Picking device for picking from a storage container into an order container, and corresponding method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11034532-B2
Application number	US-201916400832-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 1, 2019
Priority date	May 2, 2018
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

Abstract

A picking device and method for increasing the through-put of picking an order from a storage container into an order container. The picking device includes a mobile platform capable to travel along a guide rail and a robotic gripping arm. The mobile platform includes a receiving location for each of a storage container and an order container, which are both reachable by the robotic gripping arm. The robotic gripping arm is actuated by a platform-supported image acquisition and evaluation unit and by a platform-supported controller.

First claim

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A picking device for picking from a storage container into an order container comprising:
a mobile platform configured to travel along a guide rail and comprising a robotic gripping arm, an image acquisition and evaluation unit, a controller and receiving locations for each of a storage container and an order container, wherein the storage container and order container comprise goods containers, wherein the storage container and order container are both disposed to be reachable by the robotic gripping arm when disposed at the respective receiving locations, wherein the image acquisition and evaluation unit comprises an imager and a control unit, and wherein the robotic gripping arm is configured to be actuated by the image acquisition and evaluation unit and the controller supported on the mobile platform to transfer goods from a storage container to an order container when the storage container and order container are at the receiving locations, and wherein the robotic gripping arm comprises an exchangeable gripping head.

2. The picking device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the picking device comprises a picking and rack store system having a rack store with storage racks having rack levels positioned one above another, wherein the storage racks comprise storage locations for goods containers and at least one rack aisle extending between the storage racks disposed next to one another, and wherein the mobile platform is configured to travel at least along the at least one rack aisle for placing goods containers into or out of the storage locations of the storage racks.

3. The picking device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the robotic gripping arm is disposed between the receiving locations of the mobile platform.

4. The picking device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the mobile platform comprises a single-level mobile platform configured as a shuttle.

5. The picking device as claimed in claim 4 , further comprising a plurality of single-level mobile platforms, and wherein one of the single-level mobile platforms is disposed at each rack level.

6. The picking device as claimed in claim 4 , further comprising a lift, and wherein the single-level mobile platform is able to change rack levels by means of the lift.

7. The picking device as claimed claim 2 , wherein the mobile platform is a rack serving apparatus and comprises a running gear unit configured to travel along the rack aisle, and wherein the running gear unit, includes a mast and a lifting carriage, wherein the lifting carriage is configured to travel vertically on the mast.

8. The picking device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the robotic gripping arm is disposed between the receiving locations of the mobile platform.

9. The picking device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the receiving locations of the mobile platform each comprise a conveying system to accept and discharge good containers into and out of the receiving locations, and wherein the conveying system of one of the receiving locations may he the same or than the conveying system of the other receiving location.

10. A method for picking from a storage container into an order container comprising:
locating a storage container and an order container on a mobile platform, wherein the mobile platform is configured to travel along a guide rail and includes a robotic gripping arm and a receiving location for each of the storage container and the order container, wherein the robotic gripping arm is configured to reach both the storage container and the order container; and
picking from the storage container into the order container by actuating the robotic gripping arm by an image acquisition and evaluation unit supported on the mobile platform, wherein the image acquisition and evaluation unit comprises an imager and a control unit and the control unit causes a gripping head of the robotic gripping arm to be exchanged directly on the mobile platform based on a detection of an object to be picked in accordance with an order.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the picking from the storage container into the order container is carried out in a rack store with storage containers stored therein in opposing storage racks on a plurality of levels, wherein the rack store comprises a rack aisle disposed between the storage racks, and wherein the mobile platform is a rack serving apparatus, wherein the rack serving apparatus comprises receiving locations for storage containers and order containers and a conveying system for placing the goods containers into or out of the storage locations of the storage racks, and wherein the method further comprises removing a storage container from the rack aisle onto the rack serving apparatus with the picking from the storage container performed directly after the storage container is removed from the rack aisle.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the imager and control unit includes object detection processing, and wherein the method further comprises:
transferring a picking order from a central order controller to the control unit supported on the mobile platform; and
processing the order automatically with the imager and control unit by detecting objects in the removed storage container on the receiving location for the removed storage container with the imager and control unit and controlling the robotic gripping arm for pick-up and discharge into the order container on the receiving location for the order container.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising returning the storage container to one of the storage racks immediately after the step of picking of the order from the storage container into the order container.

14. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein mobile platform further comprises a controller supported on the platform.

Assignees

• Dematic Gmbh

Inventors

• Wehner Matthias
• Reckemeier Hartwig
• Polanz Tobias
• Jung Armin
• Mushack Sören

Classifications

• B25J5/007

  mounted on wheels · CPC title

• B65G1/0421

  with control for stacker crane operations · CPC title

• B65G1/0492

  with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles · CPC title

• B25J15/04

  with provision for the remote detachment or exchange of the head or parts thereof · CPC title

• B65G1/1375 Primary

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