System and method for order picking

• US 9,309,051 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2010
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Walter Winkler
• Original Assignee: Walter Winkler
• Inventors: Winkler, Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): JOERGER, KAITLIN S
• Application Number:
  US12/752,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20100262278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,203 Days
• Field of Search: 534/45, 532/38, 531/68, 414/791.6, 414/796.2, 414/279
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 system 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 system comprises a number of different stock-keeping units to be handled by the system and an order-picking installation comprising:

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;

a small-parts store, in which is provided a storage location for each type of stock-keeping unit of the number of different stock-keeping units, with an item-storing position and an item-retrieval position, wherein the small-parts store is formed as a high rack store;

a store-operating device being located in the small-parts store for moving between the storage locations and the item-storing position or the item-retrieval position, wherein the store-operating device is formed as a rack vehicle moving between racks of the high rack store so that all storage locations of the high rack store having stored the whole number of different stock-keeping units can be reached by a single rack vehicle; 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 small-parts store, the second handling section, and the at least one stacking and packaging station are configured such that the stock-keeping units or sub-units of several stock-keeping units are guided with indirect target tracking such that stock-keeping units or sub-units of several stock-keeping units are moved along a travel route from the item-retrieval position to the at least one stacking and packaging station without requiring any direct identification of the stock-keeping units or sub-units of several stock-keeping units anywhere along the travel route.

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.

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

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

21. The order-picking installation in accordance with claim 1, wherein the stock-keeping units have no identification markings used in the order-picking installation for identifying the stock-keeping units.

22. The order-picking installation in accordance with claim 1, wherein all stock-keeping units for assembly of the outbound unit are held in stock in said small-parts store in which a storage location is provided for each kind of stock-keeping unit.

11. An order-picking system 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 system comprises a number of different stock-keeping units to be handled by the system and an order-picking installation comprising:

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;

a small-parts store, in which is provided a storage location for each type of stock-keeping unit of the number of different stock-keeping units, with an item-storing position and an item-retrieval position, wherein the small-parts store is formed as high rack store;

a store-operating device being located in the small-parts store for moving between the storage locations and the item-storing position or the item-retrieval position, wherein the store-operating device is formed as a rack vehicle moving between racks of the high rack store so that all storage locations of the high rack store having stored the whole number of different stock-keeping units can be reached by a single rack vehicle;

a sub-units store adapted for storing several single-type sub-units composed of several stock-keeping 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; and

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 small-parts store, the second handling section, and the at least one stacking and packaging station are configured such that the stock-keeping units or sub-units of several stock-keeping units are guided with indirect target tracking such that stock-keeping units or sub-units of several stock-keeping units are moved along a travel route from the item-retrieval position to the at least one stacking and packaging station without requiring any direct identification of the stock-keeping units or sub-units of several stock-keeping units anywhere along the travel route.

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 in an order-picking system, wherein the method comprises:

providing a number of different stock-keeping units to be handled in the order-picking system;

providing an order-picking installation, 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;

a small-parts store, in which is provided a storage location for each type of stock-keeping unit of the number of different stock-keeping units, with an item-storing position and an item-retrieval position, wherein the small-parts store is formed as high rack store;

a store-operating device being located in the small-parts store for moving between the storage locations and the item-storing position or the item-retrieval position, wherein the store-operating device is formed as a rack vehicle moving between racks of the high rack store so that all storage locations of the high rack store having stored the whole number of different stock-keeping units can be reached by a single rack vehicle; 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 small-parts store, the second handling section, and the at least one stacking and packaging station are configured such that the stock-keeping units or sub-units of several stock-keeping units are guided with indirect target tracking such that stock-keeping units or sub-units of several stock-keeping units are moved along a travel route from the item-retrieval position to the at least one stacking and packaging station without requiring any direct identification of the stock-keeping units or sub-units of several stock-keeping units anywhere along the travel route;

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 in an order picking system, wherein the method comprises:

providing a number of different stock-keeping units to be handled in the order picking system;

providing an order-picking installation, 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;

a small-parts store, in which is provided a storage location for each type of stock-keeping unit of the number of different stock-keeping units, with an item-storing position and an item-retrieval position, wherein the small-parts store is formed as high rack store;

a store-operating device being located in the small-parts store for moving between the storage locations and the item-storing position or the item-retrieval position, wherein the store-operating device is formed as a rack vehicle moving between racks of the high rack store so that all storage locations of the high rack store having stored the whole number of different stock-keeping units can be reached by a single rack vehicle;

a sub-units store adapted for storing several single-type sub-units composed of several stock-keeping 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;

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 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;

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 small-parts store, the second handling section, and the at least one stacking and packaging station are configured such that the stock-keeping units or sub-units of several stock-keeping units are guided with indirect target tracking such that stock-keeping units or sub-units of several stock-keeping units are moved along a travel route from the item-retrieval position to the at least one stacking and packaging station without requiring any direct identification of the stock-keeping units or sub-units of several stock-keeping units anywhere along the travel route.

19. The method in accordance with claim 18, further including:

transporting partially assembled stock-keeping units.