METHOD FOR PICKING INDIVIDUAL ITEMS IN AN OVERHEAD CONVEYOR SYSTEM AND SUCH OVERHEAD CONVEYOR SYSTEM

Description

[0001] This patent application claims priority from German patent application DE 10 2018 221 043.8.

[0002] The invention relates to a method for picking individual items in an overhead conveyor system and to such an overhead conveyor system. A method for picking items is known from DE 10 2011 104 511 B3, which discloses the preamble of claims 1 and 11.

[0003] This method requires a complex determination of an analytical quantity in order to transport items from a long-term warehouse to a short-term warehouse in a single-item manner. Other picking methods are known from DE 10 2011 103 194 A1, EP 0 457 158 A1, WO 2018 / 218 266 A1, and US 2018 / 0 025 410 A1.

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to improve the picking of individual articles so that, in particular, an overhead conveyor system is more evenly utilized.

[0005] This object is achieved according to the invention by a method having the features specified in claim 1 and by a suspended conveyor system having the features specified in claim 11.

[0006] According to the invention, it was recognized that even utilization of an overhead conveyor system is possible by individually conveying individual items from an item warehouse to an order buffer for picking. The conveying of the individual items to the order buffer is carried out in particular automatically, in particular fully automatically. In particular, the individual items are not conveyed from the item warehouse to the order buffer in a single item manner. The individual items are stored in particular individually in transport pockets in the item warehouse. In particular, exactly one item is arranged in each transport pocket. The transport pocket is conveyed hanging in the overhead conveyor system along a conveyor rail. An adapter, in particular a so-called rolling adapter, which is guided in the conveyor rail, is used to convey the transport pocket. The individual item can be clearly identified by identifying the transport pocket.The article warehouse is specifically a bag warehouse, also known as a bag store.

[0007] Individual items are selectively removed from the item warehouse and transported to the order buffer. A precise transfer of individual items is possible. In particular, individual items are transported from the item warehouse to the order buffer in a non-single-item manner. "Non-single-item" means that non-identical, i.e., different individual items are removed and transported. In particular, individual items of different types are removed from the item warehouse. Different item types also exist, for example, when items of clothing differ only in color and / or size.

[0008] The invention is also based on the finding that it is not necessary to define a total number of identical items across multiple orders in order to enable single-item conveyance from the article warehouse. This upstream analysis step is dispensable with the method according to the invention. The method according to the invention is simplified. The method according to the invention can be implemented more quickly. The method is flexible. The space required for the order buffer is reduced. The investment and maintenance costs for the overhead conveyor system are reduced.

[0009] The order buffer, in particular, has a storage lane in which the individual items of an order are temporarily stored. The order buffer is also referred to as a run buffer. The storage lane of the order buffer is also referred to as a run buffer lane. The order buffer, in particular, has several, for example, at least five, in particular at least ten, in particular at least twenty or more, storage lanes.

[0010] The individual items of a complete order or several complete orders are retrieved from the order buffer, in particular the storage lane assigned to the order, and conveyed to a sorting unit for sorting. The sorting unit is connected to the order buffer by conveyor technology. The order buffer is connected to the item warehouse by conveyor technology. The sorting unit is designed in particular as a matrix sorter. In particular, the individual items are conveyed to the sorting unit as soon as the individual items of the order or orders have been completely arranged in the order buffer. For this purpose, at least one identification unit that identifies the incoming individual items is arranged in particular at the entrance to the order buffer, in particular at the entrance to the respective storage lanes.In particular, identification is carried out by reading RFID chips that are uniquely assigned to the transport bags. In particular, the RFID chips are integrated into an adapter used to transport the transport bag in the rail system of the overhead conveyor system. The at least one identification unit is in particular in signal communication with a control unit.

[0011] The control unit is suitable for storing and executing material flow software. The control unit with the material flow software forms a warehouse control system (WCS). The control unit is used to create an order list which has at least one order. The order list can also comprise several orders, in particular at least two orders, in particular at least four orders, in particular at least five orders, in particular at least ten orders, in particular at least 20 orders, in particular at least 50 orders and in particular up to 200 orders or more. The order list is also referred to as a run. The order list comprises several individual items. The sorted individual items picked to form an order are conveyed from the sorting unit to a packing station. The packing station is connected to the sorting unit in particular by conveyor technology. In particular, the overhead conveyor system has several packing stations.At the packing station, the individual items of the order are packed and prepared for delivery, especially to a customer. In particular, the individual items are removed from the transport bags and packed into a shipping container such as a bag, carton, or box. The emptied transport bags are returned, in particular, via a return track of the overhead conveyor system and, in particular, provided at a loading unit to place new items into the empty transport bags and supply them to the item warehouse.

[0012] The method according to the invention enables the temporally overlapping processing of multiple order lists. In particular, picking of a subsequent order list can begin while the previous order list is still being processed, in particular sorted and / or packed. This further improves constant system utilization. In particular, it was recognized that it is not necessary to fully complete an order list before the next order list can be picked. A key feature here is the order buffer, in which the individual items picked for an order are temporarily stored in a storage lane. The order buffer makes it possible to bridge the time required for picking.

[0013] With the method according to the invention, the utilization of the overhead conveyor system is further improved. The utilization is more even. Surprisingly, it was found that a new order list is only created after a time interval, which can be variably defined, has elapsed. The new order list comprises all individual items from a complete order or from several complete orders. The time interval begins when the previous order list is created. The size of the time interval depends on the sorting performance of the sorting unit. In addition, the size of the time interval can also depend on the number of individual items per order list. The time interval specifies a, in particular fixed, cycle with which new order lists for picking are repeatedly created. The method is calculable. Picking takes place constantly and regularly. The time interval defines a, in particular fixed, time slice.The duration of the time slice corresponds to the theoretical cycle time of the sorting runs. With a sorting unit capacity of 7,500 transport bags per hour and a maximum size of 216 transport bags per order list, this results in a time slice of 1.728 minutes. In this specific example, the control unit creates a new order list at a cycle time of 1.728 minutes. Depending on the parameters of the overhead conveyor system, in particular the sorting unit capacity and the maximum permissible number of transport bags per order list, the time slice can also be set to be greater or less than 1.728 minutes.

[0014] In particular, the control unit allocates a specific storage lane of the order buffer into which the individual items of the order are to be stored. In particular, the control unit always creates only a single order list for the next activation.

[0015] By scheduling order picking, especially the activation of new order lists, the number of required buffer lanes in the order buffer can be reduced. The space required for the overhead conveyor system is reduced. The investment and maintenance costs for the overhead conveyor system are also reduced.

[0016] A method according to one of claims 2 or 3 guarantees a smooth process during the picking of individual items. The required storage capacity is particularly present when the order buffer, and in particular the storage lane provided for it, is unoccupied, i.e., no individual items from a previous order are located therein. The required storage capacity is present when the order buffer, in particular the storage lane provided for it, is free. In particular, this prevents a build-up of individual items along the overhead conveyor system due to overload.

[0017] If the buffer does not have the required storage capacity for the next order list after the time interval has expired, in particular because all storage lanes are still occupied with previous orders, the activation of the next order list is temporarily suspended. The suspension can, for example, have a fixed period of time that can be variably determined. In particular, identification units are arranged in the area of ​​the exit of the order buffer, in particular at the respective exit of the storage lanes of the order buffer, which are suitable for detecting when a storage lane and / or the order buffer is emptied of individual items of an order. The activation of the next order list can take place depending on this. With this activation, the next time interval, i.e. the timing for the further picking process, is initiated.

[0018] Buffering according to claim 4 simplifies the subsequent sorting step. Because the individual items are conveyed individually and are individually identifiable, buffering in a storage lane based on the order list is simplified. In particular, all individual items of the complete orders in the order list are conveyed to the storage lane and buffered.

[0019] A method according to claim 5 ensures a smooth process, particularly when packing individual items at the packing station. A packing station can be configured such that from this packing station, the packed individual items are conveyed further to a specific area of ​​the outgoing goods area for dispatch to a specific customer. In particular, the packing station can be assigned to one or more specific customers and / or one or more specific delivery companies, in particular freight forwarders. An order from another customer cannot be packed at this packing station because this order does not have the permissible packing station configuration. A packing station configuration can also result from the fact that only certain individual items can be packed at a packing station, for example, depending on their size or weight.

[0020] A method according to claim 6 allows for higher-priority orders to be considered. This makes it possible, in particular, to process orders that, by definition, have a higher priority than other orders with priority. Orders prioritized in this way are therefore included in the next order list, especially before other orders that have already been recorded and stored in the control unit.

[0021] A method according to claim 7 enables a more uniform removal of individual items from the item warehouse. In particular, the fill level of the item warehouse is taken into account when compiling the order list. This can be achieved, for example, by striving for a balanced, in particular essentially evenly distributed, removal of individual items from the item warehouse when compiling the orders in the order list. This is possible, for example, by removing the individual items essentially evenly from different locations in the item warehouse, in particular the same number of individual items per sub-unit of the item warehouse. A sub-unit of the item warehouse can be a gyratory conveyor.

[0022] A method according to claim 8 ensures a trouble-free picking process. Orders are declared valid when all individual items of the complete order are present in the order buffer, in particular in the dynamic storage, meaning that the order can be served with the individual items from the dynamic storage.

[0023] A method according to claim 9 enables a uniform flow of material into and out of the article warehouse. The simultaneous feeding and removal of individual articles means that the periods for feeding the individual articles and for removing them overlap, at least in some areas. However, simultaneity of the periods does not mean that these periods must overlap exactly.

[0024] An overhead conveyor system according to claim 11 is suitable for carrying out the order-picking process. The overhead conveyor system has conveyor rails along which conveyor elements, in particular roller adapters, can be conveyed individually. In particular, the roller adapters are conveyed along the overhead conveyor system in a driven manner. The roller adapters enable the individual transport of transport bags, with each transport bag containing exactly one individual item. Reference is hereby made to the advantages of the order-picking process that result for the overhead conveyor system.

[0025] An article warehouse according to claim 12 simplifies the individual removal of individual articles from the article warehouse and the individual conveyance of the individual articles.

[0026] An article warehouse according to claim 13 ensures the uncomplicated provision of individual articles regardless of the article type. In particular, it is not necessary for the individual articles to be stored separately in the article warehouse and transferred accordingly to the order buffer.

[0027] An order buffer according to claim 14 enables efficient buffering of multiple individual items that have been picked for an order. Buffering in a buffer lane is straightforward and cost-effective. The order buffer, in particular, has multiple buffer lanes.

[0028] An overhead conveyor system according to claim 15 enables monitoring the occupancy of the order buffer, in particular individual storage lanes of the order buffer. Capacities in the order buffer are recorded directly. The identification devices are in particular connected to the storage unit by signal, for example, by cable or wireless means, such as a radio signal connection.

[0029] Both the features specified in the patent claims and the features specified in the following exemplary embodiments of the method and overhead conveyor system according to the invention are suitable, either individually or in combination with one another, for further developing the subject matter of the invention. The respective combinations of features do not represent any limitation with regard to further developments of the subject matter of the invention, but are essentially merely exemplary in nature.

[0030] Further features, advantages, and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description of an embodiment with reference to the drawings. They show: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of an overhead conveyor system according to the invention for picking individual articles, Fig. 2 enlarged schematic representation of an article warehouse of the overhead conveyor system according to Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 an enlarged schematic representation of an order buffer with conveyor-connected sorting unit according to Fig. 1 .

[0031] One in Fig. 1 bis 3 The overhead conveyor system, designated as a whole by 1, is used to transport hanging garments, in particular items of clothing suspended from coat hangers and / or for transporting transport bags suitable for holding individual items. The coat hangers and / or transport bags are conveyed along a rail system by means of roller adapters. The roller adapter has, in particular, a suspension opening into which the coat hanger and / or the transport bag can be suspended. Such an overhead conveyor system with roller adapters is known from EP 1 690 811 A1, to which reference is hereby made with regard to the details of the roller adapter and the overhead conveyor system.

[0032] The overhead conveyor system 1 has a central warehouse 2 in which a large number of items, not necessarily individual items, can be stored long-term, in particular over several days, weeks, months, or years. The overhead conveyor system 1 also has a goods receiving area 3 for receiving new goods, which can, for example, be stored in the central warehouse 2 and / or conveyed further in the overhead conveyor system 1.

[0033] The overhead conveyor system 1 also has a returns goods receipt 4 for receiving returned goods, i.e., returned items. The central warehouse 2, the goods receipt 3, and the returns goods receipt 4 each form sources of goods individually or in combination with one another.

[0034] Several loading units 5 are connected to the goods sources 2, 3, and 4 by conveyor technology. In particular, at least one loading unit 5 is provided. The conveyor connection between the goods sources 2, 3, and 4 and the loading units 5 is not designed as an overhead conveyor system, but rather in the form of belt conveyors and / or autonomous conveyor vehicles.

[0035] The overhead conveyor system 1 has, in particular, a plurality of loading units 5. The loading of the empty transport pockets at the loading units 5 can be carried out automatically and / or manually by operators.

[0036] The individual goods are separated in the loading units 5. Individual items are loaded into empty transport bags provided at the loading unit 5. In particular, the individual items each have a unique identification code, for example a barcode, which is read by a reading unit 6 located in the area of ​​the loading unit 5. The reading unit 6 is connected to a control unit 7 via a signal transmission system. According to the figure, a wired signal transmission is provided between the reading unit 6 and the control unit 7. The signal transmission can also be wireless.

[0037] The loading units 5 are connected to an article warehouse 9 via a central conveyor system 8. The article warehouse 9 is designed to store the individual items arranged in the transport bags. The article warehouse 9 enables the storage of the transport bags. The article warehouse 9 is a bag warehouse and is also referred to as a bag store.

[0038] According to the illustrated embodiment, the article warehouse 9 is connected to an order buffer 10, referred to as a run buffer, for conveying purposes. To increase the capacity of the overhead conveyor system 1, the article warehouse 9 can also be connected to several, in particular m, order buffers 10, where in particular m ≥ 2, in particular m ≥ 5, in particular m ≥ 10, in particular m ≥ 20, in particular m ≥ 50, in particular m ≥ 100, and in particular m ≤ 1000.

[0039] The order buffer 10 is connected by conveyor technology to a sorting unit 11 in the form of a matrix sorter.

[0040] The sorting unit 11 is connected to at least one packing station 12 by means of conveyor technology.

[0041] The order buffer 10, the sorting unit 11 and the packing station 12 form a so-called sorting module 22, which is Fig. 3 is shown. It is particularly conceivable that several, in particular m, sorting modules 22 are provided in the overhead conveyor system 1. According to the exemplary embodiment shown, each sorting module 22 is assigned its own packing station 12. Alternatively, it is conceivable that the sorting modules each have only one intermediate storage unit 10 and one sorting unit 11, and that the sorting modules 22 are each connected to one or more packing stations 12. In particular, it is conceivable that the sorting modules 22 can be flexibly assigned to the packing stations 12.

[0042] At packing station 12, the individual items are removed from the transport bags and packaged for transport to a customer. The transport bags emptied at packing station 12 can be returned via a return line 13 and made available to the loading units 5 or an empty bag storage unit 14. The empty bags to be loaded can be provided to the loading unit 5 from the empty bag storage unit 14.

[0043] The packaged individual goods are provided from the packing station 12 to a goods exit 15. Alternatively, especially if delivery of goods is not possible, the packaged goods can be temporarily stored in a suitable intermediate storage area in the goods exit area or returned to the overhead conveyor system 1 via one of the goods sources 2, 3, 4.

[0044] The following is based on Fig. 2 Article warehouse 9 is explained in more detail. According to Fig. 2 The article warehouse 9 has a carousel 16. Along the carousel 16, the individual items fed from the loading unit 5 via the central conveyor system 8 can be flexibly stored and retrieved at high density. The article warehouse 9 can be filled with the individual items from the loading unit 5 in any order. In particular, it is irrelevant for the further picking process in the overhead conveyor system 1 whether the supplied individual items are pre-sorted.

[0045] In the item warehouse 9, the individual items can be retrieved individually and automatically. In particular, there is random access to each individual item. The item warehouse 9 is an automated warehouse and an automatic picking system. The item warehouse 9 is filled according to the fill level. In particular, the item warehouse 9 enables simultaneous storage and retrieval. In particular, it is possible to initiate multiple carousels 16 in parallel. Access to individual items, in particular the retrieval of individual items from the carousels 16 of the item warehouse 9, is improved. The item warehouse 9 is a storage facility with direct access to individual items.

[0046] The following are based on Fig. 3 the order buffer 10 and the sorting unit 11 are explained in more detail.

[0047] According to the illustrated embodiment, the order buffer 10 has twenty-two storage lanes 17. It is understood that more or fewer storage lanes 17 may also be provided. The storage lanes 17 are independently designed stores that operate according to the first-in, first-out principle. An identification unit 19 is arranged in each input area 18 of the storage lanes 17.

[0048] A feed line coming from the article warehouse 9 can be coupled to one of the storage lanes 17 via a switch 20. The storage lanes 17 are oriented parallel to each other. The storage lanes 17 each have an exit area 21 opposite the entrance area 18. A stop device 23 is provided in the respective exit area 21, which ensures the stopping or accumulation of individual articles along a storage lane 17.

[0049] The storage tracks 17 are conveying-linked to the downstream sorting unit 11 in their respective output area 21 via a discharge line. The sorting unit 11 is designed as a multi-stage matrix sorter and has three sorting modules 24 arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction. The sorting modules 24 each have seven parallel sorting tracks 25. Multi-stage matrix sorters are known from the prior art.

[0050] The order buffer 10 is dimensioned in particular to accommodate at least twenty-four order lists. This number is determined by the cycle time of the order lists in the sorting unit, namely 1.728 minutes. This number is also determined by the time required to collect all individual items of an article list on a storage lane 17, namely approximately 35 minutes. The time required to collect the individual items is made up of the turnaround time of a picking buffer of approximately 20 minutes and the transport time from the picking buffer to the order buffer (10 minutes up to 15 minutes). For pure intermediate storage, i.e., buffering, at least twenty-one storage lanes 17 are required, as well as an additional storage lane 17 that is always retrieved as needed.

[0051] The following is based on the Fig. 1 bis 3 a method for picking individual items in the overhead conveyor system 1 is explained in more detail.

[0052] Individual items from one of the goods sources 2, 3, 4 are transported to one of the loading units 5. The individual items from the returns goods receipt 4 can advantageously be conveyed directly to the item warehouse 9. This can be done using autonomous transport vehicles, manually, or using any conveyor technology. The transport of goods from the goods sources 2, 3, 4 to the loading units 5 is possible in a simple manner. In particular, it is not necessary to transport individual items. It is particularly conceivable that containers containing multiple items be transported to the loading units 5.

[0053] At the loading units 5, the individual items are loaded individually into provided transport bags. This can be done manually or using a dedicated loading station, which is known, for example, from EP 2 196 415 B1, and to which reference is hereby expressly made.

[0054] A reading unit 6 is arranged at each loading unit 5 to capture an identification code of the individual item and link it to an identification code of the transport bag. For this purpose, an identification unit 26 is also arranged at the loading unit 5 to capture the identification code of the transport bag. The reading unit 6 and the identification unit 26 are connected to the control unit 7. In the control unit 7, the identification data of the individual item and the transport bag are "married."

[0055] Material flow software suitable for implementing a so-called warehouse control system is stored in the control unit 7. In the warehouse control system, customer orders are processed by compiling at least one complete order, in particular several complete orders, into an order list. The order list comprises several individual items, whereby, in particular, a maximum number of individual items must not be exceeded. The maximum permissible number of individual items according to the illustrated embodiment is 216.

[0056] The orders submitted by the material flow system are compiled into the order list. Optional criteria can be taken into account, such as the fact that only orders that have been reported as permissible are considered, that only orders that correspond to the current packing location configuration of active packing stations are used, that high-priority orders are processed preferentially, and that the order lists are created with the goal of creating a balanced picking list across all order buffers.

[0057] The transport bags loaded in the loading unit 5 are fed to the article warehouse 9 via the central conveyor system 8.

[0058] The storage of transport bags in the article warehouse occurs in a quasi-chaotic manner. In particular, it is not necessary for the articles to be transferred from the loading units 5 to the article warehouse 9 in a single article-by-article manner. In the article warehouse 9, which has several carousels 16, there is no preferential assignment of individual articles to carousels. For example, a balanced, even distribution of the individual articles among the carousels 16 can be achieved.

[0059] With the activation of the order list, controlled by the control unit 7, the removal of the individual items from the item warehouse 9 to the order buffer 10 begins. It is advantageous that the items are stored individually and flexibly in the carousel 16 of the item warehouse 9. This enables direct, flexible access to individual items, particularly regardless of the order in which the carousel 16 is filled with the individual items.

[0060] The individual items are buffered in the storage lanes 17 of the order buffer 10, pure in their order list but unsorted in terms of their sequence, in particular until all individual items of an order or multiple orders are arranged in a storage lane 17. As soon as all items of the order or all orders are completely arranged in the storage lane 17, the individual items of the completed order or complete orders are transported from the order buffer 10 to the sorting unit 11 and sorted there in the correct sequence. The correct sequence is achieved when the individual items for each completed order are arranged one after the other in the sorting unit 11. The individual orders can then be discharged from the sorting unit 11 in an order-oriented manner.

[0061] The items of the orders, arranged in the correct sorting sequence, are transported by the sorting unit 11 to the packing stations 12 in an order-oriented manner. Unloading, i.e., the removal of the individual items from the transport bags, takes place at the packing stations 12. The individual items are packed and transported to the goods exit 15. The emptied transport bags are made available for reloading via the return line 13 directly to the loading units 5 or via an empty bag storage unit 14 to the loading units 15.

[0062] All transport paths of the transport bag within the overhead conveyor system 1 can be individually traced via identification units along the transport path. Identification units are provided, in particular, at the beginning and end along a transport direction for each unit, i.e., in particular, the loading unit 5, the article warehouse 9, the order buffer 10, in particular the storage lanes 17, the sorting unit 11, in particular the sorter modules 24 and the sorter lanes 25, as well as the packing stations 12.

[0063] Activating the order list starts a time interval that can be variably defined. According to the illustrated embodiment, the time interval is 103.7 s or 1.728 min. The size of the time interval, also referred to as the time slice, is determined by the sorting capacity of the sorting unit, which according to the illustrated embodiment has 7,500 individual items per hour, and the maximum permissible size of an order list of n orders with up to 216 individual items. A sorting run is referred to as a run.

[0064] After the time interval has elapsed, a new order list is created, activated and processed, in particular automatically, i.e. retrieved from the article warehouse 9, temporarily stored in the order buffer 10, sorted in the sorting unit 11, packed at the packing stations 12 and delivered.

[0065] If, at the beginning of a new time slice, i.e., after the time interval has elapsed, all memory lanes 17 of the job buffer 10 are occupied, the activation of the new job list is postponed. In particular, the activation is postponed until a release signal is transmitted from the job buffer to the control unit 7 indicating that a memory lane 17 is free.

[0066] The method can reduce the number of storage lanes 17 used and optimize the utilization of the conveyor system in the article warehouse 9.

[0067] It is particularly advantageous if sufficient order lists are constantly created and transmitted to the control unit 7. This allows for higher performance, i.e., throughput rates of individual items, to be achieved. The economic efficiency of the overhead conveyor system 1 is increased.

[0068] In particular, it is possible that, immediately after an order list is created, one or more storage lanes 17 of the order buffer 10 are reserved for one or more orders in the order list, without the activation of this run in the next time slice being important. This is particularly advantageous if the order list in question contains one or more express orders, i.e., orders with increased priority. Express orders can contain order items, i.e., individual items, that are not fed from the item warehouse 9, but rather directly from the loading units 5 to the order buffer, in particular the reserved storage lane 17.

[0069] It was recognized as particularly advantageous that constant utilization of the overhead conveyor system 1 is possible because the order lists do not have to be completely completed in a picking phase before a new order list is created and entered into this phase. Overlapping processing of order lists is possible. This is achieved in particular by the order buffer 10 with the storage tracks 17, by buffering the picked individual items from an order list. The order buffer 10 bridges the picking time.

[0070] Each run of the order list always occupies exactly one storage lane 17 of the order buffer 10. Each order contains up to 216 individual items. This corresponds to the number of individual items that can be processed in the matrix sorter in one sorting run. The order buffer 10 consists of 26 storage lanes 17 and can thus accommodate a total of up to 5616 individual items.

[0071] In a steady state of the process, twenty-four storage lanes 17 of the order buffer 10 are occupied. Every 1.728 minutes, an order is processed, i.e., removed from storage and transferred to the sorting unit 11. Accordingly, a new order list must be allocated every 1.718 minutes.

[0072] The assignment of orders to storage lanes 17 is determined during the creation of the order list. When the order list is processed in the control unit 7, the orders are assigned to the physical storage lanes 17. Individual items are stored on the respective storage lanes 17. These items originate directly from the loading units 5 or from the item warehouse 9 and have been automatically picked there, provided these individual items can be assigned to the respective order on the storage lanes 17. The individual items are stored in the corresponding storage lanes 17 based on the assigned orders. Each storage is reported to the control unit 7.

[0073] The control unit 7, in particular the material flow software, specifies when an order is withdrawn from a storage lane 17 to the sorting unit 11. It is advantageous if the material flow software withdraws the order as soon as all parts of the order have been deposited on the storage lane 17. After receiving the withdrawal request, the control unit 7 checks whether sufficient storage capacity is available in the sorting unit 11. If several orders are released for withdrawal at the same time, the material flow software automatically withdraws orders in the order in which they were released by the material flow software. A storage lane 17 can also be withdrawn manually by a supervisor if necessary, especially if it still contains incomplete orders.

Claims

1. Method for picking individual items having the method steps of - creating an order list comprising a plurality of individual items by means of a control unit (7), wherein the order list has at least one order, - conveying the individual items in the order list from an item store (9) to an order interim storage (10), - temporarily storing the individual items in the order interim storage (10), - conveying the individual items in the order list from the order interim storage (10) to a sorting unit (11), - picking the individual items for the at least one order in the order list by means of the sorting unit (11), - conveying the individual items picked for an order from the sorting unit (11) to a packing station (12), characterised by creating a new order list after a time interval has elapsed, which can be varied, wherein the time interval starts when the previous order list is created and wherein the size of the time interval depends on the sorting capacity of the sorting unit (11).

2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that after a time interval has elapsed, a check is performed to see whether the order interim storage (10) has a storage capacity required for the temporary storage of the individual items in the new order list.

3. Method according to claim 2, characterised in that the individual items in the new order list only start to be conveyed from the item store (9) if the order interim storage (10) has the required storage capacity.

4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the individual items are temporarily stored in a respective storage track (17) of the order interim storage (10) in accordance with the order list.

5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that when an order list is created, orders are only considered that correspond to a permitted packing station configuration of the packing station (12).

6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that when an order list is created, orders with a higher priority are considered first.

7. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that when an order list is created, the orders are selected such that the individual items are conveyed from the item store (9) in a balanced manner.

8. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that when an order list is created, only orders declared as permissible are considered.

9. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterised by simultaneous feeding of individual items into the item store (9) and removal of individual items from the item store (9).

10. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a theoretical cycle time of a sorting run results from the ratio of a maximum permitted number of transport bags to a sorting capacity of the sorting unit (11).

11. Suspension conveyor system for carrying out a method according to one of the preceding claims having - an item store (9), in which individual items are individually stored, - an order interim storage (10) for temporarily storing the individual items in an order, wherein the order interim storage (10) is connected to the item store (9) via conveyor technology, - a sorting unit (11) for sorting the individual items in an order, wherein the sorting unit (11) is connected to the order interim storage (10) via conveyor technology, - a packing station (12) for packing the individual items of the picked order, wherein the packing station (12) is connected to the sorting unit (11) via conveyor technology, characterised by - a control unit (7), which is designed to create an order list comprising a plurality of individual items which has at least one order, wherein the creation of a new order list is provided after a time interval has elapsed, which can be varied, wherein the time interval starts when the previous order list is created and wherein the size of the time interval depends on the sorting capacity of the sorting unit (11).

12. Suspension conveyor system according to claim 11, characterised in that the item store (9) is designed as a bag store.

13. Suspension conveyor system according to claim 11 or 12, characterised in that the item store (9) has at least one rotary carousel (16).

14. Suspension conveyor system according to one of claims 11 to 13, characterised in that the order interim storage (10) has at least one storage track (17).

15. Suspension conveyor system according to one of claims 11 to 14, characterised in that at least one identification unit (19, 26) is provided for identifying the individual items, in particular for identifying transport bags for the transport of the individual items, wherein the at least one identification unit (19, 26) is in signal communication with the control unit (7) for the control of the transport path of the individual goods in the suspension conveyor system (1).