Order-picking system, and method for order-picking piece goods

Abstract

The invention relates to a system (1) for order-picking piece goods, the system having a storage device (2) comprising: a plurality of shelf trays (22, 22', 22'', 22''') on which piece goods (91) and / or storage containers (92) comprising piece goods can be deposited; a plurality of storage bays (21, 21') in which the shelf trays (22, 22', 22'', 22''') can be placed; and a storage location transfer device (25, 250, 253) which is designed to transfer shelf trays from one storage bay to another storage bay. The order-picking system also comprises: an order-picking station and / or an order-picking device (3, 3a, 3b) having at least one order-picking location (32, 32a, 32b) on which a shelf tray can be placed, the at least one order-picking location also being a storage bay of the storage device; and a conveyor device (4, 4', 37) which is designed to convey piece goods (91') placed on the conveyor device to a downstream processing station (51). The order-picking station and / or the order-picking device (3, 3a, 3b) of the order-picking system (1) has a delivery device (31) which is designed to receive piece goods (91) and to place same on the at least one conveyor device (4, 4').

Description

[0001] PICKING FACILITY AND PROCESS FOR PICKING UNIT GOODS

[0002] field of technology

[0003] The invention relates to a picking system, a storage system with a picking system and a method for picking piece goods.

[0004] Technological background

[0005] Constantly increasing volumes in online commerce require retailers, suppliers and logistics companies to handle the goods to be processed efficiently, particularly with regard to the production, provision and storage of the goods, as well as the picking and transport of the goods to the customer.

[0006] In this description, the terms goods, commodity unit, commodity item and piece goods are used synonymously and can include in particular individual commodity objects, but also packaged goods such as parcels, and more generally individually handleable objects, in particular semi-finished products, spare parts, etc.

[0007] If a storage and picking system is to store a large number of different items or goods and be able to retrieve them quickly and make them available for picking as needed, the storage and retrieval of the goods must be carried out as efficiently and quickly as possible. Various automated storage and picking systems have been developed accordingly.

[0008] Conventional automated order picking systems typically include a long-term warehouse, a short-term warehouse, possibly with a sorting system, and a goods issue area.

[0009] In long-term storage, various types of goods units are stored and kept ready for later processing. Long-term storage facilities can be implemented, for example, as high-bay warehouses, which allow for high storage volume utilization and are equipped with highly automated access systems. Smaller goods units can be stored separately in larger storage containers, from which the required goods units can be removed as needed. Access times to conventional long-term storage facilities are typically long due to their size and optimized design with regard to volume utilization, which can lead to a logistical bottleneck at high throughput rates.

[0010] In the short-term warehouse, goods units from one or more picking orders taken from the long-term warehouse can be collected and buffered for further processing. Experience has shown that frequently used goods units can also be kept on hand. Short-term warehouses generally have significantly shorter access times than long-term warehouses.

[0011] A system interface is usually required between the long-term and short-term storage areas. In the simplest case, for example, an operator removes a unit of goods from a storage container in the long-term storage area and transfers it to the short-term storage area.

[0012] Goods units of a picking order can be removed from the short-term storage for further processing, then sorted, for example, and sent to a goods issue area, where the goods units of the completed picking order can be packed and shipped.

[0013] WO 98 / 49075 A1 describes an automated high-bay storage system designed as a long-term storage facility. Vertical support structures form a plurality of grid-like vertical storage shafts. In the storage shafts, standardized storage containers are stacked on top of one another using a crane-like storage and retrieval device, which functionally corresponds to a first-in, last-out storage system. To access a specific storage container, the storage containers above are removed and temporarily or permanently relocated to other storage locations, and the now accessible storage container is removed from the storage shaft. The storage and retrieval devices are designed to move horizontally along an xy grid on the top level of the warehouse. WO 2022 / 214579 A1 and WO 2015 / 193278 A1 show further embodiments of corresponding storage and retrieval devices. Very high storage densities can be achieved with such high-bay storage systems.On the other hand, the average access time for retrieving a storage container is high, while storing a container can be faster. High access frequencies can also lead to access backlogs and thus further delays. Accordingly, such storage systems are particularly suitable for temporary storage.

[0014] WO 2019 / 141877 A1 shows a similar long-term storage system with storage shafts, in which the storage and retrieval machines can transfer the individually conveyed storage containers to picking stations outside the storage shafts at specific locations in the xy storage grid. An operator can then remove the objects required for a picking order from the storage containers thus provided. As soon as a storage container is completely empty, it is removed from the picking station. Returning a partially emptied storage container from a picking station to the long-term storage system is possible. However, due to the inherently long access times of the storage and retrieval machines, this is very inefficient.

[0015] WO 2011 / 104159 A1 discloses a container-based high-bay storage system for storing and retrieving storage containers for a picking system. The storage system comprises several shelves divided into shelf blocks with several shelf levels arranged one above the other, each of which has a plurality of horizontally arranged storage locations for each of the storage containers. A vertically and horizontally movable storage and retrieval machine is arranged on a long side of the shelf to deposit or retrieve a storage container from one of the storage locations. A horizontal conveyor device extends essentially parallel to the shelf levels and runs above and / or below each shelf block and adjacent to each shelf block. Due to the access times, such a storage system is also particularly suitable for temporary storage.

[0016] WO 2018 / 082749 A1 shows a high-bay warehouse system in which a vertically and horizontally movable storage and retrieval machine is arranged on one long side of the rack. This storage and retrieval machine can remove storage containers from the high-bay warehouse and place them on a roller ramp, and the storage container can also roll to a picking station outside the long side of the rack warehouse. An operator can then remove the objects required for a picking order from the storage containers thus provided. Such a warehouse system has limited storage capacity because the warehouse system essentially has only two rows of shelves. The slow access times of the storage and retrieval machine also limit the replenishment speed of the storage containers. DE 102021129397 B3 shows a high-bay warehouse system in which a horizontally movable storage and retrieval machine is provided on each storage level between two shelves.The vertical transport is carried out via a lifting device which is arranged in a shelf across several storage levels.

[0017] US 2023 / 0033636 A1 and US 2018 / 0178979 A1 show container-based high-bay warehouse systems in which stacker cranes arranged between the shelves retrieve storage containers from the high-bay rack and place them on a horizontal conveyor, which transports them to a picking station, where the items required for a picking order are retrieved. The storage containers are then returned to the high-bay warehouse in the same way.

[0018] US 2010 / 0036521 A1 shows an automated picking system with which goods units can be transported to a workstation in a predetermined order. In a high-bay warehouse, shelves are arranged on which goods units are stored, preferably by type. Storage and retrieval machines allow the transfer of goods units between adjacent shelves and the deposit of goods units at specific transfer locations within a shelf. Vertical conveyors enable the removal of goods units from the transfer locations, their storage and retrieval in a short-term storage rack, and their transfer to a belt conveyor. The goods units can be deposited on the belt conveyor in a predetermined order to obtain a sorted compilation of a picking order.

[0019] EP 3919415 A1 shows a dynamic rack for use as a picking system, with a storage device in the form of a paternoster rack or a rack storage system with a storage and retrieval machine. A storage container is moved as needed within the storage device to an access station, where an operator can retrieve an item required for a picking order and place it on a belt conveyor. The dynamic rack is filled via the access station, which reduces the access capacity.

[0020] EP 0705775 A2 shows an automated picking device for a picking system, in which special magazine-like storage containers with built-in actuators are configured to transfer liquid containers, especially bottles, etc., through the container base into a dispensing device below for refilling. To fulfill a picking order, the small parts are then dropped from the dispensing device down a chute, where they slide onto a collection conveyor, which ultimately deposits the small parts in a collection container held on a conveyor belt. Completely empty storage containers are removed by an operator and replaced with a new, filled storage container.

[0021] There is a general need for improvements in this area.

[0022] Description of the invention

[0023] The object of the invention is to provide a picking system that counteracts at least one of the above-mentioned and other disadvantages. In particular, such a picking system should enable efficient picking while simultaneously ensuring efficient operation of an upstream long-term warehouse.

[0024] According to the present invention, these and other objects are achieved by the elements of the independent claims. Further advantageous embodiments are given in the dependent claims.

[0025] The solution according to the invention can be further improved by various embodiments, each of which is advantageous in itself and, unless otherwise stated, can be combined with one another. These embodiments and the associated advantages are discussed below.

[0026] A first aspect of the invention relates to a system for picking piece goods.

[0027] A system according to the invention for picking piece goods comprises a storage device with a plurality of shelf trays on which piece goods and / or storage containers with piece goods can be placed; with a plurality of storage bays in which the shelf trays can be placed; and with a storage location transfer device configured to transfer shelf trays from one storage bay to another. The picking system further comprises a picking station and / or a picking device with at least one picking location on which a shelf tray can be placed, wherein the at least one picking location is also a storage bay of the storage device; and a conveyor device configured to convey piece goods placed on the conveyor device to a downstream processing station.The picking station and / or the picking device of the picking system has a transfer device which is configured to receive piece goods and place them on the at least one conveyor device.

[0028] Such an inventive order-picking system has, among other advantages, that storage containers or piece goods can be placed directly on the shelf tray. The shelf tray can then be transferred to the order-picking station using the storage location transfer device. This allows for a decoupling of the order-picking process and the supply of new piece goods to the order-picking system. For example, storage containers retrieved from a long-term storage facility, or piece goods from the storage containers, can be placed on the shelf tray without involving the order-picking station and thus the order-picking process.

[0029] In such an order picking system according to the invention, the conveying device is advantageously designed as a horizontal conveying device with a substantially horizontal conveying surface.

[0030] In particular, such a horizontal conveyor device can be implemented as a link belt conveyor, plate chain conveyor, roller conveyor, tray conveyor or tilting tray conveyor.

[0031] Advantageously, in such an order picking system according to the invention, the transfer device is designed to convey piece goods placed in an insertion opening of the transfer device to the at least one conveying device by gravity.

[0032] In another advantageous variant of an order-picking system according to the invention, the transfer device is designed as a manipulator device, in particular as a manipulator device with a robot arm.

[0033] The robot arm can have a gripping element in the form of a mechanical gripping tool with which a product can be grasped. Alternatively or additionally, the robot arm can have a gripping element in the form of a suction gripper, which can temporarily create a vacuum on an elastic gripping element by means of a vacuum pump in order to be able to grip a product on a surface. The robot arm can also have two or more such gripping elements mounted on a rotatable platform, with which the currently required or most suitable gripping tool can be rotated into the operative position of the robot arm. Likewise, the manipulator device can comprise a changing magazine for gripping elements, from which a robot arm can obtain the required gripping element using a quick-coupling device.

[0034] Alternatively or additionally, in such an order picking system according to the invention, the insertion opening of the transfer device can be arranged in the area of ​​one of the order picking stations of the order picking station and / or the order picking device.

[0035] In such an order picking system according to the invention, the insertion opening of the transfer device is advantageously formed in the shelf trays.

[0036] This allows, among other things, a space-saving design of an order picking system.

[0037] Furthermore, in such an order-picking system according to the invention, the transfer device of the order-picking station and / or the order-picking device advantageously has a chute, a guide element and / or a sliding chute, on which piece goods can be transferred to the conveying device by gravity.

[0038] A sliding chute can, in particular, be designed as a sliding spiral chute. Such a sliding spiral chute allows a product to be conveyed essentially vertically over a large height difference using gravity, without the risk of mechanical damage to the product.

[0039] Likewise advantageously, in such an order-picking system according to the invention, the transfer device of the order-picking station and / or the order-picking device has a pre-sorting device which is configured to transfer piece goods transferred to the transfer device in a specific order to the at least one conveying device in a specific other order.

[0040] In an advantageous embodiment of an order picking system according to the invention, the storage device is realized as a vertically circulating paternoster rack storage, with a storage location transfer device designed as a paternoster conveyor with a plurality of rack shelves on which piece goods and / or storage containers with piece goods can be deposited, so that the storage location transfer device can convey the rack shelves along the various storage bays of the storage device.

[0041] In another advantageous embodiment of an order-picking system according to the invention, the storage device is implemented as a rack storage system with one or two rack units, each having a plurality of storage bays arranged one above the other. The storage location transfer device comprises a storage and retrieval device configured to transfer a shelf from one storage bay to another.

[0042] Advantageously, in such an order picking system according to the invention, the storage device has two shelf units spaced horizontally apart from one another, and the storage and retrieval machine is arranged between the two shelf units.

[0043] In an order picking system according to the invention, the order picking stations of the order picking station and / or the order picking device are advantageously arranged directly above one another.

[0044] In an order picking system according to the invention, a conveying device is advantageously arranged within the storage device.

[0045] In another advantageous embodiment of an order-picking system according to the invention, the conveying device is designed to convey piece goods out of the order-picking system.

[0046] Likewise advantageously, in an order-picking system according to the invention, the conveying device is arranged below the order-picking positions of the order-picking station and / or the order-picking device.

[0047] In an advantageous embodiment of an order-picking system according to the invention, a conveyor device is implemented as a horizontal conveyor device, in particular as a belt conveyor device, a link belt conveyor device, a plate-chain conveyor device, a roller conveyor device, a tray conveyor device, or a tilt-tray conveyor device. In another advantageous embodiment of an order-picking system according to the invention, a conveyor device is implemented as an overhead conveyor device, in particular as a hanging pocket conveyor device.

[0048] An order-picking system according to the invention advantageously comprises a transfer interface which is configured to deposit storage containers from an upstream storage device onto a shelf which is placed in a storage bay of the storage device of the order-picking system provided for this transfer.

[0049] Advantageously, in such an order picking system according to the invention, the transfer interface has a device which is designed to remove piece goods from a storage container on the shelf tray of the storage bay provided for the transfer and to place them on a shelf tray which is placed in another storage bay or is held by a storage and retrieval device of a storage location transfer device.

[0050] Such a device for removing piece goods is advantageously designed as a manipulator device with a robot arm.

[0051] The device can be located in the transfer interface. It can also be part of a storage and retrieval system.

[0052] The device can be arranged stationary or it can be designed to be mobile and movable.

[0053] The robot arm can have a gripping element in the form of a mechanical gripping tool with which a product can be grasped. Alternatively or additionally, the robot arm can have a gripping element in the form of a suction gripper, which can temporarily create a vacuum on an elastic gripping element by means of a vacuum pump in order to be able to grip a product on a surface. The robot arm can also have two or more such gripping elements mounted on a rotatable platform, with which the currently required or most suitable gripping tool can be rotated into the operative position of the robot arm. Likewise, the manipulator device can comprise a changing magazine for gripping elements, from which a robot arm can obtain the required gripping element using a quick-coupling device.Another advantageous embodiment of an order-picking system according to the invention comprises a transfer device configured to convey piece goods placed in an insertion opening of the transfer device to the at least one conveying device by gravity; and a device configured to remove piece goods from a shelf and transfer them to the transfer device.

[0054] Such a device for removing piece goods is advantageously designed as a manipulator device with a robot arm, for example as a robot arm as already described above.

[0055] The device can be arranged stationary or it can be designed to be mobile and movable.

[0056] The device can be located in a transfer interface or at a picking station. It can also be part of a storage and retrieval system.

[0057] The device can be arranged stationary or it can be designed to be mobile and movable.

[0058] The shelf tray from which the piece goods are taken can be the shelf tray at the picking station or another shelf tray in the storage device of the picking system.

[0059] The transfer device mentioned can be the transfer device of a picking station and / or a picking device, or a separate transfer device. The transfer device can comprise a chute, a guide element, and / or a sliding chute, on which piece goods can be transferred to the conveyor device by gravity.

[0060] A sliding chute of the transfer device can be designed, in particular, as a sliding spiral chute. Such a sliding spiral chute allows a product to be conveyed essentially vertically over a large height difference by gravity, without the risk of mechanical damage to the product.

[0061] In a particularly advantageous variant of a picking system according to the invention, for example, a transfer device with an insertion opening can be provided in the area of ​​a transfer interface. A manipulator device can then transfer a product item required for a picking order directly to this transfer device, which deposits the product item on the conveyor device.

[0062] Such a design makes it possible to bypass the picking station and / or the picking device for goods that are needed promptly, which reduces the internal relocation processes of the picking system and thus increases the efficiency of the picking system.

[0063] A further advantageous embodiment of a picking system according to the invention comprises a picking device with a picking station, wherein the picking device comprises a horizontal conveyor arranged at the picking station and onto which piece goods can be deposited by a storage and retrieval machine of the picking system. The horizontal conveyor is configured to convey piece goods placed on the horizontal conveyor to a downstream processing station.

[0064] In such an order picking system according to the invention, the storage and retrieval machine of the order picking system advantageously has a manipulator device with which piece goods can be placed on the horizontal conveyor device of the order picking device.

[0065] The manipulator device is advantageously designed as a manipulator device with a robot arm, as already described above.

[0066] Another advantageous embodiment of an order-picking system according to the invention comprises an order-picking device with an order-picking station, wherein the order-picking device has a manipulator device which is configured to pick up goods items from a shelf on the order-picking station and to transfer them to a conveyor device.

[0067] The manipulator device can be designed as a robot arm, as discussed above.

[0068] Another advantageous embodiment of an order-picking system according to the invention comprises a processing station which is designed to transfer piece goods conveyed by a conveyor device of the order-picking system to a downstream conveyor system of a storage system.

[0069] In such a system, the downstream conveyor system of the storage system is particularly advantageous: an overhead conveyor system, in particular a hanging pocket conveyor system.

[0070] In connection with the picking systems, storage systems, and methods according to the invention, it should be noted that all activities and processes that can be performed by a human operator during normal operation can alternatively be performed with the aid of a suitably designed robotic device, in particular the manipulation of storage containers and piece goods at a picking station. Accordingly, the picking systems and storage systems described here can optionally be additionally equipped with a corresponding robotic device.

[0071] A second aspect of the invention relates to a storage system.

[0072] A storage system according to the invention comprises an order picking system according to the invention and a long-term storage facility for storing a plurality of storage containers, which is connected to the order picking system by means of conveyor technology.

[0073] In a storage system according to the invention, the long-term storage is advantageously implemented as a box stacking storage device or as a shelf storage device.

[0074] Alternatively or additionally, a storage system according to the invention can have a downstream conveyor system and a downstream processing station which is designed to transfer piece goods conveyed by a conveyor device from the order picking system to the downstream conveyor system.

[0075] In a storage system according to the invention, the downstream conveyor system of the storage system is advantageously a suspended conveyor system, in particular a suspended pocket conveyor system.

[0076] Such a processing station can have means configured to determine the identity of a product. Such means can, for example, comprise identification units that can read a one-dimensional or two-dimensional optical identification code on the product. Such means can also comprise an RFID transceiver unit that can read data from an RFID tag on the product.

[0077] Such a processing station may further comprise means configured to temporarily open a provided overhead conveyor pocket of a downstream overhead conveyor system of the storage system so that a provided article of goods can be introduced into the overhead conveyor pocket.

[0078] In another advantageous embodiment of a storage system according to the invention, the long-term storage facility is implemented as a box stacking storage device with at least one storage and retrieval device. The at least one storage and retrieval device is configured to receive storage containers from a transfer interface of the order-picking system and transport them within the long-term storage facility to a processing station and / or to an order-picking device.

[0079] In such a case, the conveying device of an order picking system according to the invention is functionally implemented, among other things, by the storage and retrieval devices of the box stacking warehouse.

[0080] In a further advantageous embodiment of a storage system according to the invention, the long-term storage facility is implemented as a box stacking storage device with at least one storage and retrieval device; and the at least one storage and retrieval device is configured to transfer storage containers from the long-term storage facility to a transfer interface of the order-picking system.

[0081] In such a case, the processing station or the order-picking device is advantageously equipped with a manipulator device which is designed to remove goods from a storage container supplied by the storage and retrieval devices of the box stacking warehouse and an optional downstream horizontal conveyor.

[0082] Particularly advantageously, in such an embodiment of a storage system according to the invention, the processing station or the picking device comprises a manipulator device configured to remove goods from storage containers and transfer them to the downstream conveyor system of the storage system. The storage containers are conveyed via the long-term storage facility. The storage containers can be conveyed, in particular, via storage handling equipment of a long-term storage facility in the form of a crate stacking device.

[0083] The downstream conveyor system of the storage system can be an overhead conveyor system, in particular an overhead pocket conveyor system.

[0084] The direct transfer via the manipulator device to the downstream conveyor system eliminates the need for an additional conveyor and passive guidance devices. This allows for a more compact design.

[0085] The manipulator device is advantageously designed in the form of a robot arm.

[0086] Particularly advantageously, the robot arm of the manipulator device has a gripping element in the form of a mechanical gripping tool with which a product item can be grasped.

[0087] Alternatively or additionally, the robot arm can have a gripping element in the form of a suction gripper, which can temporarily apply a vacuum to an elastic suction cup by means of a vacuum pump in order to be able to grip an article of goods on a surface.

[0088] The robot arm can also have two or more such gripping elements mounted on a rotatable platform, allowing the currently required or most suitable gripping tool to be rotated into the operative position of the robot arm. Likewise, the manipulator device can provide a change magazine for gripping elements, from which a robot arm can retrieve the required gripping element using a quick-coupling device.

[0089] The manipulator device can transfer the goods directly to a downstream processing station or to a conveyor device which transports them to the downstream processing station.

[0090] A third aspect of the invention relates to a method for picking piece goods.

[0091] In an order-picking method according to the invention, an order-picking system according to the invention or a storage system according to the invention is provided; a specific shelf tray of the order-picking system, on which one or more piece goods required for a specific order-picking order are transferred from a storage bay of the storage device of the order-picking system to a picking station of the order-picking system; and one or more piece goods required for a specific order-picking order are removed from the specific shelf tray on the at least one picking station and placed on a conveyor device.

[0092] Advantageously, in such a method according to the invention, the said piece goods are then transferred by the conveying device to a downstream conveying system of a storage system.

[0093] In such a method according to the invention, the downstream conveyor system of the storage system is particularly advantageously a suspended conveyor system, in particular a suspended pocket conveyor system.

[0094] A fourth aspect of the invention relates to a storage system.

[0095] A storage system according to the invention comprises a long-term storage facility in the form of a box stacking storage device for storing a plurality of storage containers in which piece goods can be stored, wherein the box stacking storage device has at least one storage and retrieval device with which storage containers can be picked up, moved, and / or deposited within the box stacking storage device; a picking system for picking piece goods; wherein the picking system has a storage device with a plurality of shelf trays on which storage containers with piece goods can be deposited; with a plurality of storage bays in which the shelf trays can be placed; and with a storage location transfer device which is configured to transfer shelf trays from one storage bay to another storage bay.and a transfer interface which is configured so that the at least one storage and retrieval device of the box stacking storage device can take over a storage container from the transfer interface and / or transfer it to the transfer interface by the at least one storage and retrieval device placing the storage container on a shelf or picking it up from this shelf, which is placed in a storage bay of the storage device of the order picking system provided for this transfer.;

[0096] In a storage system according to the invention, the at least one storage and retrieval device is advantageously configured to convey storage containers taken over from the transfer interface within the long-term storage facility to a processing station and / or to a picking device.

[0097] Advantageously, in a storage system according to the invention, the transfer interface has a device which is configured to remove piece goods from a storage container on the shelf of the storage bay provided for the transfer and to place them on a shelf which is located in another storage bay or is held by a storage and retrieval device of a storage location transfer device.

[0098] Particularly advantageously, the device for removing piece goods is designed as a manipulator device with a robot arm.

[0099] Such manipulator devices have already been discussed in detail above.

[0100] In a storage system according to the invention, the order-picking system advantageously has a picking station with at least one picking location on which a shelf can be placed, wherein the at least one picking location is also a storage bay of the storage device.

[0101] In a further advantageous embodiment of a storage system according to the invention, the order-picking system has a conveyor device which is designed to convey piece goods placed on the conveyor device to a downstream processing station.

[0102] In another advantageous embodiment of a storage system according to the invention, the picking station and / or a possibly present picking device of the picking system has a transfer device which is designed to receive piece goods and to place them on the at least one conveyor device.

[0103] In such a storage system, the transfer device is advantageously designed to convey piece goods placed in an insertion opening of the transfer device to the at least one conveying device by gravity.

[0104] Alternatively or additionally, in such a storage system, the insertion opening of the transfer device is advantageously located in the area of ​​one of the picking stations of the picking station and / or the picking device. Also alternatively or additionally, the insertion opening of the transfer device is advantageously formed in the shelf panels.

[0105] In a further advantageous embodiment of such a storage system according to the invention, the transfer device of the picking station and / or the picking device has a chute, a guide element and / or a sliding chute, on which piece goods can be transferred to the conveying device by gravity.

[0106] In another advantageous embodiment of a storage system according to the invention, the transfer device of the picking station and / or the picking device has a pre-sorting device which is designed to transfer piece goods transferred to the transfer device in a specific order to the at least one conveying device in a specific other order.

[0107] In a storage system according to the invention, the storage device of the order-picking system is advantageously implemented as a vertically circulating paternoster rack storage system, with a storage location transfer device designed as a paternoster conveyor with a plurality of rack shelves on which piece goods and / or storage containers with piece goods can be deposited, so that the storage location transfer device can convey the rack shelves along the various storage bays of the storage device.

[0108] In an alternative advantageous variant of a storage system according to the invention, the storage device of the order-picking system is implemented as a rack storage system with one or two rack units, each having a plurality of storage bays arranged one above the other. The storage location transfer device comprises a storage and retrieval device configured to transfer a shelf from one storage bay to another.

[0109] In such a storage system, the storage device of the order picking system advantageously has two shelf units that are horizontally spaced from one another, with the storage and retrieval machine being arranged between the two shelf units.

[0110] In a storage system according to the invention, the conveying device is advantageously designed to convey piece goods out of the order-picking system.

[0111] The conveyor device is also advantageously arranged below the picking stations of the picking station and / or the picking device. A storage system according to the invention advantageously comprises a transfer device configured to gravity-driven convey piece goods placed in an insertion opening of the transfer device to the at least one conveyor device; and a device configured to remove piece goods from a shelf and transfer them to the transfer device.

[0112] Particularly advantageously, the device for removing piece goods is designed as a manipulator device with a robot arm.

[0113] In an advantageous embodiment of a storage system according to the invention, a picking device with a picking station is provided, wherein the picking device comprises a horizontal conveyor device arranged at the picking station and onto which piece goods can be deposited by a storage and retrieval machine of the picking system; wherein the horizontal conveyor device is configured to convey piece goods placed on the horizontal conveyor device to a downstream processing station.

[0114] Particularly advantageously, the storage and retrieval machine of the order picking system has a manipulator device with which piece goods can be placed on the horizontal conveyor device of the order picking device.

[0115] In a further advantageous embodiment of a storage system according to the invention, a picking device with a picking station is provided, wherein the picking device has a manipulator device which is designed to pick up goods items from a shelf on the picking station and to transfer them to a conveyor device.

[0116] Advantageously, in a storage system according to the invention, a downstream processing station is provided which is designed to transfer piece goods conveyed by a conveyor device from the order-picking system to a downstream conveyor system of the storage system.

[0117] Particularly advantageous is the downstream conveyor system of the storage system, an overhead conveyor system, in particular a hanging pocket conveyor system.

[0118] Alternatively or additionally, the processing station or the order-picking device advantageously has a manipulator device which is configured to remove goods from storage containers and to transfer them to the downstream conveyor system of the storage system, wherein the storage containers were conveyed via the long-term storage.

[0119] The manipulator device is advantageously designed as a robot arm.

[0120] A fifth aspect of the invention relates to a storage system.

[0121] A storage system according to the invention comprises a long-term storage facility in the form of a box stacking storage device for storing a plurality of storage containers in which piece goods can be stored, wherein the box stacking storage device has at least one storage and retrieval device with which storage containers can be picked up, moved, and deposited within the box stacking storage device; a downstream conveyor system; an automated order picking device with a picking station on which a storage and retrieval device of the box stacking storage device can deposit one or more storage containers; and a processing station configured to transfer piece goods conveyed by the automated order picking device to the downstream conveyor system of the storage system.The automated picking device has a manipulator device, for example a robot arm, which is designed to remove piece goods from a storage container on the picking station and to transfer them directly to the processing station, or to a belt conveyor of the automated picking device, which is connected to the processing station by means of conveying technology.

[0122] In such a system, the downstream conveyor system is advantageously an overhead conveyor system, in particular a hanging pocket conveyor system; and the processing station is a filling device for the overhead conveyor system.

[0123] Alternatively or additionally, in such a storage system, the picking station of the automated picking device advantageously comprises at least one storage bay within a storage shaft of the box stacking storage device.

[0124] In an advantageous embodiment of a storage system according to the invention, the picking station of the automated picking device comprises a belt conveyor, wherein a storage and retrieval device of the box stacking storage device can deposit one or more storage containers onto the belt conveyor. Advantageously, a storage system according to the invention comprises a picking system that is connected to the long-term storage facility by conveyor technology.

[0125] Further aspects of the present invention will also become apparent from the following description.

[0126] Short description of the drawings

[0127] For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the drawings below. These merely show exemplary embodiments of the subject matter of the invention.

[0128] Figure 1 shows schematically an embodiment of a storage system according to the invention.

[0129] Figure 2 shows a schematic perspective view of a box stacking warehouse as known from the prior art.

[0130] Figure 3 shows a schematic side view of an order picking system according to the invention with an upstream box stacking storage area as shown in Figure 2.

[0131] Figure 4 shows a schematic side view of an order picking system according to the invention with an upstream shelf storage system.

[0132] Figure 5 shows schematically a possible embodiment of an order picking system according to the invention with a storage device designed as a tray storage with storage containers, (a) in a cross section, (b) in plan view of a storage bay with a stored shelf, and (c) a side detailed view of some storage bays.

[0133] Figure 6 shows a schematic cross-section through another possible embodiment of an order picking system according to the invention, with a storage device designed as a tray storage with storage containers.

[0134] Figure 7 shows (a) a schematic cross-section through a further possible embodiment of an order picking system according to the invention, with a storage device designed as a paternoster conveyor with storage containers, and (b) a schematic plan view of the order picking station of the order picking system shown.

[0135] Figure 8 shows (a) a schematic cross section through yet another possible embodiment of an order picking system according to the invention, with a storage device designed as a tray storage for storing piece goods, and (b) a schematic plan view of the order picking station of the order picking system shown.

[0136] Figure 9 shows a schematic front view of the picking station of a possible embodiment of a picking system according to the invention with a conveyor device arranged below the picking station.

[0137] Figure 10 shows a schematic front view of the picking station of another possible embodiment of a picking system according to the invention with a conveyor device arranged below the picking station.

[0138] Figure 11 shows schematically (a) a front view of the picking station of a possible embodiment of a picking system according to the invention, with a pre-sorting device and a downstream processing station, and (b) a schematic plan view of a shelf with an insertion opening.

[0139] Figure 12 shows a schematic front view of the picking station of another possible embodiment of a picking system according to the invention, with a pre-sorting device and a downstream processing station.

[0140] Figure 13 shows a schematic front view of the picking station of another possible embodiment of a picking system according to the invention, with a pre-collection device and a downstream processing station.

[0141] Figure 14 schematically shows a cross-section through a possible embodiment of a picking system according to the invention with an automated picking device. Figure 15 schematically shows a top view of another advantageous automated picking device of a picking system according to the invention.

[0142] Figure 16 shows schematically in front view another possible embodiment of an order picking system according to the invention with an automated order picking device.

[0143] Figure 17 shows a schematic side view of another embodiment of a downstream processing station connected via the upstream storage device.

[0144] Implementation of the invention

[0145] The exemplary embodiments given in the following description serve to better illustrate the invention, but are not intended to limit the invention to the features disclosed herein. Identical or equivalent parts are provided with identical or similar reference numerals.

[0146] An embodiment of a storage system 5 according to the invention is schematically illustrated in Figure 1. Such a storage system 5 comprises a long-term storage area 8, which is located upstream of a picking system 1 according to the invention. New goods are supplied to the long-term storage area 8 from an upstream goods receiving station 55.

[0147] The long-term warehouse 8 is intended for the medium- to long-term storage of goods, which, for reasons of efficiency, requires a large storage capacity combined with the best possible use of space. Corresponding technological solutions for storage facilities, even with full automation, generally exhibit rather long access times and limited access capacities. If a group of specific goods (a picking order) is to be prepared for further use, for example, for shipping to a customer or further processing in an industrial manufacturing process, a logistical bottleneck can arise due to this limited access speed and access capacity of the long-term warehouse 8. To avoid this, a picking system 1 according to the invention can be installed downstream of the long-term warehouse 8.The picking system 1 comprises a short-term warehouse 2, to which the required goods, preferably for multiple picking orders, can be efficiently fed for storage. Likewise, according to experience, goods frequently required for picking orders can be kept in stock in the picking system 1 to reduce the number of accesses to the long-term warehouse 8.

[0148] Short-term storage 2 is intended to enable rapid access to the goods required to assemble a picking order. Technological solutions for storage facilities that meet these requirements generally offer limited storage capacity and volume utilization. Accordingly, a transfer interface 7, through which goods are transferred from long-term storage 8 to short-term storage 2 of picking system 1, must be designed as efficiently as possible.

[0149] The compilation of the total quantity or partial quantities of the goods items of a picking order and their transfer from the picking system 1 according to the invention to a downstream conveyor system 52 of the storage system 5 takes place at one or more picking stations 3 or picking devices 3a, 3b of the picking system 1 according to the invention.

[0150] The assembly and transfer of goods can be fully automated using the picking devices 3a and 3b. The transfer of goods to a downstream conveyor system 52 can be done directly (3, 3a) or via the conveyors of the long-term storage facility 8. Specific design variants will be discussed below.

[0151] The conveyor system 52 transports the goods items further, for example to a goods issue station 56, where they can be packaged and sent to the intended recipient.

[0152] Various state-of-the-art solutions are known for volume-efficient, fully automated long-term storage, particularly high-bay warehouses with stacker cranes arranged between the rack units. In such high-bay warehouses, all storage locations can be accessed directly, so the access time is essentially determined by the required travel distances of the stacker crane. The achievable volume utilization is limited by the space required in the aisles between the rack units, in which the stacker cranes must be able to move horizontally and vertically.

[0153] For use as long-term storage 8 in a storage system 5 according to the invention, crate stack storage devices 81, such as those described, for example, in the previously discussed document WO 98 / 49075 A1, are particularly advantageous. Such a crate stack long-term storage device 8, 81 according to the prior art is shown schematically in Figure 2. The storage device 81 comprises a support structure 814 which defines a grid of vertical storage shafts 812. Appropriately dimensioned, standardized, stackable storage containers (not shown) can be stacked on top of one another in these storage shafts 812. The storage containers are preferably open at the top. With such a storage device 81, a very high volume utilization can be achieved, since in addition to the transport plane 815 in which the storage and retrieval devices 811 move and the volume of the support structure 814, essentially the entire volume of the storage device 81 is available for the storage containers.

[0154] The storage containers are handled by one or more storage handling devices 811, which can move horizontally along the grid axes on a transport level 815 above the storage shafts 812. The handling devices 811 have a lifting crane device (in the illustrated embodiment, not visible within the housing of the handling device 811) with which the topmost storage container of a storage stack in a storage shaft 812 can be gripped and pulled into the interior of the handling device 811. Analogously, a storage container transported by a handling device 811 can be lowered into a storage shaft 812 and placed on an existing storage stack.

[0155] Access to the storage containers of a crate storage stack is always carried out according to the first-in-last-out principle. If a specific storage container is to be accessed in the storage device 81, all storage containers located above the crate storage stack in which this storage container is located must first be removed by an operating device 811 before this specific storage container can be accessed. Accordingly, the access times to the storage containers depend on their position in the storage stack. Therefore, the higher storage containers are stored in the storage stack, the more frequently they need to be accessed, in order to minimize the average access time. In a storage system 5 according to the invention, such a long-term storage facility 8 in the form of a crate stack storage device 81 is followed by an order picking system 1 according to the invention, as shown schematically in Figure 3.The order picking system 1 has a closed housing 11 and is attached directly to one side of the box stacking storage device 81. Via a merely indicated transfer interface 7, storage containers from the long-term storage and / or goods in the aforementioned storage containers are transferred to the short-term storage of the order picking system 1 and stored there for immediate or later use to compile a picking order. At a picking station 3, an operator 95 can gather the goods items of a picking order and prepare them for later use in the storage system. Various concrete implementations of such transfer interfaces 7 and such picking stations 3 will be discussed with reference to the following figures.

[0156] Other storage devices can also be used as the long-term storage 8 of a storage system 5, such as, for example, a high-bay warehouse analogous to the document DE 102021129397 B3 discussed above. Such a high-bay storage system 82 with storage levels 822 arranged one above the other and each served by a separate storage and retrieval machine is shown in Figure 4. Via a suitably designed transfer interface 7 (shown schematically), storage containers from the long-term storage and / or goods in the aforementioned storage containers are transferred to the short-term storage of the attached order picking system 1.

[0157] A concrete embodiment of an order picking system 1 according to the invention as part of a storage system 5 according to the invention with an upstream box stacking storage device 81 as a long-term storage 8 is explained below with reference to Figures 5(a)-(c).

[0158] The order picking system 1 comprises a short-term storage device 2 in the form of a rack storage system 27, 27'. On a support structure 12 arranged within a housing 11, several storage bays 21 arranged one above the other are provided on two longitudinal sides. Rack shelves 22 can be stored in these storage bays 21. Each rack shelf 22 has a plurality of n storage locations 23 for storage containers 92 of the long-term storage system 8 in the longitudinal direction.

[0159] The shelf trays 22 are placed in the storage bays 21 on support structures 13, 14 connected to the support structure 12. Such support structures can be designed, for example, as shown in Figures 5(b) and 5(c) as horizontal cantilevers 13 with support struts 14. These are arranged such that they are each located between the storage containers 92 placed on the storage locations 23 of the shelf trays 22. The number of support structures 13, 14 depends in particular on the length of the shelf trays 22 and the maximum load-bearing capacity.

[0160] Between the two rows 27, 27' of storage bays 21 of the storage device, a storage location transfer device 25 in the form of a storage and retrieval machine 253 is provided. The storage and retrieval machine 253 is designed such that it can pick up a shelf 22 with the storage containers 92 stored thereon in any storage bay 21 and deposit it again in any other empty storage bay 21.

[0161] In one possible embodiment, the storage and retrieval machine 253 can have two vertical conveyors 255 arranged at the longitudinal ends of the order picking system 1, which can move a horizontal platform 256 along the vertical axis. Means are provided on the horizontal platform to lift a shelf 22 in a storage bay 21 from the support structures 13, 14 and move it into a position between the two rows of shelves. The horizontal platform 256 can then be moved vertically to a new position, where the shelf 22 is subsequently deposited on the support structures 13, 14 in another storage bay 21.

[0162] The transfer of storage containers 92 between the long-term storage 8, 81 and the short-term storage 2 of the order picking system 1 takes place at a transfer interface 7. In the order picking system 1 shown, the horizontal transport plane 815 of the box stack storage device 81 is extended into the interior of the order picking system 1 in such a way that an operating device 81T can be positioned at a transfer location 813 within the order picking system 1. The number of transfer locations corresponds to the number n of storage locations in the longitudinal direction of the storage device 2.

[0163] The storage bay below the transfer locations 813 of the transport level 815 is provided as a transfer storage bay 24, on which a shelf tray 22' is deposited. The n transfer locations 813 are arranged such that a storage and retrieval device 81T can deposit a storage container 92" brought from the long-term storage 8, 81 onto an empty storage location of the shelf tray 22' located below in the transfer storage bay 24. This results in the lateral spacing of the storage locations 23 on the shelf trays 22 of the order-picking system 1 advantageously corresponding to the grid spacing of the box stacking storage device 81.

[0164] Similarly, a storage and retrieval device 81 T at a transfer location 813 can pick up a storage container 92'' placed on the underlying storage location of the shelf tray 22' in the transfer storage bay 24. If necessary, the shelf tray 22' in the transfer bay 24 can be replaced by another shelf tray, for example, if all storage locations of the shelf tray 22' in the transfer storage bay 24 are occupied.

[0165] Advantageously, identification units are provided which enable the identity of a storage container 92'" to be determined before or after the storage container is deposited or picked up by the storage and retrieval device 81 T, for example as a camera or barcode scanner which can read a corresponding unique optical marking of a storage container. This allows a higher-level control unit to compare the actual state with the target state in order to avoid or detect problems and faulty states, such as missing or incorrect storage containers, at an early stage.

[0166] In the illustrated short-term storage device 2 of the order picking system 1, at least one storage bay 21 must be unoccupied to enable the movement of a shelf tray from any storage bay to any other storage bay, if necessary in two steps. To increase the efficiency of the storage device, two or more storage bays are advantageously unoccupied, for example, to keep transport routes of the shelf trays short or to be able to proactively carry out shelf tray movements.

[0167] The storage and retrieval machine 253 is designed to transfer entire shelf trays between the storage bays 21 of the short-term storage facility 2. However, for efficient management of the short-term storage facility and the picking orders to be fulfilled, it may also be useful to move storage containers on a shelf tray from one storage location to another, or from one shelf tray to another. For this purpose, the operating devices 811, 81T of the box storage device 81 can be used at the transfer interface 7. The removal of storage containers 92 from the short-term storage facility 2, especially completely empty storage containers, also takes place via the transfer interface 7.

[0168] A picking station 3 is provided on the long side of the picking system 1 facing away from the long-term storage 8, 81. In the illustrated embodiment, the picking station 3 comprises a storage bay of the storage device 2 provided as a picking station 32. This bay is located at the working height of an operator (not shown). An access opening 34 in the wall of the housing 11 allows an operator to pull a storage container 92" (shown in dashed lines) outward from a shelf 22" placed on the picking station 32 onto a storage area 33. The operator can then remove the item 9T required for a picking order from the corresponding storage container 92" and place it, for example, on a conveyor device provided outside the picking system 1 (not shown) or in a collection container provided for the picking order.

[0169] If the corresponding storage container 92" is no longer needed, the operator pushes it back to the storage location of the shelf tray 22" at the picking station 32. Finally, once all required goods have been removed from the corresponding storage containers of the shelf tray 22" at the picking station 32, the shelf tray 22" is removed by the storage location transfer device 25 and replaced with another shelf tray.

[0170] A computer- or microprocessor-controlled control unit (not shown) of the order-picking system 1 controls the various elements of the storage device 2, in particular the storage location transfer device 25, 253. The control unit is advantageously configured to receive a series of order-picking orders to be fulfilled and to manage the storage containers stored in the storage device 2 accordingly. With the aim of managing the order-picking orders as efficiently as possible, the control unit can request storage containers with the goods required for order-picking from a control unit (not shown) of the upstream long-term storage facility 8, 8a and have them deposited in the appropriate storage locations 23 of the most suitable shelf trays 22, in order to later move them to the order-picking location 32 of the order-picking station 3 using the storage location transfer device 25, 253.

[0171] The control unit preferably has an optimization module with which the optimal occupancy and management of the storage device 2 and the optimal sequence for processing the picking orders can be calculated based on the current occupancy of the storage device 2, the existing picking orders and the current status information of the long-term warehouse 8 and the higher-level warehouse system 5. External parameters such as the work schedules of the operating personnel are also advantageously included. For example, if two-shift operation is planned for the operating personnel of the picking system 1, the picking system 1 can optimize the occupancy of the storage device during the period in which no picking orders can be processed due to a lack of operating personnel and can also optimally prepare the goods items for picking orders to be processed later.

[0172] The control unit can also be configured as part of a higher-level control unit. For example, the control units of the long-term warehouse 8 and the order picking system 1 can be configured as a common control unit.

[0173] Instead of a single shelf, a storage device 2 can also have two or more shelf trays, each with multiple storage locations, arranged side by side in a storage bay. Such a design variant allows for more flexible management of the storage device, since the shelf trays can be loaded with storage containers more quickly at the transfer interface, or the shelf trays can be removed from the picking device more quickly. However, the storage location transfer device 25 becomes more elaborate and complex.

[0174] The above-discussed embodiment of a picking system 1 according to the invention enables a very efficient provision of the goods for a picking order. However, further processing of the goods, in particular the consolidation of the goods of a picking order and their further transport, takes place outside of the picking system 1.

[0175] The efficiency of the entire picking process can be further increased by integrating these work steps into the picking system according to the invention. One such embodiment is shown in Figure 6.

[0176] Again, the order picking system 1 according to the invention is preceded by a long-term storage 8 in the form of a box stacking storage 81, which is connected to the short-term storage 2 of the order picking system 1 via a transfer interface 7. In Figure 6, a storage and retrieval device 81T positioned at the transfer location 813 of the transport level 815 places a storage container 92" on an underlying storage location 23" of a shelf tray 22' stored in the transfer storage bay 24.

[0177] The picking station 3 comprises a storage bay provided as a picking station 32, in which a 22" shelf with a plurality of 92" storage containers can be placed. Instead of a storage bay, a free volume is provided directly above the picking station 32. The access opening 34 can be designed accordingly higher and allows an operator to view the open-topped storage containers 92". If necessary, mirrors and lighting can also be provided to facilitate viewing from outside the picking system 1.

[0178] Below the picking station 32, a horizontal conveyor device 4 is provided, in the embodiment shown in the form of a circulating tilting tray conveyor, with a plurality of tilting trays 41 arranged along a circulating conveyor path. Alternative horizontal conveyors, in particular belt conveyors and link belt conveyors, can also be used.

[0179] An operator (not shown) can now remove one or more goods items 9T, which are required for a picking order, from the corresponding storage container 92" and transfer them to a transfer device 31. The transfer device 31 comprises an insertion opening 310 and an underlying sliding chute 312, on which the inserted goods items 9T slide, driven by gravity, onto a tilting tray 41 of the conveyor device 4.

[0180] The transfer device is advantageously arranged longitudinally centrally to the picking station 3 so that the average walking distance of an operator from a storage container with the required article of goods to the insertion opening 310 is as short as possible.

[0181] Advantageously, sensors can be provided that register the occupancy of a tilting tray with the inserted goods 9T. The conveyor device 4 can then be moved one position further so that an empty tilting tray 41 is again available below the transfer device 31 for the next goods item.

[0182] The completed goods items of a picking order collected on the tilt-tray conveyor 4 can then be conveyed for further processing. For example, they can be transferred to a downstream conveyor system of a higher-level warehouse system, which transports them to an outgoing goods station, or to a production facility where the goods items of the picking order are required.

[0183] In particular, the completed goods items of a picking order collected on the tilting tray conveyor 4 can be transferred to an overhead conveyor system by placing the goods items in an overhead conveyor pocket of an overhead conveyor system.

[0184] In one embodiment of an order picking system according to the invention, in which two separate shelf shelves are arranged next to each other in each storage bay, the transfer device is advantageously arranged where the two shelf shelves meet.

[0185] The short-term storage 2 of a picking system 1 according to the invention can alternatively be configured as a paternoster rack 250, as in the exemplary embodiment of a picking system 1 shown in Figures 7(a) and 7(b). In a paternoster storage 250, the functions of the storage device 2 coincide with those of the storage location transfer device 25 in the form of a paternoster conveyor. For this purpose, a paternoster conveyor device has a plurality of shelf trays 22, which are arranged to be movable along a circumferential conveyor path 252. Static storage bays 21 are defined along the conveyor path 252, which in this case primarily have functional significance in the sense of a location indication. The paternoster conveyor device 250 conveys the shelf trays 22 along the conveyor path 252 from one storage bay 21 to the next.

[0186] Those skilled in the art are familiar with various ways in which such a paternoster conveyor device can be designed. For example, at two opposite corners at the two longitudinal ends of a shelf shelf, a coupling to two parallel revolving drive chains of the conveyor can be provided, thus defining the conveyor path. Rollers can be provided at the other corners of the shelf shelf, which run in corresponding guides, thus ensuring a constant horizontal alignment of the shelf shelves 22.

[0187] In order to convey shelf trays 22 of the storage device 2 to or from the picking station 32, and to convey shelf trays 22 to or from the transfer interface 7, the paternoster conveyor device 250 conveys the entirety of the shelf trays 22 along the conveyor path 252 in a conveying direction (indicated by the thick arrow) by the required number of storage bays. The conveying direction can always be the same. However, the conveying direction is advantageously selected as needed so that the overall operation of the picking system 1 is as efficient as possible.

[0188] In the illustrated embodiment, two rows of storage locations 23, 23' for storage containers 92 are provided longitudinally on each shelf 22, with one of the two rows having a storage location on one side of the shelf remaining permanently unoccupied. An opening 310' is provided at this location in the shelf 22, which will be discussed further below.

[0189] The arrangement of two rows of storage locations 23, 23' on the shelf trays 22 allows for a higher storage capacity of the short-term storage device 2. However, it is also possible to provide only one row of storage locations. Similarly, in the previously discussed order picking systems with individually movable shelf trays, the shelf trays can also be equipped with two rows of storage locations.

[0190] The transfer of storage containers 92 between the long-term storage 8, configured as a box stacking storage device 81, and the short-term storage 2 of the order picking system 1 takes place via a transfer interface 7 similar to the one in the previously discussed embodiments. In this specific case, two transfer locations 813 are provided on the transport level 815, on which a storage and retrieval device 81T of the long-term storage 8 can deposit a storage container onto a storage location 23" of a shelf 22' located below.

[0191] At the picking station 3, an operator (not shown) can pull a storage container 92' from a storage location 23' of the shelf tray located at the picking station 32 through an access opening 34 onto a shelf 33 in order to gain access to the goods 91 in the storage container 92. Alternatively, the operator can also access the storage container 92' directly. If the operator needs to access a storage container located in a storage location 23 in the rear row of the shelf tray 22', they can first pull the storage container 23' in front of it in the front row onto the shelf 33 and then pull the rear storage container onto the front storage location 23'. A conveying device 4 in the form of a circulating link belt conveyor is arranged below the picking station 32.In order to deposit a goods item 9T of a picking order obtained from a storage container 92' on this horizontal conveyor device 4, the operator throws the goods item 9T through the central insertion opening 310' of the shelf tray.

[0192] In an advantageous variant, guide elements, for example in the form of vertical guide plates or elastic plastic elements, are arranged below the insertion opening 310' of each shelf 22, which ensure that a product item 9T lands safely on the conveyor device 4.

[0193] The arrangement of the insertion opening 310' on the shelf tray 22 has the advantage that the exterior area of ​​the picking station 3 can be kept compact. However, shelf trays with such central insertion openings can also be used in storage devices with movable shelf trays.

[0194] Such an advantageous embodiment of an order-picking system 1 according to the invention is discussed with reference to Figures 8(a) and 8(b). The order-picking system 1 is connected via a transfer interface 7 to an upstream box stacking storage device 81 as a long-term storage facility 8. The short-term storage facility 2 of the order-picking system 1 is designed as a rack storage device 27, 27' with a plurality of rack trays 22 mounted on two sides of the housing 11 in storage bays 21 on support structures (not shown).

[0195] In contrast to the previously discussed embodiments, in this case the goods 91 in the storage device 2 are stored directly on the shelf trays 22, and not in storage containers 91. This allows for greater volume efficiency of the short-term storage facility 2, since, in particular, the individual storage bays 21 need not be as high, and a higher occupancy rate of the shelf trays 22 can be achieved. The storage bays 21 can be designed with different heights. Depending on the maximum height of the goods 91 stored on a shelf tray 22, a shelf tray 22 can be placed in a storage bay 21 that is just high enough, thus further minimizing the required storage volume.

[0196] In the transfer interface 7, the transport level 815 of the long-term storage 8, 81 is extended into the interior of the order picking system 1 such that two transfer stations 813 are available one behind the other for the storage and retrieval machines 81T. Advantageously, as many n transfer stations as possible are provided next to each other in the longitudinal direction of the order picking system 1. At these 2*n transfer stations, the storage and retrieval machines 81T can place a storage container 92" in the transfer storage bay 24 below onto a stationary transfer shelf tray 241. Using a manipulator device 254, for example, as shown, with a robot gripper arm movable transversely to the shelf, some or all of the goods 91 can be picked up from the storage containers 92" placed in the transfer bay 24 and transferred to a shelf tray 22" held ready by the storage location transfer device 25.For this purpose, the manipulator device 254 is also movable in the longitudinal direction of the rack storage, so that a product item can be placed at any location on the rack shelf 22".

[0197] Empty or partially empty storage containers 92" that are no longer required can then be returned from the transfer bay 24 to the long-term storage 8, 81 for further use using the storage retrieval devices 81T. Since otherwise no storage containers 92 need to be returned from the storage device 2 to the long-term storage 8, in particular, fewer relocation operations of the storage location transfer device 25 are required.

[0198] In the illustrated embodiment, the manipulator device 254 is arranged above the platform 256 as part of the storage and retrieval machine 25, 253. Accordingly, sufficient space is required at the top of the uppermost storage bay for the manipulator device 254. The manipulator device 254 can also be used to relocate merchandise items to the uppermost shelf trays 22"', for example, to optimize the loading of the corresponding shelf trays 22"', or to transfer merchandise items from the accompanying shelf tray 22' to the uppermost shelf trays 22'".

[0199] In an alternative embodiment, the manipulator device 254 can be configured to be vertically movable independently of the platform 256. This allows for more flexible and efficient operation of the storage location transfer device 25, as the two functions can be decoupled.

[0200] In another alternative embodiment, the manipulator device 254 can be attached to the lateral support structure 12 of the order picking system 1.

[0201] At picking station 3 of picking system 1, a picking station 32 is provided, on which a shelf tray 22' can be placed on support structures (not shown) by the storage location transfer device 25. An operator 95 has insight into and access to the goods 91 on the shelf tray 22' through an access opening 34.

[0202] Each shelf tray 22 has a drop-in opening 310' in a central area, which is not available for storing merchandise items 91. If the shelf tray 22' is located at the picking station 32, an operator 95 can drop a merchandise item 9T through this drop-in opening 310' onto a conveyor device 4 located below, in the example shown onto a ready-to-use transport tray 41 of a tray conveyor.

[0203] An indicator unit 351 shows the operator 95 which article of merchandise 91 must next be thrown into the insertion opening 310'. This can be achieved, for example, with a light pointer 353, which is generated, for example, by a steerable laser beam. An identification unit 352, for example in the form of a camera or a laser scanner, or in the form of an RFID reader, is provided above the insertion opening 310'. Before the operator 95 throws an article of merchandise 9T into the insertion opening 310, they have it identified by the identification unit 352, for example by reading a barcode. A positive identification can then be indicated to the operator by an acoustic and / or optical signal, i.e., the identified article of merchandise matches the article of merchandise actually required.

[0204] The tray conveyor 4, as shown in Figure 8(a), has a higher overall height than, for example, a belt conveyor due to the larger deflection radius, so that the picking station 32 must be arranged higher. To ensure an ergonomic working height, a work platform 362 with a rear railing 363 is provided in the area of ​​the access opening, which is accessible via stairs 361.

[0205] A further embodiment of an order picking system 1 according to the invention is shown in a section in Figure 9, with a view of the access opening 34 of the order picking station 3 of the order picking system 1. The upstream long-term storage facility, which is located behind the order picking system 1 in the viewing direction, is not visible.

[0206] The storage device of the order-picking system 1 is designed as a rack storage system similar to the order-picking system in Figure 8(a). A rack shelf 22' is placed on the order-picking station 32, on which a plurality of goods 91 are stored. A drop-in opening 310' is provided in the rack shelf 22', centrally along the long side of the rack shelf 22', toward the access opening 34, similar to Figure 8(b).

[0207] The conveyor device 4 is designed as a horizontal link belt conveyor, which runs empty from the left into the housing 11 of the order picking system 1, passes the insertion opening 310' below the shelf 22' at the order picking station 32 and continues to the right and leaves the order picking system again in order to transport the goods items of a order picking order collected in this way for further processing (not shown).

[0208] An operator (not shown) can pick up a goods item 9T required for the fulfillment of a picking order from the shelf tray 22', have it identified by an identification unit 352 (for example a camera-based system for reading a barcode or QR code), and then throw it through the insertion opening 310' in the shelf tray 22' onto the horizontal conveyor 4 or place it manually thereon.

[0209] A light barrier sensor (not shown) can advantageously be provided below the insertion opening 310' of the shelf 22', which can register the passage of a product item. Furthermore, a camera system can also be provided, which can verify the position and / or identity of a product item inserted onto the conveyor 4.

[0210] In the illustrated embodiment, the vertical distance between horizontal conveyor 4 and shelf 22' is smaller than in the previously discussed order-picking system according to Figure 8(a). This allows manual placement on the conveyor device, or at least reduces the fall distance of a product item 9T.

[0211] Since the continuous horizontal conveyor 4 requires little vertical space, the picking station 3 can be designed so that an operator can operate the picking station 3 at ground level. The belt conveyor returns along a horizontal path (not shown), which makes such an embodiment particularly advantageous for longer and / or horizontally winding transport paths of the goods. However, if the conveyor device 4 is designed as a circulating horizontal link belt conveyor, as shown by way of example in Figure 10, which has a greater overall height, a work platform 362 may need to be provided to allow an operator ergonomic access to the access opening of the picking station.

[0212] Above the picking station 32, two indicator units 351 are provided, which can be used to visually indicate to an operator which item 9T is to be picked next from the shelf tray 22'. In the example shown, the right indicator unit 351 marks an item 9T with a laser beam or a narrow light cone 353 directed at the corresponding item. Such optical marking increases the turnover rate because the operator can keep their eyes on the shelf tray 22' instead of, for example, having to occasionally read instructions from a screen.

[0213] Advantageously, a picking system 1 according to the invention can also be equipped with means 313 that allow pre-sorting and / or precise positioning of the transferred goods on the conveyor device 4. Such an embodiment of a picking system 1 according to the invention is shown by way of example in Figures 11(a) and 11(b). Above the picking station 32, the picking station 3 corresponds to the embodiment in Figure 10.

[0214] Below the shelf 22' on the picking station 32, a first circulating horizontal belt conveyor 4 is arranged, which conveys goods items 91" to the right, where the goods items reach a second, inclined circulating belt conveyor 4'. The second belt conveyor 4' conveys the goods items 91" further to a downstream processing station 51.

[0215] At the processing station 51, a belt conveyor 514 receives a product item 9T" and positions it below an identification unit 511, with which the identity of the product item 9T" can be determined or verified using optical means, in particular by reading a QR code or other optically readable information. The belt conveyor 514 then transfers the product item to a conveyor system 52 in the form of a circulating link belt conveyor 521, which conveys the product items further.Before a product item 9T, previously identified by the identification unit 352 and subsequently inserted through the insertion opening 310' in the shelf tray 22', reaches the first conveyor 4, each such product item 9T first lands on a first sorting belt conveyor 314, which then conveys the product item either to the left or to the right onto one of the two downstream sorting belt conveyors 314', 314" according to the instructions of a control unit. These second sorting belt conveyors 314', 314" can then place the product item at a desired position on the horizontal first conveyor 4. A limiting element 42 prevents a product item from sliding too far backward on the conveyor 4.

[0216] The sorting belt conveyors 314, 314', 314" together form a pre-sorting device 313, which allows a specific item of goods to be deposited on the conveyor 4 between two other, already placed items of goods. In this way, a sequence of items of goods can be generated on the conveyor 4 to a certain extent. Such a series sorting of items of goods can be used, for example, to bring the elements of a picking order into a specific order, if necessary.

[0217] However, row sorting can also serve, for example, to make the transfer of goods onto conveyor 4 more efficient. For example, an indicator unit 351 can mark two or more goods for transfer instead of just one, whereby the operator can decide the order in which the goods are transferred to the transfer device. A pre-sorting device allows such a random transfer order to be corrected.

[0218] Advantageously, the circulating first belt conveyor 4 is integrated into the pre-sorting device 313 by deliberately stopping the belt conveyor 4 or moving it a certain distance to the left or right.

[0219] A similar embodiment of a picking system 1 according to the invention is explained with reference to Figure 12. The picking station 3 comprises a pre-sorting device 313 analogous to the preceding Figure 11. The pre-sorted goods items 91" are conveyed via the conveyor device 4, 4' to a post-processing station 51, which checks the identity of the individual goods items and transfers them to a downstream conveyor system 52 in the form of an overhead conveyor system 522. A corresponding overhead conveyor system is known, for example, from US 2019 / 0367282 A1. At the post-processing station 51, a belt conveyor 514 receives a goods item 9T" and positions it below an optical identification unit 511. In addition, the post-processing station 51 has an RFID transmitter 513 and an RFID receiver 512, with which a corresponding RFID tag 94 on the goods item 9T" can be read.

[0220] The overhead conveyor system 522 shown comprises a transport rail 527, in which a free-running carriage of an overhead conveyor unit 531 can be moved in a rolling or sliding manner. The overhead conveyor unit further comprises a transport pocket 525, which can be opened by lifting the rigid pocket base.

[0221] For filling, the overhead conveyor units 531 are brought forward and their transport pockets 525 are temporarily aligned transversely to the conveying direction. Support rollers 530 open the transport pockets 525 as they are conveyed forward, as shown in Figure 12. A stop plate 529 stabilizes the suspended transport pocket 525 and prevents it from rocking transversely to the conveying direction. A stop element 528 temporarily stops the overhead conveyor element 531, and a scanner unit 526 identifies the overhead conveyor element 531. Once a product item 9T" has been identified, the belt conveyor 514 of the post-processing station 51 transfers the product item to a slide chute 524 of the filling device 523, on which the product item slides into the open transport pocket 525 of the waiting overhead conveyor unit 531. The product item is now recorded as a load of the overhead conveyor unit in an associated database of a control system of the conveyor system 52.

[0222] A single item or multiple items can be loaded into a transport bag 525. Once all the intended items have been deposited in the transport bag 525, it is released again by the stop element 528 to be conveyed further along the conveyor system 52, 522 to a specific destination, for example, to an outgoing goods station.

[0223] As far as the transport capacity allows, the transport bag 525 can, for example, be loaded with all the goods items of a picking order. Alternatively, the goods items of a picking order can also be divided into several transport bags. In this case, a transport bag is loaded with only a portion of the goods items of a picking order, possibly even with only a single goods item of the picking order. A further embodiment of an order-picking system 1 according to the invention is disclosed in Figure 13. The picking station 3 differs from the previous Figure 12 in that it includes a pre-collection device 315 arranged below the insertion opening 310'. The pre-collection device 315 comprises a collection container 316 with a displaceably mounted sliding floor 317.The sliding floor 317 is operatively connected to an actuator 318, which can be designed, for example, as a pneumatic or electric actuator.

[0224] In a collection configuration of the pre-collection device 315, the sliding floor 317 closes the underside of the collection container 316. Items 9T that are inserted into the insertion opening 310' by an operator thus first land in the collection container 316, as shown in Figure 13. Finally, if all items of a specific picking order are located in the collection container 316, or a subset thereof (for example, in the case of larger picking orders), a control unit of the picking system instructs the actuator device 318 to retract the sliding floor. In this unloading configuration, the items collected in the container 316 fall onto the belt conveyor 4 arranged below and are conveyed together to the downstream processing station 51. The downstream processing station 51 and the filling device 523 for the overhead conveyor system 52, 522 are identical to Figure 12.Accordingly, reference is made to the explanations therein.

[0225] To achieve an even higher degree of automation of a picking system according to the invention, it may be desirable to also automate the compilation of the goods items of a picking order. Such an advantageous embodiment of a picking system 1 according to the invention will be explained with reference to Figure 14.

[0226] The order picking system 1 is connected via a transfer interface 7 to an upstream box stacking storage device 81 as a long-term storage 8. The short-term storage 2 of the order picking system 1 is designed as a shelf storage device 27, 27', analogous to Figure 8(a).

[0227] The transfer interface 7 has a manipulator device 711 in the form of a robot gripper arm that can be moved transversely to the shelf and is configured to remove goods from a storage container 92'" in a transfer storage bay 24 and to deposit them on the housing-side half 713a of a belt conveyor 712. The manipulator device 711 is also movable along the longitudinal axis of the shelf storage of the order picking system, so that goods can be removed from a storage container in the transfer storage bay 24 at any point and deposited at any point in the half 713a of the belt conveyor 712.

[0228] In the illustrated embodiment, the transfer storage bay 24 is provided in the long-term warehouse 8 adjacent to the order picking system 1. The warehouse retrieval devices 811 moving on the transport level 815 then place a storage container 92"', from which goods are to be removed for the short-term warehouse of the order picking system 1, in this transfer storage bay 24.

[0229] The transfer storage bay 24 can alternatively also be a functional part of the crate stacking storage device 81, in which case the uppermost possible position of a crate stacking grid location adjacent to the order-picking system 1 functionally forms the transfer storage bay 24 of the transfer interface 7. The locations below remain available for the long-term storage facility 8. However, individual storage locations of the transfer storage bay 24 are temporarily unusable when the crate stacking storage device 81 needs to access storage containers in the lower layers of the crate stack below the transfer bay 24.

[0230] The storage and retrieval machine 25, 253 also has a manipulator device 254 in the form of a robot gripper arm that can be moved transversely to the shelf and also in the longitudinal direction of the shelf. This robot gripper arm can remove goods 91 from a second half 713b of the belt conveyor 712 of the transfer interface 7 and place them on a shelf tray 22" provided by the storage location transfer device 25.

[0231] If necessary, the belt conveyor 712 moves the conveyor belt forward by half a conveyor length to the right so that the goods items deposited by the first manipulator device 711 of the transfer interface 7 in the first half 713a reach the second half 713b, where they can be picked up by the second manipulator device 254 of the storage and retrieval device 253 and deposited on the accompanying shelf tray 22".

[0232] If necessary, the storage and retrieval machine 253 places the shelf 22" in an empty storage bay 22 and replaces it with another shelf. The belt conveyor 712 advantageously has several parallel and independently operable conveyor belts. This allows for more efficient operation of the transfer interface 7, since the utilization and throughput of the belt conveyor 712 can be increased.

[0233] The order picking system 1 shown has a picking station 3 and a picking device 3a. A picking station 3 is designed for manual operation. An operator (not shown) can remove goods from a shelf tray 22' placed on the picking station 32 through an access opening 34 and place them on a conveyor device (not shown) provided outside the order picking system 1 or in a collection container provided for the order picking.

[0234] A picking device 3a is provided for automated operation. It comprises a belt conveyor 37 arranged at a picking station 32a. The manipulator device 254 of the storage and retrieval machine 253 can remove goods items 91 from a carried shelf 22" and place them on the belt conveyor 37. The belt conveyor 37 then conveys the goods items 91" to a filling device 523 of an overhead conveyor system 52, 522, as already shown and described analogously for Figure 12. After a goods item has been identified by an optical detection device 511 and / or an RFID reading device 512, 513, the belt conveyor 37 conveys the goods item further to a slide chute 524, on which it enters the transport pocket 525 of a waiting overhead conveyor unit.

[0235] The width of the belt conveyor 37 in the illustrated example of an automated order picking device 3a is essentially determined by the width of the transport pocket 525. In order to better utilize the available space in the longitudinal direction of the order picking system and achieve a higher throughput capacity, several parallel belt conveyors can be provided, which successively deposit goods into a slowly advancing transport pocket.

[0236] Another advantageous embodiment of an automated order-picking device 3a of an order-picking system according to the invention is shown in Figure 15. A plurality of parallel belt conveyors 37 are arranged on the order-picking station 32a, onto which a manipulator device of the storage and retrieval machine (not shown) can deposit goods 91, 9T, 91". The parallel belt conveyors 37 convey the goods to a collecting conveyor 39 arranged outside the housing 11 of the order-picking system in the longitudinal direction below the level of the belt conveyors 37. The collecting conveyor 39 can also be designed as a belt conveyor or as a tray conveyor.

[0237] The collecting conveyor 39 conveys the goods 91" to the right to a sliding chute 524 of a filling device 523 of an overhead conveyor system, on which they reach a waiting transport pocket 525 of an overhead conveyor device.

[0238] Such a picking system allows for very efficient compilation of picking orders. For example, as shown in Figure 15, groups 91, 9T, 91" of merchandise items, each of which together forms a picking order, can be deposited on the parallel belt conveyors 37 in such a way that they can be deposited on the accumulating conveyor 39 essentially simultaneously as a group of merchandise items. In the example shown, the merchandise items 91" of a specific picking order have previously been deposited on the accumulating conveyor 39 and can now be quickly and efficiently placed as a group into the waiting transport pocket 525. Once this process is complete, the parallel belt conveyors 37 are reactivated and deposit the next group of merchandise items 9T of the next picking order on the accumulating conveyor 39, which in turn fills them all into another transport pocket.

[0239] Alternatively, a tray conveyor can also be provided as the collection conveyor 39. In such a case, the collection conveyor can, for example, be advanced in a timed manner. The belt conveyors 37 each deposit goods items of a specific picking order into a specific tray or a group of consecutive trays of the tray conveyor, so that ultimately all goods items of a specific picking order are deposited in one tray or in a group of consecutive trays.

[0240] Instead of using dedicated conveyor devices, an automated picking device 3b of a picking system 1 according to the invention can also use conveyor means from the upstream long-term storage facility 8 to transfer the goods of a picking order to a downstream conveyor system 52. Such an embodiment is shown in Figure 16.

[0241] The order picking system 1 is designed in its interior essentially analogously to the order picking system from Figure 8(a) or Figure 14, with a short-term storage 2 in the form of a shelf storage 27, 27', in which shelf trays 22 can be slidably stored in storage bays 21.

[0242] The transfer interface 7 can be designed as in Figure 8(a), with a manipulator device 254 of the storage and retrieval machine 25, 253, which can transfer goods items 91 between storage containers 92"' in the transfer storage bay 24 and a carried shelf tray 22".

[0243] Alternatively, the transfer interface 7 can be designed as in Figure 14, with a manipulator device 254 of the storage and retrieval device 25, 253, which can transfer goods items 91 between the belt conveyor 712 and a carried shelf tray 22", and a manipulator device 711 which can transfer goods items 91 between the belt conveyor 712 and storage containers 92'" in the transfer storage bay 24 outside the housing 11 of the order picking system 1.

[0244] In such an embodiment, the transfer interface 7 is used as before for storing goods items from the long-term storage 8, 81 into the short-term storage 2 of the order picking system 1. However, it is also used additionally to convey goods items from a shelf 22" held ready by the storage and retrieval machine 253 into provided empty storage containers 92'" in the transfer storage bay 24. Thus, the goods items of a specific order picking order can be collected in one or more storage containers 92'".

[0245] If the goods required for a picking order are present in the at least one storage container in the transfer storage bay 24, these corresponding storage containers 92'" can be picked up from the transfer storage bay 24 by the storage and retrieval devices 811 of the box stack storage device 81 and conveyed on the transport level 815 to a picking station 32b of the automated picking device 3b.

[0246] The picking station 32b comprises a storage bay into which a storage and retrieval device 811 can deposit a storage container 92'". In the illustrated embodiment, the storage bay is arranged on the uppermost level of a storage shaft (812) of the box stacking storage (81).

[0247] A laterally movable manipulator device 38 in the form of a robot gripper arm allows the goods items 9T to be removed from the storage container 92"' in the storage bay of the picking station 32b and deposited on a belt conveyor 514'. The belt conveyor 514' then conveys the goods items 9T individually to a filling device 523 for an overhead conveyor system of the downstream conveyor system, as already discussed. The filling device 523 identifies the goods items and stores them in a waiting transport pocket of an overhead conveyor unit.

[0248] Instead of being transported directly to the picking device 3b, the storage containers containing the goods of a picking order can also be temporarily stored in the long-term storage area 8. This allows capacity bottlenecks at the transfer interface 7 and / or the picking device 3b to be compensated for and the available transport capacities to be used optimally.

[0249] Another such variant of an automated order picking device 3b is shown in Figure 17. Analogous to the previous Figure 16, the storage containers 92'" prepared in the transfer interface of the order picking system (not visible) are picked up by storage and retrieval devices 811 of the long-term storage facility 8 in the form of a box stacking storage device 81 from the transfer storage bay of the transfer interface and conveyed to the order picking device 3b on the transport level 815.

[0250] In the illustrated embodiment, the picking station 32b comprises a belt conveyor 37, the first longitudinal end of which is arranged in a storage bay at the bottom of a storage shaft 812 of the box stacking storage 81. An operating device 811 can move to the corresponding storage shaft 812 and place the storage container 92'" on the belt conveyor 37.

[0251] The belt conveyor 37 conveys the storage container 92'" further to the right, whereby the belt conveyor 37 also acts as a buffer, since in the example shown, three storage containers can be placed on the belt conveyor. A manipulator device 38 in the form of a movable robot gripper arm removes the goods 9T from the storage container 92'" at the second longitudinal end of the belt conveyor 37 and deposits them on a belt conveyor 514' of the filling device 523. The now empty storage container is removed from the belt conveyor 37 and set aside for reuse in the long-term storage facility 8. Instead of a belt conveyor, the picking station 32b of the picking device 3b can also have a carousel conveyor, which is arranged with a loading point at the bottom of a storage shaft 812 of the box stacking storage facility 81. A manipulator device 38 can then remove the goods items 9T from the storage container at another location on the carousel conveyor.Once all required items have been removed, the carousel conveyor rotates one position further. This design has the advantage of preventing congestion.

[0252] The belt conveyor 514' conveys the merchandise item 9T" further to an actively driven roller conveyor 514a, on which the merchandise items can be provided in a space-saving manner. Using a series of detection units 51T, a control unit 541 can determine the position of the merchandise items on the roller conveyor 514a in order to control the individual rollers of the roller conveyor 514a accordingly.

[0253] From the roller conveyor 514a, one item of merchandise is conveyed to a belt conveyor 514, where the corresponding item is identified by an optical detection unit 511 and / or an RFID reader unit 512, 513. If the identity of the item of merchandise matches the target value, it is deposited via a slide into a transport pocket 525 of a waiting overhead conveyor unit of an overhead conveyor device 522, in which the items of merchandise from the picking order are collected. The control unit 541 links the data of the stored items of merchandise in a database 542 with the identity of the overhead conveyor unit.

[0254] The scope of the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein. Rather, various further modifications of the present invention, in addition to the examples disclosed herein, will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the description and the accompanying figures, which modifications also fall within the scope of the claims.

[0255] Furthermore, the description cites various references, the disclosure content of which is hereby incorporated into the description by reference in its entirety.

Claims

Patent claims 1. A system (1) for picking piece goods, comprising a storage device (2) with a plurality of shelf trays (22, 22', 22", 22"') on which piece goods (91) and / or storage containers (92) with piece goods can be placed; with a plurality of storage bays (21, 21') in which the shelf trays (22, 22', 22", 22'") can be placed; and with a storage location transfer device (25, 250, 253) which is configured to transfer shelf trays from one storage bay to another storage bay; a picking station (3, 3a, 3b) with at least one picking location (32, 32a, 32b) on which a shelf tray can be placed, wherein the at least one picking location is also a storage bay of the storage device; and a conveying device (4, 4', 37) which is arranged to convey piece goods (9T) placed on the conveying device to a downstream processing station (51);wherein the picking station and / or the picking device (3, 3a, 3b) of the picking system (1) has a transfer device (31, 38, 254) which is designed to receive piece goods (91) and to place them on the at least one conveyor device (4, 4', 37); 2. System according to claim 1, wherein the transfer device (31) is designed to convey piece goods (91) placed in an insertion opening (310, 310') of the transfer device to the at least one conveying device (4, 4') by gravity.

3. System according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the insertion opening (310) of the transfer device (31) is arranged in the region of one of the picking stations (32, 32a) of the picking station and / or the picking device (3, 3a, 3b).

4. System according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the insertion opening (310') of the transfer device (31) is formed in the shelf panels (22, 22', 22", 22'").

5. System according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the transfer device (31) of the order-picking station and / or the order-picking device (3, 3a, 3b) has a chute, a guide element and / or a sliding chute (312) on which piece goods (91) can be transferred to the conveying device (4, 4') by gravity.

6. System according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the transfer device (31) of the order-picking station and / or the order-picking device (3, 3a, 3b) has a pre-sorting device (313) which is designed to transfer piece goods transferred to the transfer device (3) in a specific order to the at least one conveying device (4, 4', 37) in a specific other order.

7. System according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the storage device (2) is implemented as a vertically circulating paternoster rack storage system, with a storage location transfer device (25) designed as a paternoster conveyor (250) with a plurality of rack shelves (22, 22', 22", 22"') on which piece goods (91) and / or storage containers (92) with piece goods can be deposited, so that the storage location transfer device can convey the rack shelves along the various storage bays (21, 21') of the storage device.

8. System according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the storage device (2) is implemented as a rack storage system, with one or two rack units (27, 27'), each having a plurality of storage bays (21, 2T) arranged one above the other; and wherein the storage location transfer device (25) comprises a storage and retrieval device (253) configured to transfer a rack tray (22, 22', 22", 22'") from one storage bay to another.

9. System according to claim 8, wherein the storage device (2) comprises two shelf units (27, 27') spaced horizontally from one another; and wherein the storage and retrieval device (253) is arranged between the two shelf units.

10. System according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the conveying device (4, 4', 37) is designed to convey piece goods (91) out of the order-picking system (1).

11. System according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the conveying device (4, 4', 37) is arranged below the picking stations (32, 32a, 32b) of the picking station and / or the picking device.

12. System according to one of the preceding claims, with a transfer interface (7) which is designed to deposit storage containers (92') from an upstream storage device (8, 81, 82) on a shelf (22', 241) which is placed in a storage bay (24) of the storage device (2) of the order-picking system (1) provided for this transfer.

13. System according to claim 12, wherein the transfer interface (7) comprises a device (254) which is configured to remove piece goods (91) from a storage container (92'") on the shelf tray (241) of the storage bay (24) provided for the transfer and to place them on a shelf tray (22, 22", 22'") which is placed in another storage bay (21, 2T) or is held by a storage and retrieval device (253) of a storage location transfer device (25).

14. Plant according to claim 13, wherein the device for removing piece goods is designed as a manipulator device (254) with a robot arm.

15. System according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a transfer device configured to convey piece goods (91) placed in an insertion opening of the transfer device to the at least one conveying device (4, 4', 37) by gravity; and comprising a device (254) configured to remove piece goods (91) from a shelf (22', 22") and transfer them to the transfer device.

16. Plant according to claim 15, wherein the device for removing piece goods is designed as a manipulator device (254) with a robot arm.

17. System according to one of the preceding claims, with an order-picking device (3a, 3b) with an order-picking station (32a, 32b), wherein the order-picking device (3a, 3b) comprises a horizontal conveyor device (37, 39) which is arranged on the order-picking station (32a, 32b) and on which piece goods (9T, 91") can be deposited by a storage and retrieval device (254, 38) of the order-picking system (1); wherein the horizontal conveyor device (37, 39) is configured to convey piece goods placed on the horizontal conveyor device to a downstream processing station (51, 523).

18. System according to claim 17, wherein the storage and retrieval machine (38) of the order-picking system (1) has a manipulator device (254) with which piece goods (9T, 91") can be deposited on the horizontal conveyor device (37, 39) of the order-picking device (3a, 3b).

19. System according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a picking device with a picking station, wherein the picking device has a manipulator device which is configured to pick up goods items from a shelf on the picking station and to transfer them to a conveyor device.

20. System according to one of the preceding claims, with a processing station (51) which is designed to transfer piece goods (91) conveyed by a conveying device (4, 4', 37) of the order-picking system (1) to a downstream conveying system (52) of a storage system (5).

21. Plant according to claim 20, wherein the downstream conveyor system (52) of the storage system (5) is a suspended conveyor system (522), in particular a suspended pocket conveyor system.

22. Storage system (5) comprising a picking system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 21; and a long-term storage facility (8) for storing a plurality of storage containers (92), which is connected to the picking system (1) by conveyor technology (7).

23. Storage system according to claim 22, wherein the long-term storage (8) is realized as a box stack storage device (81) or as a shelf storage device (82).

24. Storage system according to claim 22 or 23, with a downstream conveyor system (52) and a downstream processing station (51) which is designed to transfer piece goods (91) conveyed by a conveyor device (4, 4', 37) from the order-picking system (1) to the downstream conveyor system (52).

25. Storage system according to one of claims 22 to 24, wherein the downstream conveyor system (52) of the storage system (5) is a suspended conveyor system (522), in particular a suspended pocket conveyor system.

26. Storage system according to one of claims 22 to 25, wherein the long-term storage facility (8) is implemented as a box stack storage device (81) with at least one storage and retrieval device (811, 81T); and wherein the at least one storage and retrieval device (811, 81T) is configured to receive storage containers (92') from a transfer interface (7) of the order-picking system (1) and to convey them within the long-term storage facility (8) to a processing station (523) and / or to an order-picking device (3b).

27. Storage system according to one of claims 22 to 26, wherein the long-term storage facility (8) is implemented as a box stacking storage device (81) with at least one storage and retrieval device (811, 81T); and wherein the at least one storage and retrieval device (811, 81T) is configured to transfer storage containers (92') from the long-term storage facility (8) to a transfer interface (7) of the order-picking system (1).

28. Storage system according to claim 26 or 27, wherein the processing station (523) or the order-picking device (3b) has a manipulator device (38) which is configured to remove articles of goods (9T) from storage containers (92") and to transfer them to the downstream conveyor system (52) of the storage system (5), wherein the storage containers (92") were conveyed via the long-term storage facility (8).

29. A method for picking piece goods, in which a picking system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 21 or a storage system (5) according to one of claims 22 to 28 is provided; a specific shelf tray (22') of the picking system (1), on which one or more piece goods (9T) required for a specific picking order are transferred from a storage bay (21, 2T) of the storage device (2) of the picking system (1) to a picking station (32, 32a, 32b) of the picking system (1); and one or more piece goods (91, 9T, 91") required for a specific picking order are removed from the specific shelf tray (22') on the at least one picking station (32, 32a) and placed on a conveyor device (4, 4', 37).

30. Method according to claim 29, wherein said piece goods (91, 9T, 91") are subsequently transferred by the conveying device (4, 4', 37) to a downstream conveying system (52) of a storage system (5).

31. Method according to claim 30, wherein the downstream conveyor system (52) of the storage system (5) is a suspended conveyor system (522), in particular a suspended pocket conveyor system.

32. A storage system (5) comprising a long-term storage facility (8) in the form of a box stacking storage device (81) for storing a plurality of storage containers (92) in which piece goods (91) can be stored, wherein the box stacking storage device (81) has at least one storage and retrieval device (811, 81T) with which storage containers (92) can be picked up, moved, and / or deposited within the box stacking storage device; a picking system (1) for picking piece goods; wherein the picking system (1) has a storage device (2) with a plurality of shelf trays (22, 22', 22", 22"') on which storage containers (92) with piece goods can be deposited; with a plurality of storage bays (21, 2T) in which the shelf trays (22, 22', 22", 22'") can be placed; and with a storage location transfer device (25, 250, 253) which is arranged to transfer shelf trays from one storage bay to another storage bay;and a transfer interface (7) which is configured so that the at least one storage and retrieval device (811, 81T) of the box stack storage device (81) can take over a storage container (92'") from the transfer interface and / or transfer it to the transfer interface, in that the at least one storage and retrieval device (811, 81T) places the storage container (92'") on a shelf (22', 241) or picks it up from this shelf, which is placed in a storage bay (24) of the storage device (2) of the order picking system (1) provided for this transfer.

33. Storage system according to claim 32, wherein the at least one storage and retrieval device (811, 81T) is configured to convey storage containers (92'") received from the transfer interface (7) within the long-term storage facility (8) to a processing station (523) and / or to a picking device (3b).

34. Storage system according to claim 32 or 33, wherein the transfer interface (7) has a device (254) which is designed to remove piece goods (91) from a storage container (92'') on the shelf tray (241) of the storage bay (24) provided for the transfer and to place them on a shelf tray (22, 22", 22'') which is placed in another storage bay (21, 2T) or is held by a storage and retrieval device (253) of a storage location transfer device (25).

35. Storage system according to claim 34, wherein the device for removing piece goods is designed as a manipulator device (254) with a robot arm.

36. Storage system according to one of claims 32 to 35, wherein the order-picking system (1) has a picking station (3, 3a, 3b) with at least one picking location (32, 32a, 32b) on which a shelf can be placed, wherein the at least one picking location is also a storage bay of the storage device.

37. Storage system according to one of claims 32 to 36, wherein the order-picking system (1) has a conveyor device (4, 4', 37) which is designed to convey piece goods (9T) placed on the conveyor device to a downstream processing station (51).

38. Storage system according to one of claims 32 to 37, wherein the picking station and / or a possibly present picking device (3, 3a, 3b) of the picking system (1) has a transfer device (31, 38, 254) which is designed to receive piece goods (91) and to place them on the at least one conveyor device (4, 4', 37).

39. Storage system according to claim 38, wherein the transfer device (31) is configured to convey piece goods (91) placed in an insertion opening (310, 310') of the transfer device to the at least one conveying device (4, 4') by gravity.

40. Storage system according to claim 38 or 39, wherein the insertion opening (310) of the transfer device (31) is arranged in the region of one of the picking stations (32, 32a) of the picking station and / or the picking device (3, 3a, 3b).

41. Storage system according to one of claims 38 to 40, wherein the insertion opening (310') of the transfer device (31) is formed in the shelf panels (22, 22', 22", 22'").

42. Storage system according to one of claims 38 to 41, wherein the transfer device (31) of the order-picking station and / or the order-picking device (3, 3a, 3b) has a chute, a guide element and / or a sliding chute (312) on which piece goods (91) can be transferred to the conveying device (4, 4') by gravity.

43. Storage system according to one of claims 38 to 42, wherein the transfer device (31) of the order-picking station and / or the order-picking device (3, 3a, 3b) has a pre-sorting device (313) which is designed to transfer piece goods transferred to the transfer device (3) in a specific order to the at least one conveying device (4, 4', 37) in a specific other order.

44. Storage system according to one of claims 38 to 43, wherein the storage device (2) of the order-picking system (1) is implemented as a vertically circulating paternoster rack storage, with a storage location transfer device (25) designed as a paternoster conveyor (250) with a plurality of rack shelves (22, 22', 22", 22'") on which piece goods (91) and / or storage containers (92) with piece goods can be deposited, so that the storage location transfer device can convey the rack shelves along the various storage bays (21, 21') of the storage device.

45. Storage system according to one of claims 38 to 44, wherein the storage device (2) of the order-picking system (1) is implemented as a shelf storage system, with one or two shelf units (27, 27'), each having a plurality of storage bays (21, 21') arranged one above the other; and wherein the storage location transfer device (25) comprises a storage and retrieval device (253) configured to transfer a shelf tray (22, 22', 22", 22'") from one storage bay to another.

46. ​​Storage system according to claim 45, wherein the storage device (2) of the order-picking system (1) has two shelf units (27, 27') spaced horizontally from one another; and wherein the storage and retrieval device (253) is arranged between the two shelf units.

47. Storage system according to one of claims 38 to 46, wherein the conveying device (4, 4', 37) is designed to convey piece goods (91) out of the order-picking system (1).

48. Storage system according to one of claims 38 to 47, wherein the conveying device (4, 4', 37) is arranged below the picking stations (32, 32a, 32b) of the picking station and / or the picking device.

49. Storage system according to one of claims 38 to 48, comprising a transfer device configured to convey, by gravity, piece goods (91) placed in an insertion opening of the transfer device to the at least one conveying device (4, 4', 37); and comprising a device (254) configured to remove piece goods (91) from a shelf (22', 22") and transfer them to the transfer device.

50. Storage system according to claim 49, wherein the device for removing piece goods is designed as a manipulator device (254) with a robot arm.

51. Storage system according to one of claims 32 to 50, with an order-picking device (3a, 3b) with an order-picking station (32a, 32b), wherein the order-picking device (3a, 3b) comprises a horizontal conveyor device (37, 39) which is arranged on the order-picking station (32a, 32b) and on which piece goods (9T, 91") can be deposited by a storage and retrieval device (254, 38) of the order-picking system (1); wherein the horizontal conveyor device (37, 39) is configured to convey piece goods placed on the horizontal conveyor device to a downstream processing station (51, 523).

52. Storage system according to claim 51, wherein the storage and retrieval device (38) of the order-picking system (1) has a manipulator device (254) with which piece goods (9T, 91") can be deposited on the horizontal conveyor device (37, 39) of the order-picking device (3a, 3b).

53. Storage system according to one of claims 32 to 52, with a picking device with a picking station, wherein the picking device has a manipulator device which is designed to pick up goods items from a shelf on the picking station and to transfer them to a conveyor device.

54. Storage system according to one of claims 32 to 53, with a downstream processing station (51) which is designed to transfer piece goods (91) conveyed by a conveying device (4, 4', 37) from the order-picking system (1) to a downstream conveying system (52) of the storage system (5).

55. Storage system according to claim 54, wherein the downstream conveyor system (52) of the storage system (5) is a suspended conveyor system (522), in particular a suspended pocket conveyor system.

56. Storage system according to claim 54 or 55, wherein the processing station (523) or the order-picking device (3b) has a manipulator device (38) which is designed to remove articles of goods (9T) from storage containers (92") and to transfer them to the downstream conveyor system (52) of the storage system (5), wherein the storage containers (92") were conveyed via the long-term storage facility (8).

57. A storage system (5) comprising a long-term storage facility (8) in the form of a box stack storage device (81) for storing a plurality of storage containers (92) in which piece goods (91) can be stored, wherein the box stack storage device (81) has at least one storage and retrieval device (811, 81T) with which storage containers (92) can be picked up, moved, and deposited within the box stack storage device; a downstream conveyor system (52); an automated order-picking device (3b) with a picking station (32b) on which a storage and retrieval device (811) of the box stack storage device (81) can deposit one or more storage containers (92'); and a processing station (523) configured to transfer piece goods (9T") conveyed (514') by the automated order-picking device (3b) to the downstream conveyor system (52) of the storage system (5);wherein the automated order-picking device (3b) has a manipulator device (38), for example a robot arm, which is designed to remove piece goods (9T) from a storage container (92") on the order-picking station (32b) and to transfer them directly to the processing station (523), or to a belt conveyor (514') of the automated order-picking device (3b), which is connected to the processing station (523) in terms of conveying technology; 58. The storage system according to claim 57, wherein the downstream conveyor system (52) is an overhead conveyor system (522), in particular a hanging pocket conveyor system; and the processing station is a filling device (523) for the overhead conveyor system.

59. The storage system according to claim 57 or 58, wherein the picking station (32b) of the automated picking device (3b) comprises at least one storage bay within a storage shaft (812) of the box stacking storage device (81).

60. Storage system according to one of claims 57 to 59, wherein the picking station (32b) of the automated picking device (3b) has a belt conveyor (37), and wherein a storage and retrieval device (811) of the box stacking storage device (81) can deposit one or more storage containers (92'') on the belt conveyor (37).

61. Storage system according to one of claims 57 to 60, comprising a picking system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 21, which is connected to the long-term storage facility (8) by conveyor technology (7).

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