Autonomous order picker

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10315843-B2
Application number	US-201615293778-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2016
Priority date	Oct 15, 2015
Publication date	Jun 11, 2019
Grant date	Jun 11, 2019

Abstract

The order picker ( 1 ) comprising a vehicle ( 2, 25, 30 ); a robot device ( 3 ) on the vehicle ( 2, 25, 30 ), which is configured to manipulate objects within a working range (R_R); a pick-up device ( 4 ) on the vehicle for picking up a selection pallet ( 21 ) within the working range (R_R); a carrying device ( 5 ) on the vehicle for carrying an order pallet ( 16 ) within the working range (R_R); and a control unit, which is configured to activate the robot device ( 3 ) to convey load units ( 59 ) from a selection pallet ( 21 ) positioned in the working range (R_R) onto an order pallet ( 16 ) carried in the working range (R_R). The invention furthermore relates to a corresponding method for order picking an order pallet ( 16 ) comprising load units ( 59 ) from a goods warehouse having selection pallets ( 20 ) arranged in rows and/or racks ( 23 ) using a vehicle ( 2, 25, 30 ) and a robot device ( 3 ) arranged thereon having a working range (R_R).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An order picker ( 1 ) comprising:
a vehicle ( 2 , 25 , 30 );
a robot device ( 3 ) on the vehicle ( 2 , 25 , 30 ), which is configured to manipulate objects within a working range (R_R);
a pick-up device ( 4 , 41 ) on the vehicle for picking up a selection pallet ( 20 , 21 ) within the working range (R_R);
a carrying device ( 5 ) on the vehicle for carrying an order pallet ( 16 ) within the working range (R_R);
a control unit configured to activate the robot device ( 3 ) to convey load units ( 59 ) from the selection pallet ( 20 , 21 ) positioned on the pick-up device ( 4 , 41 ) in the working range (R_R) onto the order pallet ( 16 ) carried on the carrying device ( 5 ) in the working range (R_R); and
at least one camera;
wherein the control unit is configured to control the conveying of load units ( 59 ) using recordings, produced by the at least one camera, of the order pallet ( 16 ) carried by the carrying device ( 5 ) and the selection pallet ( 20 , 21 ) picked up by the pick-up device ( 4 , 41 ), and wherein the at least one camera is arranged such that each camera is configured to record the positions of the load units ( 59 ) on the carried order pallet ( 16 ) and/or the contour of the carried order pallet ( 16 ).

2. The order picker ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the pick-up device ( 4 , 41 ) is configured to remove a selection pallet ( 20 , 21 ) from a rack ( 23 ), rack warehouse or a warehouse region.

3. The order picker ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the robot device ( 3 ) is configured such that when conveying a load unit ( 59 ) from a selection pallet ( 20 , 21 ) that has been picked up to the order pallet ( 16 ), the load unit ( 59 ) and parts of the robot device ( 3 ) that move during the conveyance are kept within a width of the vehicle ( 2 , 25 , 30 ).

4. The order picker ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the robot device ( 3 ) is configured such that when conveying a load unit ( 59 ) from a selection pallet ( 20 , 21 ) that has been picked up to the order pallet ( 16 ), the load unit ( 59 ) and parts of the robot device ( 3 ) that move during the conveyance are moved above the vehicle ( 2 , 25 ), the selection pallet ( 21 ) that has been picked up, and the carried order pallet.

5. The order picker ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the robot device ( 3 ) comprises an articulated arm ( 3 a ).

6. The order picker ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to activate the vehicle ( 2 , 25 , 30 ) such that the vehicle ( 2 , 25 , 30 ) approaches one or more selection pallets ( 20 , 21 ) according to a list of load units ( 59 ) to be picked.

7. The order picker ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to activate the pick-up device ( 4 , 41 ) to pick up the selection pallet ( 20 , 21 ) and/or to activate the carrying device ( 5 ) to pick up and/or carry an order pallet ( 16 ).

8. The order picker ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the order picker ( 1 ) furthermore comprises a guide device ( 12 ), on which the pick-up device ( 4 , 41 ) is mounted so as to be linearly movable transversely to the vehicle ( 2 , 25 ).

9. The order picker ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the pick-up device ( 4 , 41 ) comprises a height-adjustable fork carriage ( 9 ) that can be pivoted about a vertical axis ( 10 ) and is intended for lifting a selection pallet ( 21 ), wherein the fork carriage ( 9 ) comprises load rollers ( 40 ) for wheel support for the fork carriage ( 9 ), and the carrying device ( 5 ) comprises a height-adjustable fork carriage ( 15 ) for lifting an order pallet ( 16 ), wherein the fork carriage ( 15 ) comprises load rollers ( 40 ) for wheel support for the fork carriage ( 15 );
wherein the pick-up device ( 4 , 41 ) and the carrying device ( 5 ) are arranged on opposing ends of the vehicle ( 2 , 25 , 30 ).

10. The order picker ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the pick-up device ( 4 ) and/or the carrying device ( 5 ) comprise telescopic forks ( 33 ), which are configured to be telescoped transversely to the vehicle ( 30 ) and on both sides thereof.

11. The order picker ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle ( 30 ) is a storage and retrieval unit ( 30 ) for use in a high-rack warehouse.

12. The order picker ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the pick-up device ( 4 , 41 ) and the carrying device ( 5 ) are arranged on opposing ends of the vehicle ( 2 , 25 , 30 ).

13. The order picker ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine, before and after the conveying of a load unit ( 59 ) and using recordings produced by the at least one camera, whether, in addition to the conveyed load unit ( 59 ), other load units ( 59 ) on the carried order pallet ( 16 ) have changed their position and/or whether a contour of the order pallet ( 16 ) satisfies predetermined parameters.

14. The order picker ( 1 ) according to claim 13 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine, before and after the conveying of the load unit ( 59 ) and using recordings produced by the at least one camera, whether, in addition to the conveyed load unit ( 59 ), other load units ( 59 ) that have been picked up and disposed on the selection pallet ( 20 , 21 ) have changed their position and/or whether the contour of the selection pallet ( 20 , 21 ) satisfies predetermined parameters.

15. The order picker ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle ( 25 ) is a narrow aisle vehicle ( 25 ) for use in a pallet warehouse.

16. The order picker ( 1 ) according to claim 15 , wherein the carrying device ( 5 ) is arranged between two wheel arms ( 13 ) of the vehicle ( 25 ), in which rollers ( 8 ) are mounted.

17. The order picker ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle ( 2 , 30 ) comprises a lifting device ( 22 ) for the height adjustment of the robot device ( 3 ), pick-up device ( 4 , 41 ) and/or carrying device ( 5 ).

18. The order picker ( 1 ) according to claim 17 , wherein drive wheels ( 7 ) are arranged closer to the pick-up device ( 4 , 41 ) than to the carrying device ( 5 ).

19. A method for order picking an order pallet ( 16 ) comprising load units ( 59 ) from a goods warehouse having selection pallets ( 20 , 21 ) arranged in rows and/or racks ( 23 ) using the order picker ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , said method comprising the steps of:
a) arranging the order pallet ( 16 ) on the vehicle ( 2 , 25 , 30 ) within the working range (R_R) of the robot device ( 3 );
b) moving the vehicle ( 2 , 25 , 30 ) to reach a position next to a current selection pallet ( 20 , 21 ) comprising at least one load unit ( 59 ) currently required for picking;
c) positioning the selection pallet ( 20 , 21 ) within the working range (R_R) of the robot device ( 3 ), so that there is adequate space above the current selection pallet ( 20 , 21 ) to operate the robot device ( 3 );
d) conveying the at least one load unit ( 59 ) currently required for picking from the selection pallet ( 20 , 21 ) onto the order pallet ( 16 ) using the robot device ( 3 ) and continuing with step d) until all the required load units ( 59 ) have been removed from the current selection pallet ( 20 , 21 );
e) detecting the position of the load units ( 59 ) located on the order pallet ( 16 ) and/or the contour of the order pallet ( 16 ) using images recorded by a camera, wherein the position of the load units ( 59 ) located on the selection pallet ( 20 , 21 ) and/or the contour of the selection pallet ( 20

Assignees

• Jungheinrich Ag

Inventors

• Magens Ernst-Peter
• Beckhaus Kai
• Seemüller Stefan

Classifications

• B65G1/1375 Primary

  the orders being assembled on a commissioning stacker-crane or truck · CPC title

• B65G1/1373

  for fulfilling orders in warehouses · CPC title

• B66F9/147

  Whole unit including fork support moves relative to mast · CPC title

• Y10S901/01

  Mobile robot · CPC title

• G05D1/021

  specially adapted to land vehicles · CPC title