Transport system

Abstract

Transport system (1), comprising a driverless transport device (3) which is coupled to a shelving device (4) having a plurality of shelving units (5) for receiving objects (2) and is designed to move the shelving device (4) in an environment, wherein the transport device (3) is coupled to a robot arm (9) which is designed to move at least one object (2) between a shelving unit (5) of the shelving device (4) and at least one origin and / or at least one destination, in particular external to the transport system (1).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a transport system comprising a driverless transport device which is coupled to a shelving device having a plurality of shelving units for receiving objects and is designed to move the shelving device in an environment.

[0002] Transport systems in which objects, particularly components, are to be temporarily stored for production and prepared for installation in a product or intermediate product are generally known from the state of the art. For example, in automobile production, small load carriers are prepared or delivered for the required components on the assembly line. Autonomous tugger trains or driverless transport systems are known to be used for this purpose. Typically, the material must be transferred from the provided shelf, for example by the tugger train or transport system, to the assembly line's supply shelf. This transfer is carried out by an employee. This is because the supply of the material can be complex. For example, it must be possible to transfer the material to every possible location on the supply shelf, which may also require rotating the objects or crates.

[0003] In principle, it is possible to use a robot to carry out the described transfer between the transport rack and the supply rack, but in most cases the required complexity, the tight cycle times and the spatial conditions as well as the associated costs make such an implementation of the transport system impossible.

[0004] The invention is based on the object of providing a transport system which is improved compared to the above.

[0005] The object is achieved by a transport system according to claim 1. The dependent claims relate to possible embodiments.

[0006] As described, the invention relates to a transport system comprising a driverless transport device coupled to a shelving device having a plurality of shelving units for receiving objects. The transport device is designed to move the shelving device in an environment, for example, through a factory hall. In the present description, the "shelving device" therefore refers to the device in which the objects are received while being transported, for example, from which the objects are removed and placed in a supply rack, which is arranged, for example, on an assembly line.

[0007] The invention is based on the finding that the transport device is coupled to a robot arm, which is designed to move at least one object between a shelf unit of the shelf device and at least one origin and / or at least one destination, in particular external to the transport system. The robot arm can, for example, be connected to the transport device and / or the shelf device. In other words, it is proposed that the transport device itself comprises the robot arm or is permanently coupled to the robot arm, i.e., that the robot arm is moved together with the transport device.

[0008] The objects are stored in the shelving unit of the transport system for transport and can be moved using the robot arm of the transport system, which is arranged on the transport system. In particular, the robot arm can therefore carry out the transfer between the shelving unit of the transport system and the external shelving unit, for example, transport the at least one object to its destination, in particular, remove the object from the shelving unit of the transport system and store it in a storage shelf. Likewise, the robot arm can pick up an object from outside the shelving unit and place it on a shelf unit of the shelving unit or deposit the object there.

[0009] In other words, the object or a plurality of objects within the shelving device can be moved to the storage shelf by the transport device, i.e. moved close to the storage shelf. In this "relocation position" of the transport device, the robot arm can remove the object from the shelf unit of the shelving device in which the object is stored for transport and move the object to its destination, in particular a shelf unit within the storage shelf, in particular place it into the shelf unit in the storage shelf. The robot arm can in particular have a gripping device with which the robot arm can grip the object. The object can represent the component itself or a container or a box in which one or more components are stored.

[0010] The robot arm can be arranged or mounted on the transport system, in particular on the shelving device or the transport device, in a movable manner, in particular height-adjustable, especially by means of a linear axis or a lifting cylinder. The robot arm can therefore be moved relative to the shelving device or the transport device, for example, relative to a center point or center of gravity of the transport system. For example, the robot arm can be positioned vertically. This makes it possible for the robot arm to reach all positions on the supply side, for example, all shelf units of a supply rack, more effectively.

[0011] In the transport system, it can be provided that the shelving device is designed as a paternoster shelving unit which has at least one paternoster unit, wherein the shelving units are arranged in the paternoster unit so as to be movable about a circulation plane. The paternoster shelving unit can also be referred to as a “carousel shelving unit”. Accordingly, the paternoster units can also be referred to as “carousel units”. A certain number of shelving units which are arranged so as to be movable about the circulation plane, i.e. can rotate, can be assigned to the paternoster shelving unit. For example, a shelving unit can be moved in a targeted manner into an interaction position or removal position in which the robot arm can engage in the shelving unit, for example, remove an object or place an object into the shelving unit.

[0012] By using the paternoster shelving system, the space in the shelving system can be used particularly efficiently. In particular, the shelf height, i.e., the height of the shelving units, can be adjusted to the objects, and no additional distance is required between the objects, such as the top edge of a box, and the ceiling of the shelving unit. This is because the robot arm does not have to reach into the shelving units "from the front." Instead, these can be placed in the interaction position, in particular, they can be moved upwards around the circulation plane, from where access to the upwardly open shelving units or boxes is possible.

[0013] According to a further embodiment of the transport system, the paternoster rack can have at least two rows of paternoster units, which are arranged one behind the other, in particular along a longitudinal axis of the transport device. The different paternoster units can be operated independently of one another or together. This means that the shelf units of a first paternoster unit can rotate independently of the shelf units of a second or any other paternoster unit. Alternatively, the paternoster units of the same row can be coupled so that their shelf units rotate together around the circulation plane. By providing multiple rows of paternoster units, the number of shelf units intended for receiving objects increases accordingly. Furthermore, the number of shelf units that are simultaneously in the access plane increases.

[0014] The described transport system can be further developed such that the paternoster rack has at least two columns of paternoster units, which are arranged next to one another, in particular transversely to a longitudinal axis of the transport device. In principle, the paternoster units can thus be arranged in any desired rows and columns, so that the area of ​​the transport system can be used accordingly for the provision of the rack units in the paternoster units. As also described, the individual paternoster units can in principle be moved independently of one another; in particular, paternoster units arranged in different columns can be moved independently of one another.

[0015] Furthermore, the transport system can be designed so that the paternoster rack is configured to provide at least two rack units of at least one paternoster unit in an access level, wherein the robot arm is configured for simultaneous access to the rack units provided in the access level. The rack units can be moved around the circulation level such that they can be placed or positioned in the access level. Once the rack units are in the access level, the robot arm can engage them from above.

[0016] If the paternoster rack has multiple paternoster units that can be moved independently of each other, different combinations of shelving units or objects can be provided for the robot arm, which the robot arm is to place, for example, into a supply rack. If different paternoster units can be moved independently of each other, while the robot accesses a shelving unit of a first paternoster unit, the second paternoster unit can be moved to place the next required shelving unit at the access level.

[0017] As soon as the robot arm accesses this second shelving unit, the first paternoster unit or any other paternoster unit can be moved to place the shelving unit containing the next required object into the access level, especially before the robot arm has placed the current object in its destination. If the robot arm is to store objects in the paternoster unit, empty shelving units can also be placed into the access level.

[0018] Consequently, no time is lost in circulating or moving the paternoster units, as there is no waiting time for the robot arm. Instead, the robot arm can be used continuously. While the robot arm accesses an object in one paternoster unit, the next paternoster unit can already place the first required shelving unit into the access level. Therefore, in the context of this design, the term "simultaneous access" means that the robot arm can selectively access the shelving units provided in the access level without the paternoster unit having to be changed or moved, or without a paternoster unit having to perform a circulating movement.

[0019] The transport system can further include at least one storage surface, particularly arranged on the shelving device or the transport device, wherein the robot arm is configured to place an object on the storage surface in a first orientation and to pick it up in a second orientation. The storage surface or storage plate can be used, in particular, to change the orientation of an object that has been removed from the shelving device of the transport system, namely to the orientation in which the object is to be placed in the supply shelf.

[0020] In other words, the robot arm can remove the object from the shelving device, the object having a first orientation when grasped. The robot arm places the object in this orientation on the storage area and grasps the object from a different direction, i.e. with the second orientation, so that the desired orientation of the object can be obtained. If necessary, several placing and retrieving movements in different orientations can be carried out in order to achieve the target orientation. Furthermore, the storage area can also be used to temporarily place at least one object, for example if at least two objects in the shelving device have to be re-sorted, for example an object is to be sorted from one shelving unit into a currently occupied shelving unit. The object currently occupying the shelving unit can, for example, be placed on the storage area for the re-sorting.Alternatively, an empty shelving unit on the access level can be used as storage space.

[0021] As already described, the transport device can move the shelving device in space. As also previously described, the robot arm is used to move an object picked up by the robot arm, for example to place the object on the supply shelf. In a further embodiment of the transport system, it can be provided that an object picked up by the robot arm can be positioned by a combined movement of the robot arm and the transport device. For example, the range of movement of the transport system can be increased by supporting or supplementing the movement of the robot arm with the movement of the transport device. In other words, a combined movement can be carried out to position the object, which is carried out partly by the robot arm and partly by the transport device.

[0022] According to a further embodiment of the transport system, the shelving device can have at least one detection device, in particular a camera. The detection device can be arranged specifically on the shelving device or generally on the transport system in such a way that it can detect the access level. This can further improve the movement of the robot arm, since, if necessary, in addition to a detection device in the robot arm, a detection device can also be provided on the shelving device. This enables detection independent of the orientation of the robot arm.In addition to the position of the object in the shelving unit, for example a box, a component within the box can also be detected by means of the detection device of the shelving unit, so that the robot arm can be moved directly to this position without first assuming a detection position in which the object in the shelving unit is detected by a robot-side detection device and, after detecting the object, the robot arm is moved to grip the object.

[0023] In addition to the transport system, the invention relates to a system having at least two of the previously described transport systems. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for operating a transport system, in particular a previously described transport system comprising a driverless transport device coupled to a shelving device having a plurality of shelving units for receiving objects and configured to move the shelving device in an environment, wherein the transport device is coupled to a robot arm, wherein at least one object is moved between a shelving unit of the shelving device and at least one origin and / or at least one destination, in particular external to the transport system.

[0024] All advantages, details, designs and / or features described with regard to the transport system are fully transferable to the plant and the process.

[0025] The invention is explained using exemplary embodiments with reference to the figures. The figures are schematic representations and show: Fig. 1 a schematic diagram of a transport system according to an embodiment in a side view; and Fig. 2 a schematic diagram of a cross-section of the transport system of Fig. 1.

[0026] Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a transport system 1 designed to transport objects 2. The representation of Fig. 1 can be understood, for example, as a longitudinal section. In principle, any objects can be understood as "objects 2," for example, components or containers or boxes in which components can be stored. The objects 2 can be transported as a box or container or as an individual component by the transport system 1 to a destination, for example, a supply rack, and stored there, in particular on an assembly line for automobile production.

[0027] The transport system 1 comprises a driverless transport device 3, which can be configured, for example, as a transport robot or as an AGV ("autonomous ground vehicle"). The transport device 3 is designed, in particular, to transport or move a shelving device 4, which is connected to the transport device 3, within the environment. The movement of the transport device 3 is, in particular, autonomous or driverless.

[0028] The shelving device 4 has a plurality of shelving units 5, wherein the shelving device 4 can be designed as a paternoster shelving unit. Each shelving unit 5 can accommodate an object 2. In the design of the shelving device 4 as a paternoster shelving unit, these can be arranged as in Fig. 2, rotate around a circulation plane 6. The circulation plane 6 can be defined by the longitudinal direction and the vertical direction or parallels thereto. In other words, the movement of the shelving units 5 around the circulation plane 6 can be controlled by the shelving device 4 such that a specific shelving unit 5 can be placed or positioned in an access plane 7. Fig. 2 shows that two columns of paternoster units 8 can be provided as a paternoster rack on the transport device 3.

[0029] As in Fig. 1, the shelving device 4 has, purely as an example, three rows of paternoster units 8. The transport system 1 has, as shown in Fig. 2, two columns of paternoster units 8 are arranged adjacent to one another. In other words, the shelving device 4 has three rows and four columns of shelving units 5, or each of the four columns has three rows. A total of six paternoster units 8 are thus provided. Each of the columns can, for example, have five levels, as shown, so that objects 2 can be accommodated in 60 shelving units 5 in the shelving device 4. The number of paternoster units 8, the shelving units 5, the number of levels, the number of columns, and the number of rows can be changed as desired. In particular, a shelving device 4 can also be designed with only one column of paternoster units 8 or with only a single paternoster unit 8.

[0030] The individual paternoster units 8 can be moved together, for example in groups, specifically by columns or rows, or separately, i.e., independently of one another. The individual shelving units 5 can thus be coupled together to rotate around the circulation plane 6, or the shelving units 5 of different paternoster units 8 can be moved independently of one another around the circulation plane 6.

[0031] In addition to the shelving device 4, the transport system 1 has a robot arm 9 which is designed to remove an object 2 from one of the shelving units 5 of the shelving device 4 and to move it to a destination, for example into a shelving unit of a supply rack (not shown).

[0032] In particular, the robot arm 9 can be used as in Fig. 1, Fig. 2, engage those shelf units 5 that are provided in the access level 7. Advantageously, with an independent movement of the paternoster units 8, the shelf unit 5 that is required next can be brought to the access level 7, for example the shelf unit 5 in which the next required object 2 is accommodated. This requires that the next required shelf unit 5 is assigned to a different paternoster unit 8 than the paternoster unit 8 that has the shelf unit 5 from which the robot arm 9 is currently removing or storing an object 2. This can accelerate the relocation of the objects 2 because the waiting time for the shelf units 5 to rotate in the individual paternoster units 8 is independent of the movement of the robot arm 9 and, in particular, a control of the robot arm 9 does not have to wait until the required shelf unit 5 has been moved to the access level 7.

[0033] The transport system 1 further comprises a storage area 10 which can be arranged as desired on the transport system 1, for example on the transport device 3 or on the shelving device 4. The robot arm 9 is designed to remove an object 2 from a shelving unit 5, in particular access level 7, and to place it in a first orientation on the storage area 10. The object 2 placed on the storage area 10 in the first orientation can then be picked up by the storage area 10 in a second orientation, ie the robot arm 9 can "grasp around" it, so that the orientation of the object 2 changes relative to the robot arm 9. If the object 2 is provided in the shelving unit 5, for example, in an orientation which does not correspond to the orientation orcorresponds to the reversed orientation in which the object 2 is to be stored in a storage shelf, the orientation can be changed by using the storage area 10 so that the robot arm 9 can provide the object 2 in the desired orientation.

[0034] As described, the object 2 can be moved by the robot arm 9. Furthermore, the transport system 1 can also perform a combined movement of the object 2, in which, in addition to the movement generated by the robot arm 9, a movement of the transport devices 3 can also be performed. This creates a combined movement, so that the possibilities for moving or positioning the object 2 can be expanded compared to pure positioning by the robot arm 9.

[0035] As in Fig. 1, Fig. As further shown in Figure 2, the transport system 1, in particular the shelf device 4, has a detection device 11, for example a camera. In principle, the detection device 11 can be arranged in any desired manner, ie, Fig. 1, Fig. 2. The detection device 11 can, in particular, optically detect the shelf units 5 arranged in the access level 7, for example the objects 2. If the objects 2 are "top-open boxes or containers," the detection device 11 can detect components accommodated within the boxes or containers. If components are accommodated as objects 2 in the shelf units 5, detection by the detection arrangement 11 can also occur directly. In particular, the positions of the objects 2, for example in an XYZ coordinate system, can be detected by means of the detection arrangement 11.

[0036] This enables a further acceleration of the movement of the robot arm 9, since the position of the object 2, in particular of a component held in a container or box in the shelving unit 5, can be directly transmitted or provided to the robot arm 9. The robot arm 9 can thus directly move to the position and grasp the component or object 2. In an alternative embodiment, the time required for the robot arm 9 to first assume a detection position in which the object 2 can be detected in the shelving unit 5 and then to determine the position in order to grasp the object 2 can be reduced.

[0037] The method described herein for operating the transport system 1 can be carried out using the transport system 1. The transport system 1 can be part of a system that, in addition to the transport system 1, has at least one further transport system 1. All advantages, details, and features described with reference to the transport system 1 are therefore also fully applicable to such a system and the described method. LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS 1 transport system 2 objects 3 Transport device 4 Shelving 5 shelving units 6 Orbital level 7 Access Level 8 Paternoster unit 9 Robot arm 10 storage space 11 Recording device

Claims

[1] Transport system (1) comprising a driverless transport device (3) which is coupled to a shelving device (4) having a plurality of shelving units (5) for receiving objects (2) and is designed to move the shelving device (4) in an environment, characterized by in that the transport device (3) is coupled to a robot arm (9) which is designed to move at least one object (2) between a shelf unit (5) of the shelf device (4) and at least one origin and / or at least one destination, in particular external to the transport system (1). [2] Transport system (1) according to claim 1, characterized by that the shelf device (4) is designed as a paternoster shelf which has at least one paternoster unit (8), wherein the shelf units (5) are arranged in the paternoster unit (8) so as to be movable about a circumferential plane (6). [3] Transport system (1) according to claim 2, characterized bythat the paternoster shelf has at least two rows of paternoster units (8) which are arranged one behind the other, in particular along a longitudinal axis of the transport device (3). [4] Transport system (1) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized by that the paternoster rack has at least two columns of paternoster units (8) which are arranged next to one another, in particular transversely to a longitudinal axis of the transport device (3). [5] Transport system (1) according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized by in that the paternoster rack is designed to provide at least two rack units (5) of at least one paternoster unit (8) in an access level (7), wherein the robot arm (9) is designed for simultaneous access to the rack units (5) provided in the access level (7). [6] Transport system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized byat least one storage surface (10), arranged in particular on the shelf device (4) or the transport device (3), wherein the robot arm (9) is designed to place an object (2) on the storage surface (10) in a first orientation and to pick it up in a second orientation. [7] Transport system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that an object (2) picked up by the robot arm (9) can be positioned by a combined movement of the robot arm (9) and the transport device (3). [8] Transport system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the shelf device (4) has at least one detection device (11), in particular a camera. [9] Plant comprising at least two transport systems (1) according to one of the preceding claims. [10] Method for operating a transport system (1), in particular a transport system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8, comprising a driverless transport device (3) which is coupled to a shelving device (4) having a plurality of shelving units (5) for receiving objects (2) and is designed to move the shelving device (4) in an environment, characterized by in that the transport device (3) is coupled to a robot arm (9), wherein at least one object (2) is moved between a shelf unit (5) of the shelf device (4) and at least one origin and / or at least one destination, in particular external to the transport system (1).

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