Robotic transport device for transporting small components and method carried out by the robotic device

1. A robotic transport device for small components, comprising:

a transport mechanism configured for transporting the small components from a first region provided for receiving to a second region provided for storing;

a component-receiving unit configured for receiving individual small components in the first region for temporarily holding said individual small components and for storing the small components in the second region;

wherein the component-receiving unit is arranged at the transport mechanism and is transported therewith;

wherein the transport mechanism is suspended at two suspension elements;

wherein the two suspension elements are distanced from each other in a direction of transport; and

wherein each of the two suspension elements are configured to be shifted independently from each other in a direction perpendicular to the direction of transport.

2. The robotic transport device of claim 1 , wherein the transport mechanism is constructed in such a way that it transports the component-receiving unit in a linear manner, except for sections of the transport mechanism adjacent to the first region and/or adjacent to the second region and except for a partial section of the transport mechanism between the regions.

3. The robotic transport device of claim 1 , wherein one or a plurality of drive units are provided for shifting the two suspension elements.

4. The robotic transport device of claim 1 , wherein the transport mechanism is equipped with a plurality of component-receiving units which consecutively pick up small components from the first region which are one after the other moved to the second region along the transport direction.

5. The robotic transport device of claim 4 , wherein the transport mechanism is equipped with a plurality of component-receiving units that are spaced apart from one another.

6. The robotic transport device of claim 1 , wherein one or a plurality of drive units are provided for the transport mechanism, and that the drive units drive the transport mechanism in such a way that the component-receiving units are moved from the first region to the second region.

7. The robotic transport device of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of transport mechanisms is provided which forwards small components from the same or from different first regions to the second region.

8. The robotic transport device of claim 1 , wherein the component-receiving unit includes or is provided with grippers and/or pneumatic suction devices and/or magnetically acting elements and/or slides.

9. The robotic transport device of claim 1 , wherein the transport mechanism comprises an endless circular transport system by which one or a plurality of component-receiving units are forwarded from the first region to the second region and, after storing of the small components , back to the first region in a circular continuous movement.

10. The robotic transport device of claim 9 , wherein during the continuous movement, the distance between two component-receiving units is kept constant.

11. The robotic transport device of claim 1 , wherein a buffer area is implemented on the transport mechanism which is realized by individually addressing each component-receiving unit and/or by a slipping configuration of the transport mechanism in which each component-receiving unit waits for a time-dependent storage of the small component of the preceding component-receiving unit.

12. The robotic transport device of claim 1 , wherein the transport mechanism is constructed in such a way that it transports the component-receiving unit in a linear manner, except for sections of the transport mechanism adjacent to the first region and/or adjacent to the second region and except for a possible partial section of the transport mechanism between the regions.

13. The robotic transport device of claim 1 , wherein one or a plurality of drive units are provided for shifting the two suspension elements.

14. A method for transporting small components, in which:

small components are transported from a first region provided for receiving to a second region provided for storing by a transport mechanism; and

individual small components are picked up by a component-receiving unit in the first region, then temporarily held and finally stored in the second region;

wherein a transport of the component-receiving unit is carried out by the transport mechanism;

wherein the transport mechanism is doubly suspended at suspension elements arranged at a distance from each other; and

wherein a shift of the two suspension elements of the transport mechanism is carried out independently from each other in a direction perpendicular or almost perpendicular to the direction of transport or in the counter-direction.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the receiving location and the storing location of the component-receiving unit are independently selected in the region provided for receiving the small components and, independently therefrom, in the second region provided for storing.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the component-receiving unit is transported linearly by the transport mechanism.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising deviating from the linear transport, wherein the deviating comprises a non-linear transport takes place on sections of the transport path adjacent to the first region and/or adjacent to the second region, and/or on partial sections between the regions.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the entire transport mechanism suspended at the two suspension elements and/or the component-receiving unit(s) are moved into a vertical direction.

19. A robotic transport device for small components comprising:

a transport mechanism being suspended at two suspension elements; and

a component-receiving unit being configured for receiving the components in a first region, for temporarily holding the components and for storing the components in a second region;

wherein the component-receiving unit is arranged at the transport mechanism, the transport mechanism being configured for transporting the components from the first region to the second region, and the first region and the second region each being spanned by an x direction and a y direction;

wherein the two suspension elements are distanced from each other in a direction of transport;

wherein the two suspension elements are constructed such that each suspension element is, independently from each other, configured to be shifted in a direction substantially vertical to the direction of transport;

wherein the x direction is the direction of transport; and

wherein the y direction is the direction to be shifted.

20. The robotic transport device of claim 19 , wherein the two suspension elements are constructed such that each is independently configured to be shifted in a direction deviating by up to 45 degrees from vertical, deviating by less than 10 degrees from vertical, or deviating by less than 5 degrees from vertical.