CROSS-REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATIONS

This application is a U.S. National Phase application under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Application No. PCT/EP2017/064343, filed on Jun. 13, 2017, and claims benefit to Luxembourg Patent Application No. LU93137, filed on Jul. 1, 2016. The International Application was published in German on Jan. 4, 2018 as WO 2018/001714 under PCT Article 21(2).

FIELD

The invention relates to a receiving element for receiving and transporting a component, in particular an electrical component, such as a terminal block. The invention also relates to an arrangement and to a method for automated handling of components, in particular electrical components.

BACKGROUND

DE 10 2009 017 999 A1 discloses an apparatus and a method for automated assembly of electrical components such as terminal blocks, on a mounting base, such as a support rail. The apparatus comprises a pincer-like gripper that can be moved in space by means of a mounting robot such that the electrical components can be gripped one after the other by means of the gripper and placed on the mounting base. In order to be able to use the gripper to grip electrical components having a wide range of designs, the gripper and the electrical components are provided with corresponding receiving and mounting contours that interact in a form-fitting and/or force-locking manner and can have a wide range of designs. The corresponding receiving contours can be formed as projections which can be plugged together or into one another on the gripper or on the housing of the electrical components and as recesses in the housing of the electrical components or the gripper which correspond to the projections. The projections may be formed as pins and the recesses as corresponding through-holes, blind holes or grooves such that the pins and the through-holes, blind holes or grooves can be brought into engagement with one another. This embodiment is disadvantageous in that only specially designed electrical components can be handled, and therefore said apparatus and said method does not allow any flexibility. In addition, grippers of this kind can damage the electrical components to be received, for example in the form of visible impressions on the components.

SUMMARY

In an embodiment, the present invention provides a receiving element for receiving and transporting a component, comprising: a main body, wherein the main body includes a recess in the form of an indentation into which the component is insertable.

