Method and installation for storing and delivering objects

• US 6,768,929 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2001
• Issued: 07/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Denipr0 AG
• Original Assignee: Denipro AG (WRH Walter Reist Holding AG)
• Inventors: Roesch, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, Donald P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beauchaine, Mark J.
• Application Number:
  US10/036,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20020070093A1
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: 198/347.1, 198/347.4, 198/347.2, 198/434, 198/436, 198/437, 198/523, 198/530, 198/540, 198/541, 198/700, 700/214, 700/213, 700/215, 700/216, 700/225, 700/226, 414/13, 414/222.02, 414/222.03, 414/226.01, 414/226.03
• US Class Current: 700/214
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1378 the orders being assembled on fixed commissioning areas remote from the storage areas

Abstract

An installation for temporary storage and ready for dispatch delivery of objects includes a closed-in-itself rail system with independently-movable holding elements (30), at least one packing and take-over station (10), at least one addressing and delivery station (11) and at least one computing unit (12). Between the packing and take-over station (10) and the addressing and delivery station (11), the rail system is designed as a storage area (2) having controllable switch points or switch point systems (5) on the input and on the outlet side (5) and with functionally parallel storage tracks (2.1, 2.2, . . . ) between the switch points or switch point systems (5). Prior to being stored, the objects (32) supplied to the installation are individualized, individually packed and taken over by one holding element (30) each. Packed objects (33) and holding elements (30) are transported to the storage area (2) together, are stored along the storage tracks (2.1, 2.2, . . . ) and, when required, are retrieved from storage. Thereupon, the packed objects (33) are marked according to their destination (e.g., addressed) and are released from the holding elements (30).

Claims

1. A method for temporarily storing objects (32, 33, 34) and making them ready for dispatch delivery, the method comprising the steps of:

individually packing supplied objects (32);

taking-over a plurality of the packed objects (33) by grasping each of the packed objects (33) with a holding element (30), and moving the holding elements (30) and the packed objects (33) associated therewith along rail tracks of a rail system, each holding element being movable independently of the other holding elements (30);

temporarily storing the packed objects (33) and associated holding elements (30) in a storage area (2) of the rail system;

on demand, retrieving a plurality of the packed objects (33) with the holding elements (30) from the storage area (2); and

marking the packed objects (33) retrieved from the storage area according to a destination, releasing the packed objects from the holding elements (30) and returning the holding elements (30) for a further-taking-over operation.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the storage area comprises a multitude of functionally parallel storage tracks (2.1, 2.2, . . . ), said storage tracks being connected through switch points (5) on an input side and on an outlet side.

3. The method in accordance with claim 2, wherein objects of only one object type are stored on each of the functionally parallel storage tracks.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the holding elements (30) are driven by gravity at least along the storage tracks (2.1, 2.2, . . . ).

5. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein holding elements (30) with packed objects (33) are returned to an input side of the storage area (2) from an outlet side of the storage area (2) along a storage return track (6).

6. The method according to claim 5, herein a multitude of holding elements (30) with packed objects (33) are circulated on a rail circuit formed by a storage track, the storage return track (6) and a switch point on the input side and on the outlet side (5), until a predefined one of the objects (33) reaches the switch point on the outlet side and is thus retrievable from the storage area (2).

7. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the objects (32) are packed in bags and the bags are picked-up by grippers of the holding elements (30) and are transported and stored essentially suspended from the holding elements (30).

8. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein empty holding elements (30) are buffered during return transportation.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method is controlled on the basis of data regarding objects supplied and regarding objects to be delivered.

10. The method in accordance, with claim 1, wherein at least parts of the method are controlled locally and autonomously on the basis of data recorded by sensors from at least one of the holding elements (30) and the packed objects (33).

11. An installation for temporarily storing objects (32, 33, 34) and making them ready for dispatch delivery, which device comprises:

at least one packing and take-over station (10),

at least one addressing and delivery station (11),

at least one computing unit (12),

a rail system comprising;

a storage area (2) with at least one storage track (2.1, 2.2, . . . ) and controllable switch points (5), at least one supply track (1) leading from the packing and take-over station (10) to the storage area (2), at least one delivery track (3) leading from the storage area (2) to the addressing and delivery station (11) and at least one return track (4) leading from the addressing and delivery station (11) to the packing and take-over station (10), and

a plurality of holding elements movable along the rail system, and

wherein the packing and take-over station (10) is equipped for packing individual objects (32) and for their take-over by the holding elements and the addressing and delivery station (11) is equipped for marking the packed objects (33) in a destination-related manner and for releasing them from the holding elements (30) and

wherein the computing unit (12) is equipped for receiving data regarding supplied objects (32) and objects to be delivered (34) and for generating control data for controlling the packing and take-over station (10), the addressing and delivery station (11) and the controllable switch points (5).

12. The installation in accordance with claim 11, wherein the storage area comprises a multitude of functionally parallel storage tracks (2.1, 2.2, . . . ), which are selectively connected through controllable switch points (5), on the input side with the supply track (1) and on the outlet side with the delivery track (3).

13. The installation according to claim 11, wherein the storage area (2) further comprises a storage return track (6).

14. The installation in accordance with claim 11, wherein the holding elements (30) comprise grippers for picking-up packed objects (32).

15. The installation according to claim 11, wherein, of the rail tracks of the rail system, at least one of the supply track (1) and the delivery track (3) is arranged as ascending in a direction of holding element movement and is equipped with a drive (31) for driving the holding elements (30) and wherein at least the storage tracks (2.1, 2.2, . . . ) are arranged as being descending such that holding elements (30) are driven along these storage tracks (2.1, 2.2, . . . ) by gravity.

16. The installation in accordance with claim 11, wherein the controllable switch points (5) are designed as multifunctional switch points or as series of bifunctional switch points.

17. The installation according to claim 11, wherein, in addition to the return track (4), at least one buffer track (4.1, 4.2 . . . ) running functionally parallel to the return track is provided.