	US 12,496,669 B2
	Interchangeable carrier system
Marco Massone, St. Wendel (DE); and Daniel Krenz, St. Wendel (DE)
Assigned to Purem GmbH, Neunkirchen (DE)
Filed by Purem GmbH, Neunkirchen (DE)
Filed on Oct. 19, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/047,923.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2021 127 181.9 (DE), filed on Oct. 20, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0122140 A1, Apr. 20, 2023
Int. Cl. B23Q 3/06 (2006.01); B23Q 3/10 (2006.01)

CPC B23Q 3/061 (2013.01) [B23Q 3/103 (2013.01)]

15 Claims

1. An interchangeable carrier system comprising:

a base unit;

a carrier unit moveable relative to said base unit into a working position;

a coupling/fixing arrangement provided on said base unit and a counterpart coupling/fixing arrangement provided on said carrier unit;

said counterpart coupling/fixing arrangement being configured to be brought into positive coupling engagement with said coupling/fixing arrangement during a slide movement of said carrier unit in a slide movement direction (S) into said working position; and,

said coupling/fixing arrangement and said counter coupling/fixing arrangement being configured to fix said carrier unit with respect to said base unit when said carrier unit is positioned in said working second position;

a sliding guide formation provided on said base unit;

a counterpart sliding guide formation provided on said carrier unit;

said sliding guide formation and said counterpart sliding guide formation being configured to coact for providing a guided movement of said carrier unit in said slide movement direction (S) into said working position;

wherein one of:

said sliding guide formation comprises first and second sliding guide recesses extending in said slide movement direction (S) and disposed opposite one another transversely with respect to the slide movement direction (S) and open toward one another, and said counterpart sliding guide formation comprises first and second sliding guide projections extending in said slide movement direction (S) and orientated away from one another transversely with respect to said slide movement direction (S);

said counterpart sliding guide formation comprises first and second sliding guide recesses extending in said slide movement direction (S) and disposed opposite one another transversely with respect to the slide movement direction (S) and open toward one another, and said sliding guide formation comprises first and second sliding guide projections extending in said slide movement direction (S) and orientated away from one another transversely with respect to said slide movement direction (S);

wherein:

said first and second sliding guide projections are configured to be received in corresponding ones of said first and second sliding guide recesses for providing said guided movement of said carrier unit, when said carrier unit is moved in said slide movement direction (S) toward said working position;

said coupling/fixing arrangement includes a coupling member having a coupling recess open counter to said slide movement direction (S) and forming a coupling undercut region, said undercut region being at least one of transverse with respect to said slide movement direction (S) and in said slide movement direction (S);

said counterpart coupling/fixing arrangement includes a counterpart coupling member having a coupling projection region;

upon moving said carrier unit in said slide movement direction (S) into said working position with said first and second sliding guide projections engaging into said first and second sliding guide recesses for providing said guided movement of said carrier unit, said counterpart coupling member becomes introduced into said coupling member, such that said coupling projection region engages in said coupling undercut region for generating a positive coupling engagement between said coupling member and said counterpart coupling member, which positive coupling engagement is effective in a coupling direction (K) substantially orthogonal to said slide movement direction (S).