c), and wherein the suction pad carrier (20) is assigned an elastic pretensioning mechanism (26) for the in particular spring-elastic pretensioning of the suction pad carrier (20) into an initial state, the initial state preferably being a state in which the respective suction cup holders (2a, 2b, 2c) are not moved relative to one another and/or in which d The respective suction cups (1a, 1b, 1c) of the corresponding suction grippers (14a, 14b, 14c) lie in a common and in particular non-curved plane.

Description

The present invention relates generally to a gripper assembly, and more particularly to a suction gripper for handling objects.

Different types of gripper devices, in particular pneumatically driven gripper devices, are known for handling objects. These include, in particular, suction pads, which are generally used to suck objects, lift them and move them to another location. For this purpose, suction grippers have a sealing lip that rests against the surface of the object (workpiece) and encloses a suction space between the suction gripper and the surface of the workpiece, which can be evacuated. As a result, the suction pad lies close to the surface of the workpiece and holds it in place pneumatically.

Suction grippers of this type have proven themselves particularly when handling sheet metal, for example in the automotive industry.

However, the use of known suction grippers for handling other objects, in particular objects that are susceptible to breakage and/or deformation, is currently only possible to a limited extent. This is due in particular to the fact that a process-reliable handling of objects with the help of suction pads requires that the objects to be handled are correspondingly deformation-resistant and insensitive to breakage.

A further disadvantage of the suction pads known per se is that they are not suitable or only partially suitable for handling limp objects. Rather, currently available suction pads require that the objects to be handled have a surface that is as flat and rigid as possible, so that the suction pad can rest tightly against this surface and securely hold the workpiece pneumatically.

On the other hand, gripper devices are known which are designed as finger grippers and have at least two pliers-like guides that can be pivoted relative to one another or longitudinally suitable gripper jaws that can be linearly displaced relative to one another, which grasp and clamp an object to be gripped or a workpiece to be gripped with gripper surfaces facing one another from opposite sides. Finger grippers of this type are often used in connection with industrial robots for handling various types of objects/workpieces.

But even with the finger grippers known from the prior art, it is problematic that these are only conditionally suitable—if at all—for handling bodies whose shape and size varies and whose surface is uneven. Particularly in the case of objects that vary in shape and size, it is generally not possible to optimally adapt the gripper devices to the type of object. This is especially true when the objects have an uneven surface, making it difficult to use the technique commonly used with suction cups. In addition, some of the objects considered here can consist of a flexible material. This complicates or even rules out the use of conventional finger grippers, since they damage the object when gripping or cannot apply sufficient holding force.

The pamphlet DE 10 2019 103 564 A1 relates to a separator suction device that corrects bowing without damaging stacked separators. The separator suction device is capable of sucking and conveying a separator stored in a state where a plurality of separators are stacked. The separator suction device has a first arm having a first suction portion capable of sucking the separator by a negative pressure, a second arm having a second suction portion capable of sucking the separator by a negative pressure, and a rotating mechanism that moves the first arm and the second arm to selectively place the first arm and the second arm in a following position to follow a curved shape of the separator or a correcting position to correct the curvature of the separator.

The pamphlet DE 39 39 349 A1 relates to a device for handling objects made of flexible materials in particular. The device has grippers that can be moved on a shape-changing mount by means of a support element, the mount being able to be alternately put into a relaxed state with low resistance to deformation and into a stressed state in which it is dimensionally stable due to a blocking of its components.

The pamphlet DE 11 2012 005 690 T5 relates to a gripping device having a plurality of holding points.

The pamphlet DE 10 2014 209 904 A1 relates to a draping gripper for gripping and draping cut fiber arrays.

On the basis of this problem, the invention is based on the object of providing a grip Specify ereinrichtung of the type mentioned, which can be used flexibly for different bodies, even if the bodies have different sizes and shapes. In addition, the gripping device should also be able to be used effectively when the surface of the body to be gripped is uneven and when the body consists at least in regions of a flexible material.

In particular, the gripper device should be designed to be able to handle relatively heavy objects, for example objects packed in cardboard, in a process-reliable manner.

These and other objects are achieved according to the invention by the gripper arrangement according to independent patent claim 1, advantageous developments of which are specified in the dependent patent claims.

Accordingly, a gripper device designed as a suction gripper arrangement is proposed in particular, which has a first suction gripper with a flexible suction cup and at least one second suction gripper with a flexible suction cup. The suction pad arrangement according to the invention also has a suction pad carrier that is common to the first and the at least one second suction pad.

According to the invention, it is provided in particular that the first suction gripper has a correspondingly assigned first suction cup holder, via which the suction cup of the first suction gripper is connected, in particular detachably connected, to the suction gripper carrier. According to the invention, it is further provided that the at least one second suction pad has a correspondingly assigned second suction cup holder, via which the suction cup of the at least one second suction pad is connected, in particular releasably connected, to the suction pad carrier.

For the process-reliable handling of objects, which in particular have an uneven surface, it is provided according to the invention that the suction pad carrier is designed so flexibly that the first suction cup holder can be connected to the suction cup of the first suction pad in at least one direction relative to the at least one second suction cup holder with the suction cup of the at least one second suction pad is movable.

The use of a flexible suction pad carrier, which carries a large number of suction pads, reduces the risk of the suction pad arrangement tearing off, even in the case of objects which, for example, have a curved or uneven surface. The reason for this is that with the suction pad carrier itself there is already a basic adaptation of the flexible suction cups to the surface geometry of the object to be gripped.

The suction gripper arrangement is therefore suitable for a large number of applications in which hitherto no pneumatically operating grippers and in particular suction grippers could be used.

According to preferred realizations of the suction pad arrangement according to the invention, it is provided that the suction pad arrangement has precisely one second suction pad with a flexible suction cup and at least one (additional) third suction pad with a flexible suction cup. It is also provided here that the at least one third suction pad has a correspondingly assigned third suction cup holder, via which the suction cup of the at least one third suction pad is connected to the (common) suction pad carrier.

In this implementation of the solution according to the invention, the suction pad carrier is preferably designed to be flexible in such a way that the first and second suction cup holder can be moved independently of one another with the corresponding suction cup in at least one direction relative to the at least one third suction cup holder with the suction cup of the at least one third suction pad.

The at least three suction grippers are advantageously arranged in one plane. As an alternative to this, however, it is also conceivable to arrange the at least three suction pads along a line.

In principle, it is advantageous if, via the connection of the individual suction pads to the suction pad carriers, the suction cups can be fine-tuned or fine-tuned in relation to the surface of the object to be gripped. For this purpose, the suction pad arrangement according to the invention provides that the respective suction cup holders are connected to the (common) suction pad carrier in such a way that the associated suction cups can be moved relative to the (common) suction pad carrier, and in particular independently of one another. According to the invention, it is provided that the respective suction cup holders are each connected to the suction pad carrier via a ball joint arrangement.

In order to control the suction grippers, it is provided according to embodiments that each suction gripper is or can be connected in terms of flow to a vacuum source via at least one pneumatic line. Advantageously, the min at least one pneumatic line is guided through the suction cup holder of the corresponding suction pad and opens into the suction cup of the corresponding suction pad. This (integral) embodiment, in which the pneumatic line is routed through the suction cup holder, is characterized by its compact design, in which no disturbing pneumatic lines run freely.

According to embodiments, it is particularly conceivable that the suction gripper carrier has at least one fluid distributor, via which a common pneumatic line is connected in terms of flow to the at least one pneumatic line of at least two suction grippers. In a development of this, it is conceivable that the fluid distributor of the suction pad carrier connects all pneumatic lines from all suction pads with a common pneumatic line. The provision of such a fluid distributor can further reduce the complexity of the pneumatic lines. In addition, it is possible to control all of the suction pads of the suction pad arrangement simultaneously with just a single (common) control device.

In order to realize the common suction pad carrier, it is provided according to the invention that it has a multiplicity of carrier areas which are rigid per se and which are connected to one another via corresponding joints. It is particularly conceivable that each joint has a radial bearing with a single degree of freedom, with an axis of rotation predetermined by the radial bearing being perpendicular to the one direction in which the first suction cup holder can be moved relative to the at least one second suction cup holder.

In the last-mentioned embodiments, the suction cup holders of the suction pads should each be connected to a carrier area of the suction pad carrier.

According to preferred implementations of the suction pad arrangement according to the invention, it is provided that the path length of a movement stroke of two adjacent suction cup holders that can be moved relative to one another in at least one direction can be defined in advance and is preferably at least 10 mm and more preferably at least 15 mm.

According to developments of the suction pad arrangement according to the invention, it is provided that a resetting mechanism is assigned to it, for automatically or if necessary resetting the suction pad carrier to an initial state, the initial state preferably being a state in which the respective suction cup holders are not moved relative to one another and/ or in which the respective suction cups of the corresponding suction grippers lie in a common and in particular non-curved plane.

A mechanism with at least one controllable actuator, in particular a controllable pneumatic or electromagnetic actuator, comes into consideration as a resetting mechanism.

According to the invention, it is provided that an elastic prestressing mechanism is assigned to the suction pad carrier for the purpose of, in particular, spring-elastic prestressing of the suction pad carrier in the initial state.

The suction gripper arrangement according to the invention is preferably designed as a surface gripper, which is assigned a control device in order to be able to control the individual suction grippers preferably together.

An exemplary embodiment of the suction pad arrangement according to the invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

• 1a schematisch und in einer Seitenansicht eine exemplarische Ausführungsform der erfindungsgemäßen Sauggreiferanordnung, wobei sich die Sauggreiferanordnung in einem Ausgangszustand befindet;
• 1b schematisch und in einer Seitenansicht die exemplarische Ausführungsform der erfindungsgemäßen Sauggreiferanordnung gemäß 1a, wobei sich die Sauggreiferanordnung in einem ausgelenkten Zustand befindet;
• 2 eine Draufsicht auf eine exemplarische Ausführungsform eines bei der erfindungsgemäßen Sauggreiferanordnung zum Einsatz kommenden Sauggreifers, und zwar von der Blickrichtung des anzusaugenden bzw. handzuhabenden Gegenstands; und
• 3 schematisch einen teilweisen Querschnitt durch die Ansicht aus 2.

Show it:

• 1a schematically and in a side view an exemplary embodiment of the suction pad assembly according to the invention, wherein the suction pad assembly is in an initial state;
• 1b schematically and in a side view according to the exemplary embodiment of the suction pad arrangement according to the invention 1a , wherein the suction pad assembly is in a deflected state;
• 2 a top view of an exemplary embodiment of a suction pad used in the suction pad arrangement according to the invention, specifically from the viewing direction of the object to be sucked or handled; and
• 3 schematically shows a partial cross-section through the view 2 .

In the 1 Schematically illustrated suction pad arrangement 100 has a plurality of suction pads 14a, 14b, 14c (here: three suction pads) each having a flexible suction cup 1a, 1b, 1c. In addition, each suction pad 14a, 14b, 14c is assigned a corresponding suction cup holder 2a, 2b, 2c, via which the suction cup 1a, 1b, 1c is connected, in particular detachably connected, to a suction pad carrier 20 in each case.

In the case of the suction pad arrangement 100, a common suction pad carrier 20 is used in particular, which is designed so flexibly that preferably each suction cup holder 2a, 2b, 2c can be connected to the suction cup 1a, 1b, 1c of the corresponding suction pad 14a, 14b, 14c in at least one direction relative to the other suction cup holders 2a, 2b, 2c is movable.

As in 1a and 1b indicated, it is conceivable in this context that the suction gripper carrier 20 has a multiplicity of carrier regions 23a, 23b, 23c which are rigid per se and which are connected to one another via corresponding joints 24a, 24b, 24c. In particular, each joint 24a, 24b, 24c can have a radial bearing with a single degree of freedom, with an axis of rotation predetermined by the radial bearing being perpendicular to the one direction in which the first suction cup holder 2a can be moved relative to the at least one second suction cup holder 2b, 2c.

As in 1a and 1b indicated, it is provided in the exemplary embodiment that the suction cup holders 2a, 2b, 2c of the suction pads 14a, 14b, 14c are each connected to a carrier area 23a, 23b, 23c of the suction pad carrier 20.

The (common) suction pad carrier 20 is advantageously designed so flexibly that the path length of a movement stroke of two adjacent suction cup holders 2a, 2b, 2c that can be moved relative to one another in at least one direction is at least 10 mm and preferably at least 15 mm.

As in 1a and 1b also indicated, the respective suction cup holders 2a, 2b, 2c of the suction pads 14a, 14b, 14c are connected to the suction pad carrier 20 in such a way that the associated suction cups 1a, 1b, 1c can be moved relative to the suction pad carrier 20 and in particular independently of one another. For this is at the in 1a and 1b shown embodiment of the suction pad arrangement 100 according to the invention that the respective suction cup holder 2a, 2b, 2c are each connected via a ball joint arrangement 13a, 13b, 13c with the suction pad carrier 20.

In 1a and 1b is also indicated schematically that each suction gripper 14a, 14b, 14c is connected in terms of flow via at least one pneumatic line 21a, 21b, 21c to a (in 1a and 1b not shown) vacuum source is connected or connectable. It is provided in particular that the at least one pneumatic line 21a, 21b, 21c is routed through the suction cup holder 2a, 2b, 2c of the corresponding suction gripper 14a, 14b, 14c and into the suction cup 1a, 1b, 1c of the corresponding suction gripper 14a, 14b, 14c opens.

In this context, it is particularly conceivable that the suction pad carrier 20 has a fluid distributor via which a common pneumatic line 22 is fluidically connected to the individual pneumatic lines 21a, 21b, 21c of the corresponding suction pads 14a, 14b, 14c.

At the in 1a and 1b In the embodiment shown schematically, a resetting mechanism 25 is also used, via which the flexible suction pad carrier 20 can be reset to an initial state if necessary. The initial state is in particular a state in which - as in 1a indicated - the respective suction cup holders 2a, 2b, 2c of the suction pads 14a, 14b, 14c are not moved relative to one another or in which the respective suction cups 1a, 1b, 1c of the corresponding suction pads 14a, 14b, 14c are in a common and in particular non-curved plane lay.

At the in 1a and 1b In the embodiment shown schematically, a flexible, tubular area that can be inflated with the aid of a compressed air source, if required, is used as the return mechanism 25 . When compressed air is applied to this tubular portion, it becomes relatively rigid and returns the suction cup support 20 to its original state.

Of course, other embodiments can also be used as the resetting mechanism 25, in particular embodiments in which an electromagnetic actuator is used.

At the in 1a and 1b shown embodiment is used in addition to the return mechanism 25 and an elastic biasing mechanism 26 in the form of a leaf spring. However, it is of course also conceivable to provide another elastic pretensioning mechanism 26, in particular in the form of a spring-elastic element, separately from the resetting mechanism 25, in order to pretension the suction gripper carrier 20 in an initial state. The pretensioning function can also be taken over by the resetting mechanism.

Below, with reference to 2 and 3 the structure of a suction pad 14 is described, which is suitable for use in the suction pad arrangement 100 according to the invention.

The suction gripper 14 according to in 2 and 3 shown embodiment consists of two parts, namely as an elastic molded part made of rubber, natural rubber or rubber-elastic Material formed suction cup 1 and this suction cup 1 holding suction cup holder 2, preferably made of metal. In the illustrated embodiment, the suction cup holder 2 has a first, decentrally arranged bore 3 for applying a vacuum and a second, centrally arranged bore 4 for applying an overpressure between suction pads 14 and (not shown) workpiece, one or both of these bores can also be used to attach the suction pad 14 to the end of a (also not shown) manipulator or robot arm.

The suction cup 1 made of rubber-elastic material has openings 5 and 6 corresponding to the bores 3 and 4, so that the negative or positive pressure applied can also reach the space facing the workpiece.

The surface of the suction cup 1 facing the workpiece has different profiles introduced into the suction cup 1 in the injection molding process. First, there is a first circumferential seal 7 between the inner, central opening 6 of the suction cup 1 and its periphery, which separates and seals the inner overpressure area from the outer peripheral underpressure area. This seal 7 is a narrow, web-like seal protruding from the surface of the suction cup 1 with two sealing lips, the shape of which could be described as a W-shape. The use of two adjacent sealing lips ensures a better seal. Furthermore, it is important that the seal 7 protrudes essentially perpendicularly from the surface of the suction cup 1, as during the suction and release of the workpiece there is no lateral movement with corresponding friction on the workpiece.

In the edge area of the suction cup 1, this also has a further circumferential seal 8 on its surface facing the workpiece, which is designed essentially the same as the seal 7, i.e. has the aforementioned W-shape with two sealing lips and essentially perpendicular to the surface of the suction cup 1 protrudes. This outer seal 8 serves to seal off the vacuum from the atmosphere.

Along its outside, i.e. on its periphery, the suction cup 1, which is round when viewed from the workpiece, has, outside the outer seal 8, a sealing surface 9 which points obliquely outwards and in the direction of the workpiece, the thickness of which, seen in its radial cross section (cf 3 ) continuously decreases from the inside to the outside. This ensures that the flexibility of this sealing surface increases towards the outside, which ultimately ends in a thin sealing lip at the very outer periphery of the suction cup 1 . This results in an additional seal on uneven surfaces, where the outer seal 8 only partly fits incompletely, since the sealing surface 9 can adapt to a certain extent due to the increasing elasticity of the workpiece surface towards the outside.

As in 2 shown, the suction cup 1 has raised webs 10 on its surface facing the workpiece, which in the exemplary embodiment shown point radially outwards, with webs of different lengths alternating. These webs 10 are located in the vacuum space, ie between the two circumferential seals 7 and 8, and serve to improve the frictional connection to the workpiece being sucked up.

As in particular in 3 it can be seen that the suction cup holder 2 has a circumferential groove 11 with a dovetail-shaped cross section on its side facing the suction cup 1 . A corresponding dovetail-shaped profile 12 of the suction cup engages in this groove.

Furthermore is off 3 It can be seen that the suction cup 1 radially engages over the suction cup holder 2 on its outside facing away from the workpiece. This combination of overlapping on the outside and dovetail-shaped inner receptacle makes it easy for the suction cup 1 to be mounted on the suction cup holder 2, since it only has to be mounted from the inside to the outside. First, the dovetail-shaped profile 12 of the suction cup 1 is inserted into the corresponding groove 11 of the suction cup holder 2 and then the edge of the suction cup 1 is slipped over the outside of the suction cup holder 2 . It is also possible to quickly replace a worn suction cup 1 on the suction cup holder 2 without tools. Finally, the dovetail mount (reference numerals 11 and 12) offers the advantage that during operation a yielding of the profile 12 and thus of the inner seal 7 arranged directly underneath it is possible to adapt to different surfaces of the workpiece to be handled.

Although not explicitly shown in the drawings, the suction pad arrangement 100 according to the invention is preferably designed as a surface gripper, wherein the suction pad arrangement 100 can be assigned a control device for preferably jointly controlling the individual suction pads 14a, 14b, 14c. The common suction gripper carrier 20 is connected to a manipulator, such as a robot arm, or to the lifting device of a hose via an interface 27 lifter preferably releasably or interchangeably connectable.

All pneumatic lines 22; 21a, 21b, 21c through the interface 27, which is designed in particular as a coupling.

Reference List

1, 1a, 1b, 1c

suction cup

2, 2a, 2b, 2c

suction cup holder

3

first decentralized well

4

second central hole

5

opening

6

opening

7

first seal

8th

additional seal/outer seal

9

sealing surface

10

web

11

groove

12

Profile of the suction cup

13a, 13b, 13c

ball joint assembly

14, 14a, 14b, 14c

suction cups

20

common suction cup support

21a, 21b, 21c

pneumatic line

22

common pneumatic line

23a, 23b, 23c

rigid support area

24a, 24b, 24c

joint

25

return mechanism

26

biasing mechanism

27

Suction cup support interface/coupling

100

Suction cup assembly 100

Claims (11)

Suction cup assembly (100) for handling objects, the suction cup assembly (100) comprising: - A first suction pad (14a) with a flexible suction cup (1a); - At least one second suction pad (14b, 14c) with a flexible suction cup (1b, 1c); and - a suction pad carrier (20) which is common to the first and the at least one second suction pad (14a, 14b, 14c), the first suction pad (14a) having a correspondingly assigned first suction cup holder (2a) via which the suction cup (1a) of the first suction gripper (14a) is connected, in particular detachably connected, to the suction gripper carrier (20), and wherein the at least one second suction gripper (14b, 14c) has a correspondingly assigned second suction cup holder (2b, 2c) via which the suction cup (1b, 1c) of the at least one second suction pad (14b, 14c) is connected, in particular detachably connected, to the suction pad carrier (20), the suction pad carrier (20) being designed so flexibly that the first suction cup holder (2a) can be connected to the suction cup (1a) of the first suction gripper (14a) is movable in at least one direction relative to the at least one second suction cup holder (2b, 2c) with the suction cup (1b, 1c) of the at least one second suction gripper (14b, 14c). , wherein the respective suction cup holders (2a, 2b, 2c) are connected to the suction pad carrier (20) in such a way that the suction cups (1a, 1b, 1c) of the corresponding suction pads (14a, 14b, 14c) are each relative to the suction pad carrier (20) and are movable independently of one another, and wherein the respective suction cup holders (2a, 2b, 2c) are each connected to the suction pad carrier (20) via a ball joint arrangement (13a, 13b, 13c), the suction pad carrier (20) having a plurality of rigid ones has carrier areas (23a, 23b, 23c) which are connected to one another via corresponding joints (24a, 24b, 24c), and wherein an elastic pretensioning mechanism (26) is assigned to the suction pad carrier (20) for in particular spring-elastic pretensioning of the suction pad carrier (20). an initial state, the initial state preferably being a state in which the respective suction cup holders (2a, 2b, 2c) are not moved relative to one another and/or in which the respective suction cups (1a, 1b, 1c) of the corresponding suction grippers (14a, 14b, 14c) lie in a common and in particular non-curved plane. Suction gripper arrangement (100) after claim 1 , wherein the suction pad arrangement (100) has exactly one second suction pad (14b) with a flexible suction cup (1b) and at least one third suction pad (14c) with a flexible suction cup (1c), the at least one third suction pad (14c) has a correspondingly assigned third suction cup holder (2c), via which the suction cup (1c) of the at least one third suction pad (14c) is connected to the suction pad carrier (20), the suction pad carrier (20) being designed so flexibly that the first and second suction cup holders (2a, 2b) each with the suction cup (1a, 1b) of the corresponding first and second suction pads (14a, 14b) independently of one another in at least one direction relative to the at least one third suction cup holder (2c) with the suction cup (1c ) of the at least one third suction gripper (14c) can be moved. Suction gripper arrangement (100) after claim 1 or 2 , wherein each suction gripper (14a, 14b, 14c) is or can be connected in terms of flow to a vacuum source via at least one pneumatic line (21a, 21b, 21c), wherein the at least one pneumatic line (21a, 21b, 21c) passes through the suction cup holder (2a, 2b , 2c) of the corresponding suction cup (14a, 14b, 14c) and opens into the suction cup (1a, 1b, 1c) of the corresponding suction cup (14a, 14b, 14c). Suction gripper arrangement (100) after claim 3 , wherein the suction pad carrier (20) has at least one fluid distributor, via which a common pneumatic line (22) is connected in terms of flow to the at least one pneumatic line (21a, 21b, 21c) of at least two suction pads (14a, 14b, 14c). Suction gripper arrangement (100) according to one of Claims 1 until 4 , each joint (24a, 24b, 24c) having a radial bearing with a single degree of freedom, an axis of rotation predetermined by the radial bearing being perpendicular to the one direction in which the first suction cup holder (2a) rotates relative to the at least one second suction cup holder (2b , 2c) is movable. Suction gripper arrangement (100) according to one of Claims 1 until 5 , wherein the suction cup holders (2a, 2b, 2c) of the suction pads (14a, 14b, 14c) are each connected to a carrier area (23a, 23b, 23c) of the suction pad carrier (20). Suction gripper arrangement (100) according to one of Claims 1 until 6 , wherein the path length of a movement stroke of two adjacent suction cup holders (2a, 2b, 2c) that can be moved relative to one another in at least one direction can preferably be determined in advance and is at least 10 mm and preferably at least 15 mm. Suction gripper arrangement (100) according to one of Claims 1 until 7 , wherein a return mechanism (25) is assigned to the suction pad carrier (20) for automatically or if necessary resetting the suction pad carrier (20) to an initial state, the initial state preferably being a state in which the respective suction cup holders (2a, 2b, 2c) are not moved relative to one another and/or in which the respective suction cups (1a, 1b, 1c) of the corresponding suction grippers (14a, 14b, 14c) lie in a common and in particular non-curved plane. Suction gripper arrangement (100) after claim 8 , wherein the restoring mechanism (25) has at least one controllable actuator, in particular a controllable pneumatic or electromagnetic actuator. Suction gripper arrangement (100) according to one of Claims 1 until 9 , wherein the suction pad arrangement (100) is designed as a surface gripper, and wherein the suction pad arrangement (100) is assigned a control device for preferably jointly controlling the individual suction pads (14a, 14b, 14c). Suction gripper arrangement (100) according to one of Claims 1 until 10 , wherein the suction pad carrier (20) has an interface (27), designed in particular as a coupling, via which the suction pad carrier (20) can be connected to a manipulator, such as a robot arm, or to a lifting device of a tube lifter, preferably detachably or interchangeably, with all of the Pneumatic lines (22; 21a, 21b, 21c) necessary for actuating the suction pads (14a, 14b, 14c) of the suction pad arrangement (100) are routed through the interface (27), which is designed in particular as a coupling.

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