Order-picking installation for the order picking of different items, in particular items which can be transported in a hanging state, and method for operating such an order-picking installation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10934102-B2
Application number	US-201816631792-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 16, 2018
Priority date	Jul 20, 2017
Publication date	Mar 2, 2021
Grant date	Mar 2, 2021

Abstract

An order-picking installation for the order picking of items, in particular items transported in a hanging state, includes at least one supply station having a plurality of parallel supply locations, by which the items to be picked are supplied into the order-picking installation, and at least one dispatch station having a plurality of parallel dispatch locations, by which the picked items are discharged for dispatch, wherein at least one interim store is provided, for the order picking of the items, between the supply station and the dispatch station. The interim store includes a dynamic store for the interim storage of the items provided for order picking as well as a retrieval store, arranged downstream of the dynamic store, and intended for storing items which have been removed from the dynamic store and pre-sorted in the process, the dynamic store and the retrieval store arranged within a common circulatory conveyor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An order-picking installation ( 10 , 10 ′, 10 ″, 10 ′″) for the order-picking of different goods, in particular goods that are capable of being transported in a suspended state, said order-picking installation ( 10 , 10 ′, 10 ″, 10 ′″) comprising:
at least one supply station ( 11 ) having a plurality of supply locations ( 35 , 36 ) which for supplying the goods to be order-picked to the order-picking installation ( 10 , 10 ′, 10 ″, 10 ′″) are disposed in parallel; and
at least one dispatch station ( 14 ) having a plurality of dispatch locations ( 40 ) which for dispensing the order-picked goods for dispatch are disposed in parallel, wherein at least one temporary store ( 12 ; 12 . 1 , 12 . 2 ; 12 a - d ) is provided for order-picking the goods between the supply station ( 11 ) and the dispatch station ( 14 ), wherein the at least one temporary store ( 12 ; 12 . 1 , 12 . 2 ; 12 a - d ) includes a dynamic store ( 18 ) for temporarily storing the goods provided for the order-picking, and a standby store ( 19 ), downstream of the dynamic store ( 18 ), for storing goods which are retrieved from the dynamic store ( 18 ) and thereby pre-sorted and which are disposed within a common continuous conveyor ( 20 ) and are connected to each other by way of the common continuous conveyor ( 20 ).

2. The order-picking installation as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a matrix sorting unit ( 13 ) for further sorting is disposed between the temporary store ( 12 ; 12 . 1 , 12 . 2 ; 12 a - d ) and the dispatch station ( 14 ).

3. The order-picking installation as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the continuous conveyor ( 20 ) is sub-divided into two regions (UF 1 , UF 2 ), in that the dynamic store ( 18 ) is disposed in one of the two regions (UF 1 , UF 2 ), and the standby store ( 19 ) is disposed in the other of the two regions (UF 1 , UF 2 ), and in that the continuous conveyor ( 20 ) is provided for transporting the goods from the dynamic store ( 18 ) to the standby store ( 18 ).

4. The order-picking installation as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the continuous conveyor ( 20 ) comprises a plurality of conveyor sections ( 20 a - d ), and in that the dynamic store ( 18 ) and the standby store ( 19 ) are in each case formed by a plurality of storage sections ( 23 , 26 ) which as branches depart from predefined conveyor sections ( 20 a , 20 c ) of the continuous conveyor ( 20 ).

5. The order-picking installation as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the storage sections ( 23 , 26 ) comprise in each case one entry and one exit, and in that the storage sections ( 23 , 26 ) by way of the entry are in each case connected to a first conveyor section ( 20 a , or 20 c , respectively), and by way of the exit are in each case connected to a second conveyor section ( 20 c , or 20 a , respectively).

6. The order-picking installation as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the conveying directions of the first and the second conveyor section ( 20 a , 20 c ) are mutually opposed.

7. The order-picking installation as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the storage sections ( 23 , 26 ) are connected to the associated conveyor sections ( 20 a , 20 c ) of the continuous conveyor ( 20 ) at the entry side by way of an activatable egress turnout ( 22 , 25 ) and at the exit by way of an activatable access turnout ( 24 , 27 ).

8. The order-picking installation as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the storage sections ( 23 , 26 ) are in each case configured as gravity sections which comprise a gradient from the entry to the exit, and on which the conveyed goods by virtue of gravity move in a self-acting manner from the entry to the exit.

9. The order-picking installation as claimed in claim 8 , wherein for configuring the gravity sections, the first conveyor sections ( 20 a , or 20 c , respectively) run at a first height (h 1 ), the second conveyor sections ( 20 c , or 20 a , respectively) run at a second height (h 2 ), and in that the first height (h 1 ) is greater than the second height (h 2 ).

10. The order-picking installation as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the storage sections ( 23 , 26 ) of the dynamic store ( 18 ) and of the standby store ( 19 ) runs so as to be mutually parallel, in that the storage sections ( 23 ) of the dynamic store ( 18 ) comprise in each case identical first gradients, in that the storage sections ( 26 ) of the standby store ( 19 ) comprise in each case identical second gradients, and in that the first gradient and the second gradient are oriented so as to be mutually opposed.

11. The order-picking installation as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the continuous conveyor ( 20 ) in the transition from the first region (UF 1 ) to the second region (UF 2 ) changes from the second height (h 2 ) to the first height (h 1 ), and in the transition from the second region (UF 2 ) to the first region (UF 1 ) changes from the second height (h 2 ) to the first height (h 1 ).

12. The order-picking installation as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the goods to be order-picked for temporary storage and pre-sorting between the two regions (UF 1 , UF 2 ) of the continuous conveyor ( 20 ) by way of an infeed line ( 30 ) are capable of being fed into the continuous conveyor ( 20 ), and there by way of an outfeed line ( 31 ) are also again capable of being retrieved in a pre-sorted state from the standby store ( 19 ).

13. The order-picking installation as claimed in claim 5 , wherein at least one return section ( 18 ; 18 a - c ) having an associated egress turnout ( 57 ; 57 a ) is provided at the exit of the dynamic store ( 18 ) toward the standby store ( 19 ), goods in transit from the dynamic store ( 18 ) to the standby store ( 19 ) by way of said return section ( 18 ; 18 a - c ) being able to be selectively conveyed from the second conveyor section ( 20 c ) back to the first conveyor section ( 20 a ).

14. The order-picking installation as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the continuous conveyor ( 20 ) comprises an overhead conveyor.

15. The order-picking installation as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the goods to be order-picked in the continuous conveyor ( 20 ) are transported in a suspended manner on individual carriages ( 50 ) along a running rail ( 44 ), and the carriages ( 50 ) in the continuous conveyor ( 20 ) are moved by a driven conveyor chain ( 46 ) which so as to be parallel with the running rail ( 44 ) is guided in a dedicated rail ( 43 ) and which releasably engages with the carriages ( 50 ).

16. The order-picking installation as claimed in claim 15 , wherein for transporting the goods to be order-picked, transport bags ( 55 ) are configured to be fixedly attached in a suspended manner to the carriages ( 50 ), and/or clothes hangers are configured to be releasably attached in a suspended manner to the carriages ( 50 ).

17. The order-picking installation as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a plurality of temporary stores ( 12 . 1 , 12 . 2 ) operating in parallel are provided in the order-picking installation ( 10 ′).

18. The order-picking installation as claimed in claim 15 , wherein a return ( 17 ) of the carriages ( 50 ) not impinged with goods from the dispatch station ( 14 ) to the supply station ( 11 ) is provided.

19. The order-picking installation as claimed in claim 18 , wherein at least one empties store ( 37 , 37 ′) for the carriages ( 50 ) not impinged with goods is provided in the return ( 17 ).

20. The order-picking installation as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a controller ( 5

Assignees

• Ferag Ag

Inventors

• Sigrist Sergio
• López Francisco Javier

Classifications

• B65G1/1378 Primary

  the orders being assembled on fixed commissioning areas remote from the storage areas · CPC title

• B65G1/0478

  for matrix-arrangements · CPC title

• B65G1/1371

  with data records · CPC title

• B07C5/36

  Sorting apparatus characterised by the means used for distribution {(sorting according to destination B07C3/003, B07C3/02)} · CPC title

• B65G1/08

  the articles being fed by gravity {(braking arrangements for roller-ways B65G13/075; separating or stopping elements B65G47/88)} · CPC title