Method and storage system for storing carrier carriers

Abstract

The airport early-arrival luggage storer (2) fulfills many functions. A storage system (2) suitable therefor and a method for storing unitary carrier carriers (4) that are empty or loaded with piece goods (4a) by means of sorting criteria, the storage system comprising a conveyor (6), a loading device (8), an unmanned transport vehicle (16), a shelf (12) having shelf cells (14) for receiving carrier carriers (4), and a control system. Carrier carriers may be explicitly identified and may be associated with sorting criteria. The control system is designed to determine a sorting criterion for the piece goods (4a) in the load carriers (4) in the case of loaded load carriers (4) and to assign the sorting criterion to the load carriers (4), and to assign empty sorting criteria to the load carriers (4) in the case of empty load carriers (4), and to assign the empty sorting criteria to the load carriers (4) in the case of empty load carriers (4). A shelf (12) having vacant shelf cells (14) is selected as a preferential shelf (12 *). The loading device (8) is designed to selectively receive the carrier carriers (4) from the conveyor (6) and / or to selectively output the carrier carriers (4) to the conveyor (6), and to load and / or unload a prior shelf (12 *) with the carrier carriers (4). The driverless transport vehicle (16) can be reversibly mounted on a preferential shelf (12 *) in order to move the preferential shelf (12 *) towards a storage position in the storage area (18) determined by a specific storage criterion and vice versa.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of conveyor systems, more specifically storage systems for transport carriers. Transport carriers are suitable for receiving piece goods, but the invention is also applicable to empty transport carriers. In particular, the invention relates to storage for early baggage in the airport sector. Background Art

[0002] In airport environments, it's necessary to temporarily store passenger luggage for several hours. This storage of early baggage can be caused by very early check-in, departure delays, or long layovers. The airport operator's procedures incur minimal additional costs if the baggage is temporarily stored in the baggage handling facility and transferred to the aircraft in a timely manner. The less complex, cheaper, and more fail-safe the early baggage storage is in terms of operation and design, the less burdened the baggage handling facility will be with baggage that will be checked in only a short time later.

[0003] There are various solutions using linear storage in belt or tray systems, circular conveyor systems, or similar methods. However, access to specific pieces of baggage is only possible with difficulty, tracking individual pieces of baggage is complex, and existing solutions require a large amount of space and energy. The most popular are high-bay warehouses based on rack handling systems or shuttle systems. Available solutions are often complex in terms of planning, construction, design, implementation, and operation. During planning and installation, these solutions must be designed for the maximum expected capacity, resulting in all investment costs being incurred very early. Furthermore, flexible and cost-effective expansion is not possible, and failure of individual components can hinder the entire system. Many baggage handling systems in airports are designed as tray-supported baggage handling systems (ICS = Individual Carrier System). The advantages of a tray-supported system are the consistently uniform shape of the carriers (baggage trays), resulting in highly uniform conveying performance for all carriers, as well as unambiguous, automated, and nearly 100% baggage identification using RFID tags on the (baggage) trays. Furthermore, the transport carriers prevent loose items from getting stuck in the baggage conveying system, and transport is very careful. Further advantages of pallets are ease of loading and unloading, higher achievable conveying speeds, and uniformity (this allows for standardized, and therefore less complex, design of components, which only need to be designed for uniform transport carriers, not for the varying heights of different piece goods). Pallet-supported conveyor systems are also used in other areas of logistics, where piece goods are transported and temporarily stored on transport carriers. The present invention is also applicable to non-pallet-supported conveyor systems, but the storage area is always designed for transport carriers, especially piece goods on pallets. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention is therefore based on the object of providing a method and a system for improved storage of transport carriers. This object is achieved by the solutions described in the independent claims.

[0005] This object is achieved by a method and a storage system having the features of the independent claims.

[0006] The solution according to the invention is characterized by a method for storing uniform transport carriers, in particular luggage trays, which are empty or loaded with piece goods, in particular pieces of luggage, wherein the piece goods have assigned sorting criteria, the transport carriers being clearly identifiable and associated with the sorting criteria, the method comprising the following method steps:

[0007] a) The piece goods or the transport carrier are conveyed on the conveyor and received by a loading device in the transfer area, wherein, in the case of piece goods, the piece goods are transferred from the conveyor to the transport carrier while the transport carrier is held by the loading device.

[0008] b) in the case of a loaded transport carrier, determining a sorting criterion for the piece goods in the transport carrier and assigning said sorting criterion to the transport carrier, and in the case of an empty transport carrier, assigning an empty sorting criterion to the transport carrier.

[0009] c) Providing a rack with or without rollers, each comprising a shelf grid for receiving stacked carriers and a travel mechanism.

[0010] d) The control system marks the rack with an empty shelf grid as a priority rack.

[0011] e) The transport carrier is moved by the loading device to the preferred rack in the transfer area and the free rack compartments of the preferred rack are loaded with the transport carrier by the loading device.

[0012] f) Place unmanned transport vehicles at priority racks.

[0013] g) The prioritized rack is moved by an automated guided vehicle to a storage location in the storage area that is determined by specific storage criteria.

[0014] h) Disconnect the driverless transport vehicle from the priority rack.

[0015] The solution according to the present invention also relates to a storage system for unified transport carriers, particularly luggage trays, that are empty or loaded with piece goods, particularly pieces of luggage. The storage system comprises a conveyor, a loading device, an automated guided vehicle (AGV), racks, and a control system. The piece goods are assigned sorting criteria, and the transport carriers can be clearly identified and associated with the sorting criteria. The racks, with or without rollers, have stacked shelves for receiving the transport carriers. The racks can be very simple and therefore cost-effective, for example, as simple steel racks. The conveyor is designed to transport the transport carriers or piece goods. The height is determined by the height of the robotic arm, the available height of the early luggage storage, and the load capacity of the AGV. If the racks are too high, manual loading and unloading is no longer feasible in the event of a failure. The loading device is located in a transfer area. The control system is designed to determine the sorting criteria of the piece goods in the transport carriers for loaded transport carriers and assign them to the transport carriers, while assigning the empty sorting criteria to the transport carriers for empty transport carriers. The control system is designed to select a shelf with an empty shelf grid as a priority shelf. The loading device and the conveyor are designed to selectively receive and / or output piece goods, while the carrier is held by the loading device, or to selectively receive the carrier from the conveyor and / or selectively output the carrier to the conveyor, and to load the carrier to the priority shelf and / or unload the carrier from the priority shelf. The unmanned transport vehicle can be reversibly placed at the priority shelf (including placing and disengaging the placed transport vehicle) to move the priority shelf toward a storage position in the storage area determined by specific storage standards and vice versa. The control system can be connected to the loading device and the unmanned transport vehicle for control.

[0016] This also results in the following advantages: the transport carriers serve as containers moved by the corresponding tools of the loading devices (robots, etc.). Systems with transport carriers ensure uniformity in baggage transport, allowing for more reliable operation, higher speeds, and improved throughput. Because all luggage pieces remain completely in their transport carriers throughout the entire baggage transport, the risk of damaged luggage pieces and system disruptions (e.g., caused by stuck carriers) is low. The same storage area can be used for temporary storage of empty and filled transport carriers. The use of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) not only allows for simple scalability due to modularity but also a high degree of fail-safety. Since a storage system typically includes multiple loading devices and multiple AGVs, the failure of a single AGV or a single loading device does not immediately cause the entire storage system to fail.

[0017] In the context of the present invention, a transport carrier should be understood to mean, in particular, a pallet, more particularly a luggage tray, which generally allows access from above, thus simplifying loading and unloading. Pieces of cargo are provided with identifiers, typically luggage tags in the case of luggage. In the case of luggage, the sorting criterion is typically flight number, but check-in time or other criteria (such as the number of passengers traveling together) can also be used. The transfer area essentially corresponds to the effective radius of the loading device for receiving and discharging transport carriers. Placing an automated guided vehicle at a preferred shelf includes all possible fastening options that allow the shelf to be moved by the installed automated guided vehicle, such as pulling, pushing, or a combination thereof. An empty sorting criterion should be understood as a sorting criterion that describes, for the control system, the exchangeable empty transport carriers. A uniform transport carrier should be understood as one in which all transport carriers are of the same type, or only a very small number of sizes are used, where, for example, at least one side length is the same in the case of different sizes. This significantly simplifies the handling process for loading and unloading using the loading device, and each transport carrier is also adapted to the shelf grid.

[0018] The solution according to the invention can be further improved by various embodiments, each of which is advantageous in itself and which, unless otherwise specified, can be combined with one another as desired. These embodiments and the advantages associated therewith are discussed below.

[0019] In order to sort the transport carriers in an orderly manner according to the sorting criteria (this avoids unnecessary movement of shelves for both loading and unloading), the control system can determine whether a shelf among the shelves that is consistent with the sorting criteria for the transport carriers is already loaded with transport carriers near the transfer area, and whether there is an empty shelf grid with capacity to receive the transport carriers and is therefore an available shelf, and mark the shelf as a priority shelf, otherwise the available shelf with the sorting criteria that has not yet been assigned pieces of cargo is marked as a priority shelf.

[0020] With regard to the storage system, the control system can be designed to determine whether a shelf among the shelves that is consistent with the sorting criteria of the transport carriers is already loaded with transport carriers near the transfer area, and whether there is an empty shelf grid with capacity to receive the transport carriers and is therefore an available shelf, and mark the shelf as a priority shelf, otherwise the available shelves that have not yet been assigned the sorting criteria of the cargo (so the shelves can be empty or filled with at least one transport carrier) are marked as priority shelves.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the unmanned transport vehicle can travel under the shelf before being placed, and is therefore a downlink AGV (Unterfahr-AGV). After traveling below, the downlink AGV can be placed at the shelf and then transport the shelf (without lifting, for which the shelf must have rollers). Alternatively, the downlink AGV can lift the shelf (for this purpose, the shelf is not necessary but can have rollers), then move it and then put it down. By traveling below, the combined space requirement of the unmanned transport vehicle and the shelf is small, so that the space requirement for transport actions (turning, turning, turning) is small, and therefore the space requirement for the storage area is small. An AGV that travels alone through the aisles between the shelves without shelves can also avoid another AGV (with or without shelves) by traveling below the shelf at the shelf's storage location.

[0022] According to one embodiment, a load carrier can be unloaded from the rack to be unloaded by a loading device in the transfer area, after the rack has been moved from its storage location in the storage area to the transfer area by an unmanned transport vehicle. When a stored load carrier is to be retrieved or reintroduced into the baggage handling system, the higher-level control system instructs the unloading process.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the storage area can be arranged on more than one level, wherein the level of the storage area is at the level of the loading device and / or above the loading device and / or below the loading device. This allows for better utilization of space in high halls and allows existing supply tunnels, etc., to be used as storage (for early baggage).

[0024] According to one embodiment, the storage system may further include a ramp and / or a lifting device, with which the preferred rack can overcome the height difference between the plane with or without the automated guided vehicle. Thus, the preferred rack can overcome the height difference between the plane with or without the automated guided vehicle by means of the lifting device and / or via the ramp. The lifting device may be designed as an elevator, etc., but the loading device may also be designed to lift the rack.

[0025] Instead of or in addition to a ramp or a lifting device, the loading device can be designed to load and / or unload racks on more than one level. For this purpose, it is suitable to arrange the loading device (and possibly a conveyor) between the levels (the loading device can then grip upwards or downwards), or to design the loading device's robotic arm to be sufficiently long. Thus, racks can be loaded and unloaded on different levels using a stationary loading device.

[0026] According to another embodiment, a plurality of racks can be arranged in the transfer area so that the loading device can load these racks without repositioning. Thus, the loading device can load or unload carriers with different sorting criteria between loading operations without repositioning (which would reduce throughput due to time requirements and thus reduce the number of available automated transport vehicles, thereby increasing the demand for automated transport vehicles and thus the cost of the storage system). For higher throughput, more than one loading device can be used in the same transfer area or in different transfer areas.

[0027] According to one embodiment, empty transport carriers can be received preferably in the transfer area by the loading device.Therefore, the loading device can also receive the piece goods from the conveyor and load the transport carriers filled with the piece goods into the shelf grid.

[0028] According to another embodiment, adjacent storage locations of the racks with matching sorting criteria can be determined. Thus, baggage items for a flight can be stored in sub-areas of the storage area, which also simplifies the search for all transport carriers with matching sorting criteria in the event of a failure of the higher-level control system.

[0029] According to another embodiment, the racks can also be moved manually without an automated guided vehicle, so that manual support is also possible in the event of failure / absence of an AGV.

[0030] According to one embodiment, loading and unloading can be carried out at different transfer areas and thus in a spatially flexible manner.

[0031] As far as transferability is concerned, the storage system possesses the same advantages as those described in detail with respect to the proposed method. The description of the advantageous embodiments of the present invention thus far includes numerous features, some of which are described in combination as multiple features in the various dependent claims. However, these features can also be considered individually and combined into other meaningful combinations. In particular, these features can each be combined individually and in any suitable combination with the method according to the present invention and the storage system according to the present invention. Therefore, method features can also be specifically described as properties of the corresponding device unit, and vice versa. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] The following is an example of an embodiment of the present invention described in detail based on the accompanying drawings.

[0033] Figure 1 The transfer area of ​​the early baggage storage is shown in a top view;

[0034] Figure 2A baggage conveying facility is shown in a top view, comprising two oversized sub-storage systems of an early baggage storage;

[0035] Figure 3 + Figure 4 Different embodiments of early luggage storage are shown;

[0036] Figure 5 + Figure 6 Transfer areas and conveyors showing different embodiments of early baggage storage;

[0037] FIG. 7 shows a transfer area for loading ( FIG. 7 a ) and unloading ( FIG. 7 b ) piece goods in a transport carrier. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The embodiments of the apparatus and method described below are exemplified by a storage system 2 for early baggage storage 2 at an airport. However, all embodiments are also applicable to other types of storage systems 2 in logistics. Therefore, in each of the following embodiments, the terms baggage piece 4a and baggage tray 4 can be replaced by the more general terms piece 4a and transport carrier 4 / tray 4. Figures 1 to 6 The baggage conveying facility is designed as a tray-supported baggage conveying facility, wherein baggage pieces 4a are transported throughout the baggage conveying facility on baggage trays 4, which serve as transport carriers 4. In the baggage conveying facility of FIG. 7 , baggage pieces 4a can also be transported without baggage trays 4, while the early baggage storage 2, serving as a storage system 2 for early baggage, is tray-supported. The trays 4 serve as unified containers that are moved by corresponding tools at the loading device 8. Due to the readily available, independent components (loading device 8, shelves 12, transport carriers 4), the storage system 2 can be expanded to an already operating storage system 2 in a simple and intervention-free manner, resulting in low initial investment costs.

[0039] Figure 1One embodiment of an early baggage storage 2 is shown. To increase throughput, the early baggage storage has two loading devices 8.1, 8.2 with corresponding robotic arms 8.1a, 8.1b, and two transfer areas 10.1, 10.2. Each transfer area 10 assigned to a loading device 8 is an area in which the loading device 8 can manipulate a baggage tray 4. The sorting criteria, typically flight number, of the baggage item 4a in the respective baggage tray 4 is determined, and the baggage tray 4 is assigned the sorting criteria for its baggage item 4a. According to one embodiment, the baggage tray 4 has an identifier designed as an RFID chip or another method, allowing the control system to easily determine the exact position of the baggage item 4a or baggage tray 4 throughout the entire process. The baggage tray 4 is transported to the transfer areas 10.1, 10.2 by means of a conveyor 6. If a baggage item 4a is required for temporary storage, the loading device 8 receives the baggage tray 4 containing the baggage item 4a. Empty baggage trays 4 transported on the conveyor 6 can also be received by the loading device 8, with the empty baggage tray 4 being assigned the empty sorting criteria. The early baggage storage is therefore suitable not only for storing early baggage 4a but also for storing empty baggage trays 4. This dual functionality is useful in both high-load and low-load situations of the baggage conveying facility 26: in high-load situations, there are a small number of empty baggage trays 4 and a high demand for early baggage storage; in low-load situations, there are many empty baggage trays 4, resulting in a high demand for baggage tray storage and a low demand for early baggage storage.

[0040] In the transfer area 10, a rack 12, with or without rollers, is provided. The rack has compartments 14 stacked one above the other and a travel mechanism for receiving luggage trays 4. The control system identifies a rack 12 with at least one empty compartment 14 as the priority rack 12* for the luggage tray 4 previously received and now held by the robot arm 8a of the loading device 8. The loading device 8 loads the empty compartment 14 of the priority rack 12* with the luggage tray 4. An automated guided vehicle (AGV) 16 is then positioned at the priority rack 12* and moved by the AGV 16 to a storage location determined by storage criteria. The AGV 16 then detaches from the priority rack 12*.

[0041] Figure 1An exemplary arrangement of four racks 12 in a transfer area 10 is shown, with additional racks 12 provided outside the transfer area 10, namely, in a storage area 18. According to one embodiment, the control system preferably identifies one of the racks 12 in the transfer area 10, or—if this rack 12 is already loaded with other baggage trays 4 whose sorting criteria do not match the sorting criteria of the baggage tray 4 to be loaded—one of the racks 12 near the transfer area 10 as the priority rack 12*. This minimizes the distance that the racks 12, 12* must travel by the AGV 16. Preferably, a rack 12 already loaded with at least one baggage tray 4 that matches the sorting criteria of the baggage tray 4 to be loaded is selected as the priority rack 12*. If this is not possible, an available rack 12 (i.e., a rack 12 that is still completely empty or—if there is a lack of availability—a rack with at least one empty shelf compartment 14) is designated as the priority rack 12*.

[0042] Figure 2 According to another embodiment, a baggage conveying facility 26 is shown, comprising two oversized sub-storage systems 2.1 and 2.2 of the early baggage storage 2. The transfer area 10 of the loading device 8, and thus of the transfer station 8, is arranged along the conveyor 6. A plurality of racks 12 are arranged in each transfer area. If the early baggage storage 2 is very lightly loaded, the number of racks 12 in the transfer area 10 is sufficient, so that no racks 12 need to be moved. The control-related division into sub-storage systems 2.1 and 2.2 reduces the travel path of the AGV 16. In the storage area 18, the racks 12 are arranged in two rows with aisles 28. This allows each rack 12 to be individually accessed for relocation. According to one embodiment, the aisles 28 are wide enough to allow the racks 12, with the attached AGV 16, to pass through. In order to enable the crossing of transported racks 12 in a larger storage area 18 , either the aisle 28 is widened or empty spaces in two rows (randomly present or additionally provided for this purpose) are used for avoidance in the manner of road avoidance parking spaces.

[0043] Figure 3The figure shows an early baggage storage 2 according to another embodiment. The AGV 16 is designed as a descending AGV 16. That is, the descending AGV 16 drives under a prioritized rack 12*, settles on it, and then moves the prioritized rack to a storage location in the storage area 18 determined by the storage criteria for the baggage tray 4. The advantage of the descending AGV 16 is the small space required when moving the rack 12, which is the same as the space required for a rack 12 without an AGV 16. Furthermore, the descending AGV 16 can easily avoid an oncoming AGV 16 or an oncoming rack 12 with the AGV 16 in the aisle 28 by driving under the rack 12 in the storage location.

[0044] When a stored piece of baggage 4a together with a baggage tray 4a (or all baggage trays 4a with the same sorting criteria, as is the case, for example, before takeoff) or a stored empty baggage tray 4 is to be reintroduced into the baggage conveying facility 26, the control system marks the rack 12 with the baggage tray 4 to be removed as a priority rack 12*, instructs the AGV 16 to travel to the storage position, and the AGV 16 travels under and settles on the priority rack 12*, and then moves the priority rack toward the transfer area 10. The loading device 8 then unloads the baggage tray 4a from the priority rack 12* onto the conveyor 6. Figure 3 Two conveyors 6 are shown, one of which is provided for introducing baggage trays 4 for loading racks 12, and the other conveyor 6 is provided for removing unloaded baggage trays 4. Alternatively, the loading device 8 can also receive baggage trays 4a from a conveyor 6 conveying alongside or discharge baggage trays 4a to a conveyor 6 conveying alongside - see in particular Figure 1 、 Figure 2 、 Figure 5 .

[0045] In the previous embodiments, the conveyor 6 , the transfer area 10 and the storage area 18 are arranged on one plane. Figure 4 and Figure 6 The embodiments are shown arranged on different levels. Thus, unused underground passages, for example, can be used as storage area 18, or the height of the hall can be utilized without increasing the floor space requirements of the luggage storage 2. Due to the high degree of modularity, the storage locations in the racks 12 or storage area 18 can be arranged in a variety of ways, for example around bends.

[0046] exist Figure 4In the example, filled or unloaded racks 12 are moved from level 20a of transfer area 10 to level 20b of storage area 18 by means of a lift 24 or other lifting device. Depending on the design of the lifting device 26, the racks 12 can overcome the height difference with or without the AGV 16. Alternatively to the lifting device 26, the height difference can also be overcome by means of a ramp or the like. However, for this purpose, the AGV 16 must be equipped with a sufficiently powerful motor to overcome the height difference, or other auxiliary mechanisms (such as pull ropes) must be provided.

[0047] For improved organization and overview, racks 12 with consistent sorting criteria are arranged adjacently, i.e., directly side by side or at least close to one another, in the storage area, if possible. Thus, due to the limited number of different sorting criteria, even in the event of a failure of the higher-level control system, baggage pieces 4a or baggage trays 4 with the same sorting criteria can be found without complication. The failure of a single AGV 16 can be compensated by other AGVs 16. In order to retrieve baggage pieces 4a from earlier baggage storage 2 even in the event of a complete failure of all AGVs 16 or insufficient AGVs 16, according to one embodiment, racks 12 can also be moved manually.

[0048] Figure 5 An embodiment of a transfer area 10 of an early baggage storage 2 is shown, which has two loading devices 8.1, 8.2 and transfer areas 10.1, 10.2 to increase throughput and improve failsafety. In order to minimize the obstruction of the transport of baggage pieces 4a not intended for the early baggage storage 2, the conveyor 6 has a branch 6a, which is provided only for baggage trays 4 intended for the early baggage storage 2.

[0049] Figure 6Another embodiment of a detail of an early baggage storage 2 is shown, in which a conveyor 6 for infeed or outfeed is arranged on a plane 20b. Above the conveyor 6 is another plane 20c, on which a loading device 8 is located. On this plane, racks 12 are transported by an AGV 16 toward an upper storage area 18 (not shown). The robotic arm 8a of the loading device 8 is designed to be sufficiently long so that it can reach down toward the conveyor 6, pick up a baggage tray 4, and load it into a prioritized rack 12* on the upper plane 20c. Below the conveyor 6 is a lower plane 20a. In this embodiment, the loading device 8 for loading and unloading racks 12 on the lower plane 20a is positioned elevated, allowing the loading device 8 to pick up a baggage tray 4 from the conveyor 6 and load it into a prioritized rack 12* on the lower plane 20a without a significantly extended robotic arm 8a. Alternatively, the lower loading device 8 can also be positioned on the lower plane 20a, but this would require a correspondingly long robotic arm 8a. In this embodiment, the transfer region 10 of the loading device 8 therefore extends in each case over two planes 20c, 20b; 20b, 20a.

[0050] According to one embodiment, the different planes 20a, 20b, 20c can be realized in a hall with a platform. According to another embodiment, the early luggage storage 2 can also extend over still more planes 20, wherein

[0051] - A loading device 8 with an even longer robot arm 8a can be used

[0052] - and / or the conveyor 6 can be realized on a different plane 20 (approximately Figure 6 Multiple early luggage storages 2 are stacked one on top of the other)

[0053] - and / or starting from the upper level 20c and / or the lower level 20a, the lifting device 24 or the ramp is moved closer to the other level 20 where the storage area 18 is located.

[0054] FIG7 shows another embodiment in which a piece of luggage 4a is transported on a baggage conveying system 26 without a luggage tray 4, but the early baggage storage 2 is based on the luggage tray 4. FIG7a shows the loading of a piece of luggage 4a transported by a conveyor 6 onto a loading device 8 already holding a luggage tray 4. Before loading the piece of luggage 4a onto the luggage tray 4, the sorting criteria for the piece of luggage are determined using a detection unit 30. Subsequently, as in the other described embodiments, the luggage tray 4 with the piece of luggage 4a is loaded onto a prioritized rack 12*. Before receiving another piece of luggage 4a from the conveyor 6, the loading device 8 receives a luggage tray 4 stored in one of the racks 12 or elsewhere.

[0055] Figure 7b shows the unloading of a piece of luggage 4a from a loading device 8, which also holds a luggage tray 4. In the embodiment shown in Figures 7a and 7b, loading occurs from one conveyor 6 (Figure 7a) and unloading occurs onto another conveyor 6 (Figure 7b), with loading and unloading of the piece of luggage 4a onto and from the conveyor 6 occurring at the ends of the conveyor 6, respectively. For loading, the luggage tray 4 is placed directly onto the conveyor, possibly slightly below it. To ensure safe and damage-free unloading, the receiving conveyor 6 in Figure 7b is equipped with a ramp 22, and the loading device 8 holds the luggage tray 4 at an angle to facilitate the unloading of the piece of luggage 4a. In this loading and unloading configuration, the input and output conveyors 6 can also be arranged directly one above the other (with sufficient space between them for the piece of luggage 4a to be transported), allowing the same loading device 8 to be used for both loading and unloading.

[0056] Reference Signs List

[0057] 2 Storage System

[0058] 4a piece goods

[0059] 4 Carrying parts

[0060] 6 Conveyor

[0061] 8 Loading equipment

[0062] 8a Robotic Arm

[0063] 10 Transfer Area

[0064] 12 shelves

[0065] 12* Priority Shelves

[0066] 14 shelves

[0067] 16 Unmanned transport vehicles

[0068] 18 Storage Areas

[0069] 20 plane

[0070] 22 slides

[0071] 24 Lifting Equipment

[0072] 26 Baggage conveying facilities

[0073] 28 channels

[0074] 30 detection units

Claims

1. A method for storing uniform transport carriers (4), in particular luggage trays, empty or loaded with piece goods (4a), in particular pieces of luggage, wherein the piece goods (4a) have assigned sorting criteria, the transport carriers (4) being uniquely identifiable and associated with the sorting criteria, the method comprising the following method steps: a) conveying piece goods (4a) or transport carriers (4) on a conveyor (6) and receiving the piece goods (4a) or transport carriers (4) by a loading device (8) in a transfer area (10), wherein, in the case of piece goods (4a), the piece goods (4a) are transferred from the conveyor (6) to the transport carriers (4), while the transport carriers (4) are held by the loading device (8); b) in the case of a loaded transport carrier (4), determining a sorting criterion for the piece of cargo (4a) in the transport carrier (4) and assigning the sorting criterion to the transport carrier (4), and in the case of an empty transport carrier (4), assigning an empty sorting criterion to the transport carrier (4); c) providing a shelf (12) with or without rollers, each of which comprises a shelf grid (14) stacked one above the other for receiving the transport carriers (4); d) marking the shelf (12) with the vacant shelf grid (14) as a priority shelf (12*) by the control system; e) moving the transport carrier (4) to the priority rack (12*) in the transfer area (10) by means of the loading device (8), and loading an empty shelf compartment (14) of the priority rack (12*) with the transport carrier (4) by means of the loading device (8); f) placing an unmanned transport vehicle (16) at the priority shelf (12*); g) moving the prioritized rack (12*) by means of the automated guided vehicle (16) toward a storage location in a storage area (18) determined by specific storage criteria; h) Disengaging the driverless guided vehicle (16) from the prioritized rack (12*).

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the following steps: The control system determines whether a shelf among the shelves (12) that is consistent with the sorting criteria of the transport carrier (4) is already loaded with a transport carrier (4) near the transfer area (10), and whether there is an empty shelf grid (14) with the capacity to receive the transport carrier (4) and is thus an available shelf (12), and marks such a shelf (12) as a priority shelf (12*); otherwise, an available shelf (12) that has not yet been assigned the sorting criteria of the piece of goods (4a) is marked as a priority shelf (12*).

3. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, It is characterized by: The unmanned transport vehicle (16) travels under the shelf (12) before placement.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, It is characterized by: The transport carriers (4) are unloaded from the rack (12) from which the transport carriers (4) are to be unloaded by the loading device (8) in the transfer area (10).

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, It is characterized by: The storage area (18) is arranged on more than one plane (20), wherein the planes (20) of the storage area (18) are at the height of the loading device (8) and / or above the loading device (8) and / or below the loading device (8).

6. The method according to claim 5, It is characterized by: The prioritized rack (12*) overcomes the height difference between the levels (20) with or without the automated guided vehicle (16) by means of a lifting device and / or via a ramp.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, It is characterized by: The racks (12) are loaded on different levels (20) by means of a stationary loading device (8).

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, It is characterized by: Empty transport carriers (4) are received by the loading device (8).

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, It is characterized by: Adjacent storage locations of the rack (12) having consistent sorting criteria are determined.

10. A storage system (2) for storing empty or loaded uniform transport carriers (4), in particular luggage trays, said storage system (2) comprising a conveyor (6), a loading device (8), an unmanned transport vehicle (16), racks (12) and a control system, wherein The piece of goods (4a) has an assigned sorting criterion, and the transport carrier (4) can be clearly identified and associated with the sorting criterion; The shelf (12) with or without rollers has shelf compartments (14) for receiving the transport carriers (4) stacked one above the other; - the loading device (8) is arranged in the transfer area (10); - the conveyor (6) is designed to transport carrying parts (4) or piece goods (4a); - the control system is designed to, in the case of a loaded transport carrier (4), determine a sorting criterion for the piece of goods (4a) in the transport carrier (4) and assign the sorting criterion to the transport carrier (4), and in the case of an empty transport carrier (4), assign an empty sorting criterion to the transport carrier (4); The control system is designed to select a shelf (12) having an empty shelf compartment (14) as a preferred shelf (12*); - the loading device (8) and the conveyor (6) are designed for selectively receiving and / or discharging pieces of cargo (4a), while the carriers (4) are held by the loading device (8), or for selectively receiving carriers (4) from the conveyor (6) and / or selectively discharging carriers (4) to the conveyor (6), and for loading and / or unloading the prioritized rack (12*) with the carriers (4); The automated guided vehicle (16) can be reversibly positioned on the priority rack (12*) in order to move the priority rack (12*) toward a storage position in a storage area (18) determined by specific storage criteria and vice versa; - The control system can be connected to the loading device (8) and the unmanned transport vehicle (16) for control.

11. The storage system (2) according to claim 10, It is characterized by: The control system is designed to determine whether a shelf among the shelves (12) that is consistent with the sorting criteria of the transport carrier (4) is already loaded with a transport carrier (4) near the transfer area (10), and whether there is an empty shelf grid (14) with the capacity to receive the transport carrier (4) and is therefore an available shelf (12), and mark such a shelf (12) as a priority shelf (12*); otherwise, an available shelf (12) that has not yet been assigned the sorting criteria of the piece of goods (4a) is marked as a priority shelf (12*).

12. The storage system (2) according to any one of claims 10 to 11, It is characterized by: The storage area (18) is arranged on more than one plane (20), wherein the planes (20) of the storage area (18) are at the height of the loading device (8) and / or above the loading device (8) and / or below the loading device (8).

13. The storage system (2) according to claim 12, It is characterized by: The loading device (8) is designed for loading and / or unloading racks (12) on more than one plane (20).

14. The storage system (2) according to claim 12 or 13, further comprising: A ramp and / or a lifting device, with which the prioritized rack (12*) can overcome the height difference between the levels (20) with or without an automated guided vehicle (16).

15. Storage system (2) according to any one of claims 10 to 14, It is characterized by: A plurality of racks (12) can be arranged in the transfer area (10) such that the loading device (8) can load the plurality of racks (12) without repositioning.

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