SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ORDER PICKING

• US 20100262278A1
• Filed: 04/01/2010
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walter Winkler
• Original Assignee: Walter Winkler
• Inventors: Winkler, Walter
• Granted Patent: US 9,309,051 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/218
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1378 the orders being assembled on fixed commissioning areas remote from the storage areas

Abstract

An order-picking installation, a method for order picking and an order-picking system for the purpose of fully automated repacking of stock-keeping units from an inbound unit having a plurality of identical stock-keeping units into an outbound unit having a plurality of different stock-keeping units. The installation, method and system includes a separating station for separating the stock-keeping units, which are delivered in an inbound unit composed of a plurality of identical items, into stock-keeping units and/or sub-units of several stock-keeping units, a small-parts store including a storage location for each type of stock-keeping unit, with an item-storing position and an item-retrieval position, and a stacking and/or packaging station for assembling different stock-keeping units and/or sub-units in an outbound unit.

Claims

1. An order-picking installation for fully automated repacking of stock-keeping units from an inbound unit having a plurality of identical stock-keeping units to an outbound unit having a plurality of different stock-keeping units, wherein the order-picking installation comprises:

a separating station for separating the stock-keeping units, which are delivered in the inbound unit composed of the plurality of identical stock-keeping units, into at least one of stock-keeping units and sub-units of several stock-keeping units;

small-parts store, in which is provided a storage location for each type of stock-keeping unit, with an item-storing position and an item-retrieval position; and

at least one of a stacking and packaging station for assembling at least one of different stock-keeping units and sub-units in the outbound unit;

wherein, between the separating station and the item-storing position is provided a first handling section, and between the item-retrieval position and the at least one of a stacking and packaging station is provided a second handling section, wherein at least the second handling section is configured such that the stock-keeping units or sub-units of several stock-keeping units are force guided or guided with indirect target tracking.

2. The order-picking installation in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the first and second handling sections has no junction, confluence or crossing points.

3. The order-picking installation in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the first and second handling sections has a length of less than or equal to 15 m.

4. The order-picking installation in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

the indirect target tracking contains purely informational item tracking.

5. The order-picking installation in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

the stock-keeping units are moved under application of indirect target tracking with purely informational item tracking.

6. The order-picking installation in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

the order-picking installation comprises several modules, wherein each module comprises the small-parts store, the separating station and the at least one of the stacking and packaging station.

7. The order-picking installation in accordance with claim 6, wherein:

several modules with their own stacking stations have a common packaging station.

8. The order-picking installation in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

a sub-unit store is provided in which single-type sub-units composed of several identical stock-keeping units are stored.

9. The order-picking installation in accordance with claim 8, further including:

a third handling section which connects the sub-units store with at least one of the separating station and the small-parts store.

10. The order-picking installation in accordance with claim 8, further including:

a fourth handling section which connects the sub-unit store to the packaging station.

23. The order-picking installation in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

the small-parts store has a single item-retrieval position.

11. An order-picking installation for fully automated repacking of stock-keeping units from an inbound unit having a plurality of identical stock-keeping units to an outbound unit having a plurality of different stock-keeping units, wherein the order-picking installation comprises:

a separating station for separating the stock-keeping units, which are delivered in an inbound unit composed of the plurality of identical items, into at least one of stock-keeping units and sub-units of several stock-keeping units;

small-parts store, in which is provided a storage location for each type of stock-keeping unit, with an item-storing position and an item-retrieval position;

a sub-units store for storing several single-type sub-units; and

at least one of a stacking and packaging station for assembling different stock-keeping units in the outbound unit;

wherein the installation is configured such that assembly of the outbound unit can occur not only direct with sub-units from the sub-units store but also with stock-keeping units from the small-parts store.

12. The order-picking installation in accordance with claim 11, further including:

a third handling section which connects the sub-units store with at least one of the separating station and the small-parts store.

13. The order-picking installation in accordance with claim 11, further including:

a fourth handling section which connects the sub-unit store to the packaging station.

14. A method for fully automated repacking of stock-keeping units from an inbound unit having a plurality of identical stock-keeping units into an outbound unit having a plurality of different stock-keeping units, wherein the method comprises:

separating a delivered inbound unit composed of a plurality of identical items into stock-keeping units;

storing the stock-keeping units in a small-parts store in which a storage location is provided for each kind of stock-keeping unit;

retrieving the stock-keeping units from the small-parts store for forming the outbound unit in a sequence until the outbound unit is finished; and

assembling the sequence of different stock-keeping units in the outbound unit.

15. The method in accordance with claim 14, wherein:

separating also comprises separating the delivered inbound unit composed of the plurality of identical items into at least one sub-unit composed of several stock-keeping units; and

assembling the sequence of different stock-keeping units comprises assembling the sub-units from a sub-units store in the outbound unit.

16. The method in accordance with claim 15, wherein:

separating takes place at a separation station;

assembling takes place at an assembling station; and

further including transporting the sub-units composed of several stock-keeping units from the separation station to the assembling station without further separating at least one of the sub-units composed of several stock-keeping units.

17. The method in accordance with claim 14, further including:

transporting partially assembled stock-keeping units.

18. A method for fully automated repacking of stock-keeping units from an inbound unit having a plurality of identical stock-keeping units into an outbound unit having a plurality of different stock-keeping units, wherein the method comprises:

separating a delivered inbound unit composed of a plurality of identical items into at least one of stock-keeping units and sub-units composed of several stock-keeping units;

storing the stock-keeping units in a small-parts store in which a storage location is provided for each kind of stock-keeping unit;

retrieving the stock-keeping units from the small-parts store for the forming the outbound unit;

assembling at least one of different stock-keeping units and sub-units into an outbound unit;

wherein separating takes place at a separation station and assembling takes place at an assembling station; and

transporting the sub-units composed of several stock-keeping units from the separation station to the assembling station without further separating at least one of the sub-units composed of several stock-keeping units.

19. The method in accordance with claim 18, wherein:

transporting partially assembled stock-keeping units.

20. A system for picking orders by fully automated repacking of stock-keeping units from an inbound unit having a plurality of identical stock-keeping units into an outbound unit having a plurality of different stock-keeping units with a fully automated order-picking installation, wherein the stock-keeping units have any kind of surface without identification markings.

21. A system for picking orders by fully automated repacking of stock-keeping units from an inbound unit having a plurality of identical stock-keeping units into an outbound unit having a plurality of different stock-keeping units, wherein all stock-keeping units for assembly of the outbound unit are held in stock in a small-parts store in which a storage location is provided for each kind of stock-keeping unit.

22. The system in accordance with claim 21, wherein:

the small-parts store has a single item-retrieval position.

24. A method for fully automated repacking of stock-keeping units from an inbound unit having a plurality of identical stock-keeping units into an outbound unit having a plurality of different stock-keeping units, wherein the method comprises:

using a fully automated small-parts store for order-picking stock-keeping units by single-type storage of stock-keeping units from the inbound unit and mixed retrieval of stock-keeping units to the outbound unit.