Patent ID: 7222901

Claim:
A vacuum handling device comprising a vacuum source which possesses a suction nozzle means adapted to operate on an ejector principle, a suction gripper which possesses a movable gripper part connected directly with a suction side of the suction nozzle means, and a housing unit having a cavity containing both said suction nozzle means and at least a portion of said gripper part and wherein the gripper part is adjustably mounted on the housing unit for setting in an acting suction direction, and wherein said suction nozzle means has a longitudinal axis defined by an inlet opening and an opposite suction opening at said suction side, said movable gripper part being coaxially arranged with said longitudinal axis of said suction nozzle means, and wherein said housing unit includes an outlet fluidly communicating with said inlet opening of said suction nozzle means and extending through said housing unit at a right angle with respect to said longitudinal axis of said suction nozzle means, and further comprising a spring means effective between the gripper part and the housing unit which biases the gripper part into a maximally extended home position, the gripper part being able to be shifted out of position by a setting force (F v ) against the spring force (FF) of the spring means.