Method for storing and/or order-picking product units

• US 9,760,086 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2012
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Swisslog AG (Midea Group Co., Ltd)
• Original Assignee: Swisslog AG (Midea Group Co., Ltd)
• Inventors: Woodtli, Werner, Dehkes, Tom Jarle, Van Der Zandt, Cornelius
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumbess, Yolanda
• Application Number:
  US14/118,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20140088748A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,947 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0492 with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1378 the orders being assembled on fixed commissioning areas remote from the storage areas
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2209/08 Orders with a high and a low volume
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/5104 for articles
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4189 characterised by the transport system

Abstract

A method for storing and/or order-picking product units in a storage and/or order-picking installation (P1), in which incoming transporting units are stored on an interim basis in a store, are supplied, if required, to a depalletizing station (4) and are individually stored on an interim basis in a buffer store (6) for product units. Thereafter, branch-specific mixed pallets (16) are automatically set up, supplied to the delivery zone (11) and loaded onto lorries. The system solution is distinguished, in particular, in that it can dispense entirely with transporting aids such as shelves for product units, rows of product units or for entire layers of transporting units. The transport shuttles (8) provided and the rail installation (8a) perform largely the functions of transporting aids, storage means and conveying systems.

Claims

1. A method for storing or order-picking products, product units, or product unit groups in a storage or order-picking installation comprising a buffer store, the buffer store having a plurality of aisles, each aisle comprising storage, the method comprising:

receiving the products, product units, or product unit groups from a depalletizing device;

loading the products, product units, or product unit groups onto a transport shuttle by a loading on the transport shuttle, wherein said loading is performed by the transport shuttle following the depalletizing of the products by the depalletizing device;

transporting the products, product units, or product unit groups on the transport shuttle onto a shuttle loop to the buffer store;

prior to the loaded transport shuttle arriving at the buffer store, raising or lowering the loaded transport shuttle to different levels by a first lift unit that is upstream of the buffer store;

upon reaching a desired level, moving the products, product units, or product unit groups by the transport shuttle into a storage location of the buffer store, or picking the products, product units, or product unit groups from a storage location, said products, product units, or product unit groups are moved along an aisle away from the first lift unit towards a reversing unit, said reversing unit is located at the end of an aisle;

when the transport shuttle reaches the end of an aisle in the buffer store, reversing the transport shuttle by 180 degrees with the reversing unit and moving the transport shuttle from the current aisle to a next one of the aisles; and

after storing or picking each of the products, product units, or product unit groups to or from the storage locations, moving the products, product units, or product unit groups to a second lift unit which is downstream of the buffer store while the products, product units, or product unit groups remain at least temporarily on the transport shuttle.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the depalletizing device is equipped with a vision system, wherein a layer pattern and intermediate position of the products are identified and passed on through the depalletizing device for optimizing movement.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the individual products, product units or product unit groups are combined into groups on a collecting belt.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the products, product units or product unit groups are loaded in the loading device onto the transport shuttle with the aid of a conveyor belt of the transport shuttle and wherein the products, product units, or product unit groups are centered on the transport shuttle.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the products, product units or product unit groups are transported into the buffer store by the transport shuttle.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the products, product units or product unit groups are transported on a transport rail by the transport shuttle.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the products, product units or product unit groups are transported together with the transport shuttle in a lift unit.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a travel command of the transport shuttle is optimized such that, directly after a storage operation, the transport shuttle carries out a removal operation at a location in the storage or order-picking installation that is close to a storage-operation site.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein, during the removal operation, products, product units or product unit groups incrementally are placed by the storage and/or order-picking installation in the correct sequence, time of order placing at the transport shuttle, order sequence at the lift units, opening-up of the entry into the travel rail loop or order sequence at the rotary/pushing device.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the products, product units or product unit groups are monitored while moving on the supply belt to the palletizing device by a vision system, said vision system serving to check the correctness, intactness and orientation of the arriving products, product units or product unit groups.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the products, product units or product unit groups are moved onto a pallet in a predetermined sequence with the aid of a rotary or pushing device, a telescopic belt and a top belt.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the loading operation of the palletizing device is continuously checked with a vision system, wherein deviations from the precalculated loaded image are identified and the palletizing device executes correspondingly corrected movements.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the products, product units, or product unit groups are pushed or pulled by a depalletizing bar in the depalletizing device.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein a releasable connection between the depalletizing bar and the products, product units, or product unit groups is at least temporarily produced by at least one suction cup.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the product, product unit or product unit group is raised by the depalletizing bar.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein, in the depalletizing device, a receiving belt is located under the product, product unit or product unit group.

17. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the product, product unit or product unit group is pushed or pulled onto a carry-away belt by the depalletizing bar.

18. The method claimed in claim 17, wherein the carry-away belt of the depalletizing device is equipped with a vision system, and said vision system identifies correctness, intactness and orientation of the products, product units or product unit groups.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein, during depalletization, the products, product units or product unit groups are supplied to the vision system and subsequently to a rotation unit or are rotated in the rotation unit.

20. A method for storing or order-picking products, product units, or product unit groups in a storage or order-picking installation, comprising a buffer store, wherein:

the buffer store has a plurality of aisles,

a loaded transport shuttle is raised or lowered to different levels by a lift unit, said lift unit is upstream of the buffer store,

the products, product units or product unit groups are moved into the buffer store by at least one transport shuttle away from the lift unit to a reversing unit at the end of an aisle,

the transport shuttle is reversed by the reversing unit by 180 degrees to move from the aisle to a next one of the aisles,

the products, product units or product unit groups are moved back to another lift unit and remain at least temporarily on the transport shuttle,

the products, product units or product unit groups are retrieved from the buffer store by the transport shuttle or another transport shuttle at the another lift unit and the products, product units or product unit groups are moved along a transport rail or a shuttle loop to a palletizing device.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the products, product units or product unit groups are supplied to the palletizing device via a supply belt and a rotary or pushing unit.