Order-picking installation and method for the order-picking of articles

Abstract

The invention relates to an order-picking installation (1) comprising a first conveying system (2a) for conveying a source container (QB, QB', QB'') into a dispensing position (Pa), a second conveying system (2b) for conveying a target container (ZB, ZB', ZB'') into a receiving position (Pb), and a control unit (7), wherein: at least one connecting portion (5a) of a conveying system (2a) comprises a plurality of drivable conveying rollers (6) which form a substantially horizontal conveying plane (E); the connecting portion (5a) comprises a first conveying region (8a) having a plurality of individually drivable conveying rollers (6') arranged one behind the other in the peripheral direction, and a second conveying region (9a) having a plurality of drivable conveying rollers (6'') arranged one behind the other in the peripheral direction, the second conveying region lying radially outside the first conveying region (8a); a sensor device (10) is provided for determining an actual orientation (O_ist) of a source container (QB, QB', QB'') located in a detection region (11a) of the connecting portion (5a); and the conveying rollers (6') of the first conveying region (8a) and the conveying rollers (6'') of the second conveying region (9a) can be controlled by the control unit (7) according to the determined actual orientation (O_ist) in such a way that the source container (QB, QB', QB'') can be positioned in the dispensing position (Pa) in a specified or specifiable desired orientation (O_soll).

Description

[0001] PICKING PLANT AND METHOD FOR PICKING ITEMS

[0002] The invention relates to a picking system for picking items from a source container located in a dispensing position to a target container located in a receiving position, comprising a first conveying system for conveying the source container in a first conveying direction to the dispensing position, and a second conveying system for conveying the target container in a second conveying direction to the receiving position, wherein the conveying systems each have an inlet section, an outlet section, and a connecting section, in particular a curved section, that connects the inlet section to the outlet section, and a control unit for controlling the picking system. The invention further relates to a method for picking items from a source container located in a dispensing position to a target container located in a receiving position.

[0003] Order picking is a process in logistics and warehousing where goods are assembled according to a specific order list. It involves taking individual items from a warehouse and assembling them into a shipment or delivery. The goal of order picking is to provide the right products in the right quantity and quality for a specific customer order. The items are usually transported from the warehouse to a picking workstation in suitable (source) containers using appropriate conveyor technology and held at a delivery position for a certain cycle time. Simultaneously, another (destination) container is typically transported to the picking workstation using appropriate (receiving) conveyor technology and held at a receiving position for a certain cycle time.The employee performing the order picking, also known as a picker, gripper, or order picker, then picks a specified number of items from the source container according to the order and places them in the destination container. The destination container is then conveyed away from the receiving position by the second conveyor system, for example, to a packing station where the picked items are packed. Depending on the order, the source container can also be conveyed away from the delivery position by the first conveyor system, and, for example, another source container with different items can be provided, which are then transferred to the destination container or to a further destination container, and so on.

[0004] An example of a picking system is shown in EP 2 794 433 B 1.

[0005] The goal of optimization measures in order picking is always to reduce picking times. The faster the goods are assembled, the more beneficial this is for the performance of the picking system. Furthermore, the number of incorrect picks should be reduced to a minimum. To achieve this, it is advantageous to minimize and keep constant the grip height and depth as much as possible.

[0006] The object of the present invention was to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art and to provide a picking system and a picking method which facilitate the handover of the articles to the picker.

[0007] The task is solved with the aforementioned order picking system by the fact that at least one of the connecting sections comprises several conveying elements that form a substantially horizontal conveying plane, wherein at least some of the conveying elements of the connecting section are driveable to move the source container on the conveying plane into the discharge position or the target container into the receiving position; that the at least one connecting section comprises a first conveying area with several individually driveable conveying elements arranged one behind the other in the circumferential direction and a second conveying area located radially outside the first conveying area with several driveable conveying elements arranged one behind the other in the circumferential direction; that a sensor device is provided which is designed to detect the actual orientation of a device located within a defined detection range of the at least one connecting section.to determine the source or destination container and that the control unit is designed to individually control at least some of the conveying elements of the first conveying area and at least some of the conveying elements of the second conveying area, depending on the determined actual orientation, in such a way that the source container in the discharge position or the destination container in the receiving position can be positioned in a predetermined or predefinable target orientation. This allows poorly positioned source or destination containers to be automatically detected and moved into a desired target position, enabling simple and ergonomic handling for the order picker, in particular the transfer of a number of items from the source container in the discharge position to the destination container in the receiving position. This not only makes the order picker's work easier,but preferably also leads to a reduction in picking times, since poorly positioned and therefore comparatively difficult-to-access containers no longer need to be manually aligned.

[0008] The connection section of the second conveyor system can include a track, and an automated guided vehicle (AGV) can be provided that is movable on this track in the second conveying direction to move the source container to the discharge position or the destination container to the receiving position, in particular to transport it. It should be noted that the second conveyor system transports either the source container or the destination container, depending on which of the two containers is being conveyed by the second conveyor system. The other conveyor system then takes over the transport of the other (destination or source) container. This allows for a picking system in which very flexible transport, and in particular not necessarily continuous transport, is possible using the AGV.

[0009] The driverless transport vehicle can be connected to the control unit via a communication link, particularly a wireless one, which can be via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or mobile network, for example. This allows the control unit to precisely control the vehicle and coordinate its position and movements.

[0010] Alternatively, the connecting section of the second conveying system can comprise several conveying elements arranged one behind the other in the second conveying direction, forming a substantially horizontal conveying plane, wherein at least some of the conveying elements of the connecting section of the second conveying system are driveable to move the target container on the conveying plane in the second conveying direction into the receiving position or to move the source container into the discharge position. This provides a simple embodiment with substantially continuous transport.

[0011] Preferably, the connecting section of the second conveying system comprises a first conveying area with several individually driveable conveying elements arranged circumferentially one behind the other and a second conveying area located radially outside the first conveying area with several driveable conveying elements arranged circumferentially one behind the other, and the sensor device is configured to determine the actual orientation of a source container or target container located within a defined detection range of the connecting section from the cut of the second conveying system, and the control unit is configured to individually control at least some of the conveying rollers of the first conveying area and at least some of the conveying rollers of the second conveying area depending on the determined actual orientation.that the source container in the dispensing position or the target container in the receiving position can be positioned in a predetermined or predefinable target orientation. This allows both the source container in the dispensing position and the target container in the receiving position to be provided in a desired target position for the order picker, which further facilitates the transfer (i.e., picking and dispensing) of the items.

[0012] The sensor system can comprise a number of sensors for acquiring a measured quantity representative of the actual orientation, and it can include an evaluation unit for determining the actual orientation from the acquired measured quantity. The evaluation unit is preferably part of the sensor system or part of the control unit. For example, the number of sensors can include at least one optical sensor, in particular an image sensor, and / or at least one light barrier and / or a light grid and / or a distance sensor. Depending on the specific application, one or more, possibly even different, suitable sensor types can be used. In particular, the sensor system can combine several different sensor types, e.g., image sensors, light barriers, and distance sensors, to enable robust and redundant detection of the actual orientation and presence of the (source, target) containers.

[0013] According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, one or more image sensors in the form of cameras are used, which can capture images of the detection area(s). The evaluation unit is configured to determine the actual orientation(s) using a suitable image recognition model. For example, smart cameras known from the field of industrial image processing, which already have integrated image recognition and evaluation, could be used.

[0014] Preferably, the control unit comprises a control unit configured to determine a manipulated variable for the drive units of the conveying elements in the first conveying area and for the drive units of the conveying elements in the second conveying area, based on the determined actual orientation and the specified target orientation. The control unit is configured to control the drive units with the determined manipulated variables. This enables feedback control or "closed-loop" control, allowing the error between the actual and target orientation of the source and / or destination container to be automatically compensated. The control unit can include a suitable controller, e.g., a PI controller or PID controller, or possibly more complex controllers. The control unit can be implemented as hardware and / or software. The control system offers advantages, particularly compared to pure control (i.e., without feedback),Open-loop control offers the advantage that any potential disturbances can be taken into account and compensated for, ensuring that the target orientation is reliably achieved. For example, the effects of altered friction conditions between the container bottom and conveying elements, such as those caused by uneven loading of the containers, can be better or automatically considered.

[0015] In order to move the source container and / or the target container from the actual orientation to the target orientation, the control unit is preferably designed to control the relevant part of the conveying elements of the first conveying area and the relevant part of the conveying elements of the second conveying area with different speeds and / or different torques and / or different directions of rotation.

[0016] The discharge or receiving position is located in the first conveying direction, particularly after the detection area at the connecting section of the first conveying system. Similarly, the receiving or discharge position in the second conveying direction is located particularly after the detection area at the connecting section of the second conveying system. Preferably, a sufficiently large distance is provided between the detection area and the discharge or receiving position to allow enough time for reorientation, particularly without having to stop the conveying system.

[0017] The sensor device can additionally be configured to detect the length of the source or destination container in the direction of the first conveying direction and / or the length of the destination or source container in the direction of the second conveying direction. The control unit can be configured to control at least some of the driveable conveying elements of the respective connection from the section, depending on the determined length, such that the source container can be stopped in the discharge position and / or the destination container can be stopped in the receiving position. This allows different container lengths to be taken into account and ensures that the containers are reliably positioned in the desired discharge or receiving position despite their differing lengths.

[0018] In addition to the sensor device, a presence sensor can be provided, which is designed to detect the presence of the source container and / or destination container, particularly in the connecting section. The control unit can be configured, depending on the detected presence, to control at least some of the driveable conveying elements of the respective connecting section from the point of intersection, such that the source container can be stopped in the discharge position and / or the destination container can be stopped in the receiving position. This design can be advantageous, for example, if a camera is not used as the sensor device for determining the orientation, but rather, for example, a light barrier or a number of distance sensors. The presence sensor can, for example, comprise a motion detector, pressure sensor, light barrier, etc., which are arranged in a suitable detection position.

[0019] According to an advantageous embodiment, at least part of the conveying elements of at least one connection can be formed by conveying rollers. The conveying rollers can include a drive unit, in particular an electric rotary drive, which has a stator element for stationary mounting on a frame element and a rotor element for providing torque.

[0020] In alternative designs, the conveyor elements can be driven by drive rollers (L>D), short drive wheels (L <D), im Wesentlichen kugelförmig Förderelemente, im Wesentlichen tonnenförmige Förderelemente, Gliederelemente, Gurte, und / oder Gurt-B änder / Riemen gebildet sein.

[0021] The curve angle of the connecting section of the first conveying system is preferably at least 90°, more preferably at least 135°, and more preferably 180°. The curve angle of the connecting section of the second conveying system is preferably at least 90°, more preferably at least 135°, and more preferably 180°. This allows the picking system to be advantageously adapted to different conveying paths of the source and destination containers. At least some of the conveying rollers of the first conveying section of at least one connecting section can be conical or cylindrical, and / or at least some of the conveying rollers of the second conveying section of at least one connecting section can be conical or cylindrical. In particular, the conical conveying rollers enable different circumferential speeds at the same rotational speed, which is advantageous for curved passages.

[0022] Preferably, the conical conveyor rollers of the first and second conveying sections can each be arranged such that the larger diameter is located radially outside. This allows different circumferential speeds to be achieved at the same rotational speed. The cone angle of the conical conveyor rollers can preferably be adapted to a curvature of the respective connection from the section.

[0023] It is advantageous if the two conveying systems are arranged essentially symmetrically with respect to an imaginary, essentially vertical, plane of symmetry, such that the receiving and delivery positions face each other and are preferably equidistant from this imaginary plane of symmetry. The workstation for the order picker is preferably located in the area between the delivery and receiving positions and is preferably equidistant from them. This allows for a high level of ergonomics.

[0024] Advantageously, the sensor device, in particular a laser sensor directed in a tangential direction to the curved connecting section, can be arranged in the area of ​​the plane of symmetry for detecting the position of the source container or target container.

[0025] Advantageously, to improve ergonomics, the area between the dispensing and receiving positions can be flattened or recessed, particularly in the area of ​​the plane of symmetry. This makes it easier for the order picker or a handling robot to access the items.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the workstation can be configured for a robotic system for picking items, either as an alternative or in addition to a manual order picker. The robotic system can, in particular, comprise mobile or stationary articulating robot arms. According to another embodiment, the order picking workstation can be configured for an automated robotic system that handles the transfer of items between the source and destination containers. The robotic system can, in particular, comprise one or more stationary or mobile robotic arms.

[0027] The axes of rotation of at least some of the conveyor rollers of at least one connecting section are preferably oriented transversely to the respective conveying direction, particularly in a substantially radial direction. Alternatively or additionally, the conveying plane of at least one connecting section is preferably annular in the circumferential direction, at least over a portion of its length. Alternatively or additionally, at least some of the conveyor rollers of at least one connecting section can have a length in the direction of their axes of rotation that is at least 20%, preferably at least 30%, of the width of the conveying plane.Alternatively or additionally, at least one connection section can comprise at least two different types of conveyor rollers, wherein the at least two different types of conveyor rollers preferably have different lengths and / or diameters and / or surface finishes and / or shapes. By a suitable combination of the aforementioned measures, the order picking system can be adapted to various conditions.

[0028] The axes of rotation of the conveyor rollers can advantageously be arranged so that they intersect at the midpoint of a radius of curvature of the connecting section. Alternatively, the axes of rotation of the conveyor rollers can be offset, particularly in the case of conical rollers, to ensure a uniform circumferential speed along the curve.

[0029] Preferably, the connecting section of at least one conveying system is designed such that, during conveying, part of the source container or the destination container rests on the conveying rollers of the first conveying section, and part of the source container or the destination container rests on the conveying rollers of the second conveying section. This ensures that the respective container can be reliably aligned in the desired orientation.

[0030] The inlet and / or outlet section of at least one conveying system can comprise a roller conveyor with several conveying rollers arranged one behind the other in the respective conveying direction, wherein at least some of the conveying rollers can be driven individually or collectively. Alternatively or additionally, the inlet section of at least one conveying system can comprise a track, and an automated guided vehicle (AGV) can be provided for transporting the source or destination container along the track to the respective connection section, and / or the outlet section of at least one conveying system can comprise a track, and an automated guided vehicle (AGV) can be provided for transporting the source or destination container away from the respective connection section along the track.

[0031] In some applications, it can be advantageous if the connecting section of the first conveying system and / or the connecting section of the second conveying system comprises a third conveying area with, in particular, conveying elements, especially several conveying rollers arranged one behind the other in the circumferential direction, preferably individually driveable, wherein the third conveying area lies radially within the first conveying area, between the first and second conveying areas, or outside the second conveying area. The third conveying area can, in particular, serve to further stabilize the container during cornering or when transitioning to the discharge or receiving position by providing a support surface, especially a uniform one, particularly across the width of the container.Furthermore, by selectively controlling the conveyor rollers in this area – especially in radial arrangements – the orientation of the container can be finely adjusted, for example, by varying the circumferential speeds. For this purpose, the conveyor elements of the third conveying area can either be rotatably mounted – for example, for passively guiding the container – or actively driven to specifically contribute to stabilizing or finely positioning the container.

[0032] The problem is further solved using the aforementioned method by carrying out the following steps: conveying a source container containing a number of articles in a first conveying direction on a substantially horizontal conveying plane formed by several conveying rollers of a connecting section of a first conveying system, in particular curved, which connects an input section with an output section of the first conveying system, towards a delivery position or a receiving position of a target container by driving at least a part of the conveying rollers by means of a control unit; conveying a target container in a second conveying direction along a connecting section of a second conveying system, in particular curved, which connects an input section with an output section of the second conveying system, towards a receiving position or a source container towards a delivery position.Determining the actual orientation of the source container or target container within a defined detection range of the connecting section of the first conveying system by means of a sensor device; individually driving at least a portion of several circumferentially arranged conveyor rollers of a first conveying area and at least a portion of several circumferentially arranged conveyor rollers of a second conveying area of ​​the connecting section of the first conveying system, located radially outside the first conveying area, by means of the control unit, depending on the determined actual orientation, such that the source container in the discharge position or the target container in the receiving position is positioned in a predetermined or predefinable target orientation.and transferring a number of items from the source container located in the dispensing position to the target container located in the receiving position. The advantages described above result.

[0033] Preferably, the connecting section of the second conveying system comprises a track, and the source or destination container is moved along the track by means of an automated guided vehicle (AGV). Alternatively, the connecting section of the second conveying system can comprise several conveying rollers arranged one behind the other in the second conveying direction, forming a conveying plane that is essentially horizontal, with the source or destination container being moved by driving at least some of the conveying rollers via the control unit. This results in the advantages described above.

[0034] Preferably, the sensor unit determines the actual orientation of the source or destination container within a defined detection range of the connection from the section of the second conveying system. Several conveyor rollers arranged circumferentially one behind the other in a first conveying area, and several conveyor rollers arranged circumferentially one behind the other in a second conveying area located radially outside the first conveying area, are driven individually by the control unit based on the determined actual orientation. This ensures that the source container is positioned in the discharge position or the destination container in the receiving position in a predetermined or predefinable target orientation. The advantages described above result from this.

[0035] Preferably, a number of sensors in the sensor device acquire a measured value representative of the actual orientation, and the actual orientation is determined from the acquired measured value using a reference unit. This results in the advantages described above.

[0036] Preferably, a control unit implemented in the control unit determines a manipulated variable for the drive units (or at least one drive unit) of the conveyor rollers in the first conveying area and the drive units (or at least one drive unit) of the conveyor rollers in the second conveying area from the determined actual orientation and the specified target orientation. The drive units are then controlled by the control unit using the determined manipulated variables. This results in the advantages described above.

[0037] Preferably, the portion of the conveyor rollers in the first conveying area and the portion of the conveyor rollers in the second conveying area are driven with different speeds and / or different torques and / or different directions of rotation in order to position the source container and / or the target container from its current orientation to the desired orientation. This results in the advantages described above.

[0038] The sensor system can detect the position (or location of a reference mark) of the source or destination container in the first conveying direction and / or the length (or location of a reference mark) of the source or destination container in the second conveying direction. The control unit can then actuate at least some of the conveying rollers of the respective connecting section based on the determined length, stopping the source container in the discharge position and / or the destination container in the receiving position. This results in the advantages described above.

[0039] By means of a presence sensor provided in addition to the sensor device, or by means of the sensor device itself, the presence of the source or destination container can be detected, and the control unit can, depending on the detected presence, control at least some of the conveyor rollers of the respective connecting section in such a way that the source container is stopped in the discharge position and / or the destination container is stopped in the receiving position. This results in the advantages described above.

[0040] The source or target container can be moved at the connection point of the first conveying system through a curve angle of at least 90°, preferably at least 135°, particularly 180°, and / or the source or target container can be moved at the connection point of the second conveying system through a curve angle of at least 90°, preferably at least 135°, particularly 180°. This results in the advantages described above.

[0041] The source or destination container can be moved at the inlet and / or outlet section of the first conveying system by means of a roller conveyor comprising a plurality of conveying rollers arranged one behind the other in the first conveying direction, and / or the source or destination container can be moved at the inlet and / or outlet section of the second conveying system by means of a roller conveyor comprising a plurality of conveying rollers arranged one behind the other in the second conveying direction. The advantages described above result.

[0042] Alternatively or additionally, the source or destination container can be moved on a track at the input and / or output section of the first conveying system using an automated guided vehicle (AGV), and / or the source or destination container can be moved on a track at the input and / or output section of the second conveying system using an automated guided vehicle (AGV). This results in the advantages described above.

[0043] In particular, the control unit, sensor device, and / or regulation unit can be implemented as microprocessor-based hardware, with the functions of these units implemented as software. A single microprocessor-based hardware component can be used for multiple functions. Such a unit can also be implemented on hardware in the form of a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), Programmable Electronic Device (PED), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or other integrated circuit. Again, multiple units can be integrated on such hardware. A unit can also be implemented as an analog circuit or analog computer. Furthermore, any mixture or combination of these implementations is possible.

[0044] To better understand the invention, it is explained in more detail with reference to the following figures.

[0045] The figures show, in a highly simplified, schematic representation: Fig. 1 a picking system of an exemplary first embodiment of the invention in a top view;

[0046] Fig. 2 shows a picking system of an exemplary first embodiment of the invention in a top view;

[0047] Fig. 3 shows a flowchart of a picking procedure according to the invention.

[0048] It should be noted at the outset that in the differently described embodiments, identical parts are provided with the same reference numerals or component designations, and the disclosures contained in the entire description can be applied analogously to identical parts with the same reference numerals or component designations. Furthermore, the positional designations chosen in the description, such as top, bottom, side, etc., refer to the figure directly described and illustrated, and these positional designations must be applied analogously to the new position if the position changes.

[0049] Fig. 1 shows a picking system 1 of an exemplary embodiment of the invention in a top view. The picking system 1 serves, in a known manner, to pick articles A from a source container QB into a target container ZB, as indicated in Fig. 1 by the thick curved arrow. The source container QB is shown in Fig. 1 in three positions, which are labelled QB, QB', QB" and the target container ZB is also shown in three positions, which are labelled ZB, ZB', ZB".

[0050] The source container QB can be conveyed to a discharge position Pa by means of a first conveying system 2a in a first conveying direction Ra. The source container located in the discharge position Pa is indicated by QB" in Fig. 1. The first conveying direction Ra is indicated by arrows. The target container ZB can be conveyed to a receiving position Pb by means of a second conveying system 2b in a second conveying direction Rb. The target container located in the receiving position Pb is indicated by ZB" in Fig. 1. The second conveying direction Rb is indicated by arrows.

[0051] In the illustrated example, the two conveying systems 2a and 2b are arranged essentially symmetrically with respect to an imaginary and essentially vertical plane of symmetry SE. The discharge position Pa and the receiving position Pb are therefore facing each other and are approximately equidistant from the imaginary plane of symmetry SE. A picking workstation is located in the area between the discharge position Pa and the receiving position Pb. This workstation can be occupied by a person during manual picking or by a suitable handling robot (not shown) during automated picking.

[0052] The first conveyor system 2a has an inlet section 3a, an outlet section 4a, and a curved connecting section 5a that links the inlet section 3a to the outlet section 4a. Similarly, the second conveyor system 2b has an inlet section 3b, an outlet section 4b, and a curved connecting section 5b that links the inlet section 3b to the outlet section 4b. The two conveyor systems 2a and 2b can be essentially identical, as shown in the example in Fig. 1. However, the two conveyor systems 2a and 2b can also be designed differently, as will be explained below with reference to Fig. 2.

[0053] The connecting sections 5a, 5b each comprise several conveying elements 6', 6", 6'" arranged one behind the other in the respective conveying direction Ra, Rb, and in particular rotatable, forming a substantially horizontal conveying plane E. At least some of the conveying elements 6', 6", 6'" of the connecting sections 5a, 5b are driveable to move the source container QB on the conveying plane E in the first conveying direction Ra to the discharge position Pa, or to move the target container ZB on the conveying plane E in the second conveying direction Rb to the receiving position Pb. The source container QB located on the conveying plane E of the connecting section 5a of the first conveying system 2a is indicated by QB'. The target container ZB located on the conveying plane E of the connecting section 5b of the second conveying system 2b is indicated by ZB'.

[0054] In the illustrated embodiment, the conveying elements 6', 6", 6'" essentially have elongated, in particular cylindrical, conveying rollers. Alternatively, the conveying elements 6', 6", 6'" could, for example, also be essentially spherical, essentially barrel-shaped, or conical. A combination of different conveying elements 6', 6", 6'" would also be conceivable. For the sake of simplicity, however, the invention will below be described by way of example with reference to the conveying rollers.

[0055] In the illustrated embodiment, the connecting section 5a of the first conveying system 2a comprises a first conveying area 8a with several individually driven conveying rollers 6' arranged circumferentially one behind the other and a second conveying area 9a located radially outside the first conveying area 8a with several individually driven conveying rollers 6' arranged circumferentially one behind the other. Similarly, the connecting section 5b of the second conveying system 2b comprises a first conveying area 8b with several individually driven conveying rollers 6' arranged circumferentially one behind the other and a second conveying area 9b located radially outside the first conveying area 8b with several individually driven conveying rollers 6' arranged circumferentially one behind the other.

[0056] In addition, according to the example shown, the connection s from section 5a of the first conveying system 2a and the connecting section 5b of the second conveying system 2b each have a third conveying section 18a, 18b with several conveying rollers 6'" arranged circumferentially one behind the other, preferably individually driveable. The third conveying section 18a, 18b is located radially between the first conveying section 8a, 8b and the second conveying section 9a, 9b. Alternatively, the third conveying section 18a, 18b could be located radially within the first conveying section 8a, 8b or outside the second conveying section 9a, 9b (not shown). The conveying rollers 6'" of the third conveying section 18a, 18b can optionally be mounted to rotate (indirectly driven by adjacent conveying rollers) instead of being directly driven. A common drive for the conveying rollers 6'" would also be conceivable.

[0057] In the illustrated embodiment, the connecting sections 5a, 5b have two different types of conveyor rollers 6', 6" on the one hand and conveyor rollers 6'" on the other. The conveyor rollers 6' of the first conveying sections 8a, 8b and the conveyor rollers 6" of the second conveying sections 9a, 9b are essentially identical and have a shorter length than the conveyor rollers 6'" of the third conveying sections 18a, 18b. The different types of conveyor rollers 6', 6', 6'" could alternatively or additionally have, for example, different diameters and / or different surface finishes and / or different shapes. Different shapes could, for example, be the aforementioned cylindrical and conical shapes.

[0058] In the example shown, the input sections 3a, 3b and the output sections 4a, 4b of both conveying systems 2a, 2b each comprise a roller conveyor. The roller conveyors each have several conveying rollers 6 arranged one behind the other in the respective conveying direction Ra, Rb. At least some of the conveying rollers 6 can be driven, for example individually or collectively, to move the respective source container QB or destination container ZB.

[0059] An individual drive can be designed, for example, analogously to the conveyor rollers 6', 6" such that each driven conveyor roller 6 has a separate, in particular electric, drive unit, for example a suitable electric motor. A common drive can be designed such that a plurality of conveyor rollers 6 are each driven by a common drive unit, preferably again by an electric motor. The plurality of conveyor rollers 6 can, for example, be connected by a suitable coupling drive, such as a belt drive, chain drive, gear drive, etc. For example, each conveyor roller 6 could be driven, or every second, every third, or generally every n te Conveyor roller 6.

[0060] In an alternative embodiment, the inlet sections 3a, 3b and / or the outlet sections 4a, 4b could each, for example, have a roadway 16 on which a driverless transport vehicle can be moved to transport the source container QB or destination container ZB to the connecting section 5a, 5b (see Fig. 2).

[0061] A control unit 7 is provided for controlling the available functions of the order picking system 1. The control unit 7 can have suitable hardware and / or software. The control unit 7 serves in particular to control the conveyor rollers 6 of the input sections 3a, 3b, the output sections 4a, 4b, and the conveyor rollers 6', 6", 6"' of the connecting sections 5a, 5b.

[0062] Furthermore, a sensor device 10 is provided, which is designed to determine the actual orientation O_is of a source container QB located in a defined or definable detection area 1a of the connection s from section 5a of the first conveying system 2a, here e.g. the source container QB'. The control unit 7 is designed to individually control at least a portion of the conveyor rollers 6' of the first conveying area 8a and at least a portion of the conveyor rollers 6" of the second conveying area 9a depending on the determined actual orientation O_is, such that the source container QB can be positioned in the discharge position Pa in a predetermined or definable target orientation O_target, as symbolized by the source container QB".In the illustrated example, the sensor device 10 is additionally configured to determine the actual orientation O_is of a target container ZB located in a defined or definable detection area 11b of the connecting section 5b of the second conveyor system 2b, here, for example, the target container ZB'. The control unit 7 is additionally configured to individually control at least a portion of the conveyor rollers 6' of the first conveyor section 8b and at least a portion of the conveyor rollers 6" of the second conveyor section 9b, depending on the determined actual orientation O_is, such that the target container ZB can be positioned in the receiving position Pb in a predetermined or definable target orientation O_target, as indicated by the target container ZB"".

[0063] The sensor device 10 preferably comprises a number of sensors 12 for detecting a measured quantity M representative of the actual orientation O_actual. Furthermore, a measurement unit 13 is preferably provided for determining the actual orientation O_actual from the detected measured quantity M. The measurement unit 13 can be part of the sensor device 10, as indicated in Fig. 1, but could also be part of the control unit 7.

[0064] In the illustrated example, the sensor device 10 includes an optical sensor 12 in the form of an image sensor, in particular a suitable camera. The camera can capture a number of images of the two detection areas 1a, 11b as the measured variable M. Alternatively or additionally, other suitable sensors 12 could also be provided in suitable detection positions, for example, light barriers, light grids, distance sensors, etc.

[0065] For example, a suitable image recognition model can be implemented in evaluation unit 13. This model can identify the source container QB or target container ZB from the number of images captured by the camera and determine their actual orientation (especially relative to the respective conveying technology). The target orientation can either be fixed or, for example, specified by a user via a suitable (not shown) user interface. The target orientation could, for example, include a certain yaw angle around the vertical axis of the source container QB or target container ZB.

[0066] The control unit 7 can include a suitable control unit 15, which is configured to determine a manipulated variable S for the drive units of the conveyor rollers 6' of the first conveying area 8a, 8b and the drive units of the conveyor rollers 6" of the second conveying area 9a, 9b from the determined actual orientation O_actual and the specified target orientation O_target. The control unit 7 can control the drive units with the determined manipulated variables S to set, in particular regulate, the target orientation O_target. The control unit 15 can include a suitable controller.

[0067] To position the source container QB and / or the target container ZB from the actual orientation O_actual to the target orientation O_target, the control unit 7 can, for example, control the portion of the conveyor rollers 6' of the first conveying area 8a, 8b and the portion of the conveyor rollers 6" of the second conveying area 9a, 9b with different speeds and / or different torques and / or different directions of rotation. This allows the source container QB and the target container ZB to be rotated (twisted by specific angles) around their vertical axes.

[0068] As can be seen in Fig. 1, the discharge position Pa in the first conveying direction Ra is preferably located after the detection area 11a at the connecting section 5a of the first conveying system 2a, and the receiving position Pb is preferably located after the detection area 11b at the connecting section 5b of the second conveying system 2b in the second conveying direction Rb. The conveying sections 8a, 9a with the conveying rollers 6', 6" provided for changing the position of the source container QB can be arranged in the first conveying direction Ra between the detection area 11a and the discharge position Pa. If necessary, the conveying sections 8a, 9a can also extend over the entire length of the connecting section 5a in the first conveying direction Ra.

[0069] Similarly, the conveying sections 8b, 9b, intended for changing the position of the target container ZB, can be arranged with the conveying rollers 6', 6" in the second conveying direction Rb between the detection area 11b and the receiving position Pb. If necessary, the conveying sections 8b, 9b in the second conveying direction Rb can also extend over the entire length of the connecting section 5b and thus, for example, directly adjacent to the conveying rollers 6 of the inlet section 3a, 3b or to the conveying rollers 6 of the outlet section 4a, 4b.

[0070] Optionally, the sensor device 10 can be configured to detect a length (or position of a reference mark) of the source container QB in the direction of the first conveying direction Ra and / or a length (or position of a reference mark) of the target container ZB in the direction of the second conveying direction Rb. For example, a laser sensor, directed in particular in a tangential direction to the particularly curved connecting section 5a, 5b, can be provided to detect the position of the source container QB or target container ZB (not shown). The control unit 7 can be configured to control at least a portion of the driveable conveying rollers 6', 6" of the respective connecting section 5a, 5b, depending on the determined length (or position of a reference mark), such that the source container QB can be stopped in the discharge position Pa and / or the target container ZB can be stopped in the receiving position Pb.

[0071] In addition to the sensor device 10, a suitable presence sensor 14a, 14b could be provided, which is configured to detect the presence of the source container QB and / or target container ZB in a detection area. The control unit 7 can be configured, depending on the detected presence, to control at least some of the driveable conveyor rollers 6', 6" of the respective connecting section 5a, 5b such that the source container QB" can be stopped in the discharge position Pa and / or the target container ZB" can be stopped in the receiving position Pb.

[0072] A light barrier, as indicated in Fig. 1, can be used as a presence sensor 14a, 14b. Likewise, other suitable sensors, e.g., motion detectors or electrical (pressure) switches, would be conceivable, particularly as presence sensors.

[0073] In the example shown, the input sections 3a and 3b are straight, and the output sections 4a and 4b are also straight and essentially parallel to the input sections 3a and 3b. The connecting sections 5a and 5b thus each have a curve angle of 180°. Of course, this is only an example, and depending on the arrangement of the input sections 3a and 3b and the output sections 4a and 4b, other curve angles are conceivable, e.g., 90° or 135°.

[0074] In the example shown, the conveyor rollers 6' of the first conveying section 8a of the connecting sections 5a, 5b are cylindrical, and the conveyor rollers 6" of the second conveying section 9a, 9b of the connecting section 5a, 5b are also cylindrical. Alternatively, however, at least some of the conveyor rollers 6' of a first conveying section 8a and / or at least some of the conveyor rollers 6" of a second conveying section 8a, 8b could be conical. The conical conveyor rollers 6', 6" would each be arranged such that the larger diameter is radially outward. This allows for different circumferential speeds at the same rotational speed. The cone angle of the conical conveyor rollers 6', 6" can, for example, be adapted to a curvature of the respective connecting section 5a, 5b.

[0075] The axes of rotation of the conveyor rollers 6', 6" of the connecting sections 5a, 5b are oriented transversely to the respective conveying direction Ra, Rb, preferably substantially perpendicular to the conveying direction Ra, Rb. In particular, the axes of rotation of at least some of the conveyor rollers 6', 6" can be arranged in a substantially radial direction with respect to the curvature of the respective connection from section 5a, 5b. The axes of rotation of at least some of the conveyor rollers 6', 6" can, for example, intersect at the midpoint of a radius of curvature of the respective connecting section 5a, 5b. However, the axes of rotation can also be arranged differently, in particular with several different points of intersection between the respective axes of rotation, especially for conical conveyor rollers that are arranged such that a section of the rotor element lies in the conveying plane.

[0076] The respective conveying surfaces E of the connecting sections 5a, 5b are circular in shape at least over part of their length in the circumferential direction. The axes of rotation of at least part of the conveying rollers 6', 6" can intersect at the center of the circular section.

[0077] In the example shown, the connecting sections 5a and 5b each have a flattened area on their outer circumferential sides in the region of the delivery position Pa and the receiving position Pb, respectively, and in particular directly adjacent to the plane of symmetry SE. This improves accessibility for the order picker.

[0078] In the illustrated example, the conveyor rollers 6' of the first conveying section 8a and the conveyor rollers 6" of the second conveying section 8b of the connecting sections 5a, 5b each have a length in the direction of their axes of rotation that is approximately 20% of the width of the conveying plane E transverse to the respective conveying direction Ra, Rb. Of course, this is only an example, and the conveyor rollers 6', 6" could also be longer or shorter, and possibly even different in the respective connecting sections 5a, 5b. The length is preferably set such that during conveying, a portion of the source container QB' or the destination container ZB' rests on the conveyor rollers 6' of the first conveying section 8a, 8b, and a portion of the source container QB' or the destination container ZB' rests on the conveyor rollers 6" of the second conveying section 9a, 9b. An exemplary second embodiment of the order picking system 1 is described below with reference to Fig. 2.For the sake of simplicity, only the essential differences are mentioned. Regarding the common features, reference is made to the above description of the first embodiment, which also applies analogously to the second embodiment.

[0079] The order picking system 1 comprises a first conveyor system 2a and a second conveyor system 2b. The first conveyor system 2a is essentially identical to that of the first embodiment according to Fig. 1. However, the second conveyor system 2b differs from the first embodiment in that the connecting section 5b includes a track 16 and that an automated guided vehicle (AGV) 17 is provided, which can move on the track 16 in the second conveying direction Rb in order to move the target container ZB into the receiving position Pb, which is indicated in Fig. 2 by reference numeral "ZB".

[0080] Additionally, entrance section 3b also includes a roadway 16 to transport the target container ZB to connecting section 5b using the driverless transport vehicle 17, and exit section 4b includes a roadway 16 to transport the target container ZB away from connecting section 5b using the driverless transport vehicle 17. The driverless transport vehicle 17 can, for example, have a suitable loading platform for receiving the target container ZB.

[0081] The automated guided vehicle (AGV) 17 can communicate with the control unit 7 via a suitable communication link, in particular a wireless one. The wireless communication link can use a known data transmission standard, such as mobile communications, WLAN, Bluetooth, etc. This allows the control unit 7 to control the AGV 17 accordingly, in order to position a desired target container ZB at the correct time at the pickup position Pb.

[0082] With reference to Fig. 3, an exemplary method for picking articles A from a source container QB" located in a discharge position Pa to a target container ZB" located in a receiving position Pb is described below. The method is preferably carried out using the picking system 1 according to the invention in any embodiment. The method steps are described only by way of example with reference to the first embodiment of the picking system 1 (see Fig. 1). In a first step S1, a source container QB, which contains a number of articles A, is conveyed in the first conveying direction Ra on the substantially horizontal conveying plane E of the curved connecting section 5a of the first conveying system 2a in the direction of the discharge position Pa.

[0083] In a further step S2, a target container ZB is conveyed in the second conveying direction Rb on the essentially horizontal conveying plane E of the curved connecting section 5b of the second conveying system 2b towards the receiving position Pb. The target container ZB can be empty or can already contain a number of specific items A. Steps S1 and S2 can be carried out simultaneously or sequentially.

[0084] In a further step S3, the sensor device 10 determines the actual orientation O of the source container QB' within the defined detection area 11a of the connecting section 5a of the first conveying system 2a. Alternatively or additionally, the sensor device 10 can be used to determine the actual orientation O of the destination container ZB' within the defined detection area 11b of the connecting section 5b of the second conveying system 2b.

[0085] In a further step S4, at least a part of the circumferentially arranged conveyor rollers 6' of the first conveying area 8a and at least a part of the circumferentially arranged conveyor rollers 6" of the radially outside the first conveying area 8a of the second conveying area 9a of the connection s from section 5a of the first conveying technology 2a are driven by the control unit 7 depending on the determined actual orientation O of the source container QB such that the source container QB" is positioned in the discharge position Pa in the specified target orientation O_target.

[0086] Alternatively or additionally, in step S4, at least a portion of the circumferentially arranged conveyor rollers 6' of the first conveying section 8b and at least a portion of the circumferentially arranged conveyor rollers 6" of the second conveying section 9b of the connecting section 5b of the second conveying system 2b, which lies radially outside the first conveying section 8b, can be driven by the control unit 7, depending on the determined actual orientation O_actual of the target container ZB, such that the target container ZB" is positioned in the receiving position Pb in the specified target orientation O_target. Finally, in a further step S5, a defined number of items A are transferred from the source container QB" located in the discharge position Pa to the target container ZB" located in the receiving position Pb. The transfer is usually carried out manually by a picker based on a predefined picking order.Alternatively, the transfer of items A could be automated by a suitable (not shown) handling robot.

[0087] The exemplary embodiments show possible embodiment variants, whereby it should be noted at this point that the invention is not limited to the specifically illustrated embodiment variants, but rather various combinations of the individual embodiment variants are also possible and this possibility of variation lies within the skill of the person skilled in this technical field due to the teaching on technical action by the present invention.

[0088] The scope of protection is defined by the claims. However, the description and drawings must be consulted for the interpretation of the claims. Individual features or combinations of features from the different embodiments shown and described can, in themselves, represent independent inventive solutions. The problem underlying these independent inventive solutions can be found in the description.

[0089] All references to value ranges in this description are to be understood as encompassing any and all sub-ranges thereof, e.g., the reference 1 to 10 is to be understood as including all sub-ranges, starting from the lower limit 1 and the upper limit 10, i.e., all sub-ranges begin with a lower limit of 1 or greater and end with an upper limit of 10 or less, e.g., 1 to 1.7, or 3.2 to 8.1, or 5.5 to 10.

[0090] For the sake of clarity, it should be noted that, for better understanding of the structure, some elements have been shown not to scale and / or enlarged and / or reduced. Reference symbol layout: Picking system 14a, 14b Presence sensors of the first / second conveyor system a First conveyor system 15 Control unit b Second conveyor system 16 Roadway Entrance section 17 Driverless transport vehicle a, 3b Entrance section of the first / second conveyor system 18 Third conveyor area 4 18a, 18b Third conveyor area of ​​the first / second conveyor system

[0091] Output section ten / second conveyor technology a, 4b Output section of the first S Control variable ten / second conveyor technology O_actual Actual orientation Connecting section O_target Target orientation a, 5b Connecting section of the first Pa Delivery position ten / second conveyor technology Pb Receiving position Conveyor elements QB, QB', QB" Source container in ', 6", 6"'Variants of the conveyor elements in different positions Control unit ZB, ZB', ZB" Target container in first conveying area in different positions a, 8b First conveying area of ​​the first A Article ten / second conveyor technology SE Plane of symmetry second conveying area Ra, Rb Conveying directions a, 9b Second conveying area of ​​the first E Conveying plane ten / second conveyor technology M Measured variable 0 Sensor device 1 Detection range 1a, 11b Detection range of the first ten / second conveyor technology 2 Sensor 3 Evaluation unit 4 Presence sensor

Claims

P a t e n t a n s p r ü c h e 1. Order picking system (1) for picking articles (A) from a source container (QB, QB', QB") located in a delivery position (Pa) to a target container (ZB, ZB', ZB") located in a receiving position (Pb), comprising a first conveying system (2a) for conveying the source container (QB, QB', QB") in a first conveying direction (Ra) to the delivery position (Pa) or the target container (ZB, ZB', ZB") to the receiving position (Pb), and a second conveying system (2b) for conveying the target container (ZB, ZB', ZB") in a second conveying direction (Rb) to the receiving position (Pb) or the source container (QB, QB', QB") to the delivery position (Pa), wherein the conveying systems (2a, 2b) each have an input section (3a, 3b), an output section (4a, 4b) and a, in particular have a curved connecting section (5a, 5b) that connects the input section (3a, 3b) with the output section (4a, 4b),and a control unit (7) for controlling the order picking system (1), characterized in that at least one of the connecting sections (5a) comprises several conveying elements (6) which form a substantially horizontal conveying plane (E), wherein at least a part of the conveying elements (6) of the connecting section (5a) is driveable in order to move the source container (QB, QB', QB") on the conveying plane (E) into the discharge position (Pa) or the target container (ZB, ZB', ZB") into the receiving position (Pb), that the at least one connecting section (5a) comprises a first conveying area (8a) with several individually driveable conveying elements (6') arranged one behind the other in the circumferential direction and a second conveying area (9a) located radially outside the first conveying area (8a) with several driveable conveying elements (6") arranged one behind the other in the circumferential direction, that a sensor device (10) is provided which is configured toto determine the actual orientation (O_ist) of a source container (QB, QB', QB") or target container (ZB, ZB', ZB") located in a defined detection area (11a) of at least one connecting section (5a), and that the control unit (7) is designed to control at least some of the conveying elements (6') of the first conveying area (8a) and at least some of the conveying elements (6") of the second conveying area (9a) depending on the determined actual orientation. (O is) to be controlled individually in such a way that the source container (QB, QB', QB") in the discharge position (Pa) or the target container (ZB, ZB', ZB") in the receiving position (Pb) can be positioned in a predetermined or predefinable target orientation (O_target).

2. Order picking system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the connecting section (5b) of the second conveying technology (2b) comprises a track (16) and that a driverless transport vehicle (17) is provided which is movable on this track (16) in the second conveying direction (Rb) in order to transport either the source container (QB, QB', QB“) to the delivery position (Pa) or the destination container (ZB, ZB', ZB“) to the receiving position (Pb).

3. Order picking system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the connecting section (5b) of the second conveying technology (2b) comprises several conveying elements (6) arranged one behind the other in the second conveying direction (Rb), which form a substantially horizontal conveying plane (E), wherein at least a part of the conveying elements (6) of the connecting section (5b) of the second conveying technology (2b) is driveable in order to move the target container (ZB, ZB', ZB“) on the conveying plane (E) in the second conveying direction (Rb) into the receiving position (Pb) or to move the source container (QB, QB', QB“) into the delivery position (Pa).

4. Order picking system (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the connecting section (5b) of the second conveying system (2b) comprises a first conveying area (8b) with several individually driveable conveying elements (6') arranged circumferentially one behind the other and a second conveying area (9b) located radially outside the first conveying area (8b) with several driveable conveying elements (6") arranged circumferentially one behind the other, and that the sensor device (10) is configured to determine an actual orientation (O_ist) of a source container (QB, QB', QB") or target container (ZB, ZB', ZB") located in a defined detection area (11b) of the connecting section (5b) of the second conveying system (2b), and that the control unit (7) is configured to control at least a part of the conveying elements (6') of the first conveying area (8b) and at least a part of the Conveyor elements (6") of the second conveying area (9b) can be individually controlled depending on the determined actual orientation (O is) in such a way that the source container (QB, QB', QB") in the discharge position (Pa) or the target container (ZB, ZB', ZB") in the receiving position (Pb) can be positioned in a given or predefinable target orientation (O_target).

5. Order picking system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the sensor device (10) comprises a number of sensors (12) for detecting a measured quantity (M) representative of the actual orientation (O_act) and that an evaluation unit (13) is provided for determining the actual orientation (O_act) from the detected measured quantity (M), wherein the evaluation unit (13) is preferably part of the sensor device (10) or part of the control unit (7).

6. Order picking system (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the number of sensors (12) comprises at least one of the following sensors: optical sensor, in particular image sensor, light barrier, light grid, distance sensor.

7. Order picking system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the control unit (7) comprises a control unit (15) which is configured to determine a manipulated variable (S) for drive units of the conveying elements (6') of the first conveying area (8a, 8b) and drive units of the conveying elements (6") of the second conveying area (9a, 9b) from the determined actual orientation (O_actual) and the specified target orientation (O_target) and that the control unit (7) is configured to control the drive units with the determined manipulated variables (S).

8. Order picking system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the control unit (7) is configured to control the part of the conveying elements (6') of the first conveying area (8a, 8b) and the part of the conveying elements (6") of the second conveying area (9a, 9b) with different speeds and / or different torques and / or different directions of rotation in order to position the source container (QB, QB', QB") and / or the target container (ZB, ZB', ZB") from the actual orientation (O_actual) to the target orientation (O_target).

9. Order picking system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the delivery position (Pa) or the receiving position (Pb) is located in the first conveying direction (Ra) after the detection area (11a) at the connecting section (5a) of the first conveying technology (2a) and / or that the receiving position (Pb) or the delivery position (Pa) is located in the second conveying direction (Rb) after the detection area (11b) at the connecting section (5b) of the second conveying technology (2b).

10. Order picking system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the sensor device (10) is configured to detect a catch of the source container (QB, QB', QB") or target container (ZB, ZB', ZB") in the direction of the first conveying direction (Ra) and / or a catch of the target container (ZB, ZB', ZB") or source container (QB, QB', QB") in the direction of the second conveying direction (Rb) and that the control unit (7) is configured to control at least a part of the driveable conveying elements (6', 6") of the respective connecting section (5a, 5b) depending on the detected catches such that the source container (QB, QB', QB") can be stopped in the discharge position (Pa) and / or the target container (ZB, ZB', ZB") can be stopped in the receiving position (Pb).

11. Order picking system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, in addition to the sensor device (10), a presence sensor (14a, 14b) is provided, which is configured to detect the presence of the source container (QB, QB', QB") and / or target container (ZB, ZB', ZB"), and that the control unit (7) is configured to control, depending on the detected presence, at least a part of the driveable conveying elements (6', 6") of the respective connecting section (5a, 5b) such that the source container (QB, QB', QB") can be stopped in the discharge position (Pa) and / or the target container (ZB, ZB', ZB") can be stopped in the receiving position (Pb).

12. Order picking system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that a curve angle of the connecting section (5a) of the first conveying technology (2a) is at least 90°, preferably at least 135°, in particular 180° and / or that a The curve angle of the connecting sab section (5b) of the second conveying technology (2b) is at least 90°, preferably at least 135°, in particular 180°.

13. Order picking system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that at least a part of the conveying elements (6', 6", 6'") of at least one connection section (5a, 5b) comprises conveying rollers and / or at least a part of the conveying elements (6', 6", 6'") of at least one connection section (5a, 5b) comprises substantially spherical conveying elements and / or at least a part of the conveying elements (6', 6", 6'") of at least one connection section (5a, 5b) comprises substantially barrel-shaped conveying elements.

14. Order picking system (1) according to claim 13, characterized in that at least some of the conveying rollers (6') of the first conveying area (8a) of at least one connecting section (5a, 5b) are conical and / or at least some of the conveying rollers (6') are cylindrical and / or at least some of the conveying rollers (6") of the second conveying area (9a, 9b) of at least one connecting section (5a, 5b) are conical and / or at least some of the conveying rollers (6') are cylindrical.

15. Order picking system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the axes of rotation of at least one part of the conveying elements (6', 6") of at least one connecting section (5a, 5b) are aligned transversely to the respective conveying direction (Ra, Rb), in particular in a substantially radial direction.

16. Order picking system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the conveying plane (E) of at least one connection s from section (5a, 5b) is annular in shape, at least over part of its length in the circumferential direction.

17. Order picking system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that at least a part of the conveying elements (6', 6") of at least one connecting section (5a, 5b) has a length in the direction of its axes of rotation which is at least 20%, preferably at least 30% of a width of the conveying plane (E).

18. Order picking system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that at least one connection s section (5a, 5b) comprises at least two different types of conveying elements (6', 6"), wherein the at least two different types of conveying elements (6', 6") preferably have a different length and / or a different diameter and / or a different surface finish and / or a different shape.

19. Order picking system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that the connection s section (5a, 5b) of at least one conveying technology (2a, 2b) is designed such that during conveying a part of the source container (QB, QB', QB“) or the target container (QB, QB', QB“) rests on the conveying elements (6') of the first conveying area (8a, 8b) and a part of the source container (QB, QB', QB“) or the target container (ZB, ZB', ZB“) rests on the conveying elements (6“) of the second conveying area (9a, 9b).

20. Order picking system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 19, characterized in that the inlet section (3a, 3b) and / or the outlet section (4a, 4b) of at least one conveying system (2a, 2b) comprises a roller conveyor with several conveying rollers (6) arranged one behind the other in the respective conveying direction (Ra, Rb), wherein at least a part of the conveying rollers (6) can be driven individually or jointly.

21. Order picking system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 20, characterized in that the input section (3a, 3b) of at least one conveying system (2a, 2b) comprises a roadway (16) and that a driverless transport vehicle (17) is provided for transporting the source container (QB, QB', QB") or target container (ZB, ZB', ZB") on the roadway (16) to the respective connecting section (5a, 5b) and / or that the output section (4a, 4b) of at least one conveying system (2a, 2b) comprises a roadway (16) and that a driverless transport vehicle (17) is provided for transporting the source container (QB, QB', QB") or target container (ZB, ZB', ZB") on the roadway (16) from the respective connecting section (5a, 5b).

22. Order picking system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 21, characterized in that the connection s section (5a) of the first conveying technology (2a) and / or the connection s section (5b) of the second conveying technology (2b) comprises a third conveying area (18a, 18b) with several conveying elements (6“') arranged one behind the other in the circumferential direction, preferably individually driveable, wherein the third conveying area (18a, 18b) lies in the radial direction within the first conveying area (8a, 8b), between the first conveying area (8a, 8b) and the second conveying area (9a, 9b) or outside the second conveying area (9a, 9b).

23. Order picking system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 22, characterized in that the conveying technologies (2a, 2b) are arranged in a substantially mirror-symmetrical manner with respect to an imaginary, substantially vertical, plane of symmetry (SE), such that the receiving position (Pb) and the delivery position (Pa) are facing each other and are preferably equidistant from the imaginary plane of symmetry (SE).

24. Method for picking articles (A) from a source container (QB, QB', QB“) located in a delivery position (Pa) to a destination container (ZB, ZB', ZB“) located in a receiving position (Pb), comprising the following steps: Conveying a source container (QB, QB', QB") containing a number of articles (A) in a first conveying direction (Ra) on a substantially horizontal conveying plane (E) formed by several conveying elements (6) of a connecting section (5a), in particular curved, of a first conveying technology (2a), which connects an input section (3a) with an output section (4a) of the first conveying technology (2a), in the direction of a discharge position (Pa) or a target container (ZB, ZB', ZB") into a receiving position (Pb) by driving at least a part of the conveying elements (6) by means of a control unit (7), Conveying a target container (ZB, ZB', ZB") in a second conveying direction (Rb) along a, in particular curved, connecting section (5b) of a second conveying technology (2b), which connects an inlet section (3b) with an outlet section (4b) of the second conveying technology (2b), in the direction of a receiving position (Pb) or of a source container (QB, QB', QB") in the direction of a discharge position (Pa), characterized by Determining the actual orientation (O is) of the source container (QB, QB', QB“) or target container (ZB, ZB', ZB") in a defined detection area (11a) of the connection from section (5a) of the first conveying technology (2a) by means of a sensor device (10), Individual driving of at least a part of several conveying elements (6') arranged one behind the other in the circumferential direction of a first conveying area (8a) and at least a part of several conveying elements (6") arranged one behind the other in the circumferential direction of a second conveying area (9a) of the connecting section (5a) of the first conveying technology (2a) located radially outside the first conveying area (8a) by means of the control unit (7) depending on the determined actual orientation (O_actual) such that the source container (QB, QB', QB") in the discharge position (Pa) or the target container (ZB, ZB', ZB") in the receiving position (Pb) is positioned in a predetermined or predefinable target orientation (O_target), and Transferring a number of items (A) from the source container (QB, QB', QB" located in the delivery position (Pa) to the destination container (ZB, ZB', ZB" located in the receiving position (Pb).

25. Method according to claim 24, characterized in that the connecting section (5b) of the second conveying technology (2b) comprises a roadway (16) and that the source container (QB, QB', QB“) or destination container (ZB, ZB', ZB“) is moved on the roadway (16) by means of a driverless transport vehicle (17).

26. Method according to claim 24, characterized in that the connecting section (5b) of the second conveying technology (2b) comprises several conveying elements (6) arranged one behind the other in the second conveying direction (Rb), which form a substantially horizontal conveying plane (E), wherein the source container (QB, QB', QB“) or the target container (ZB, ZB', ZB“) is moved by driving at least a part of the conveying elements (6) by means of the control unit (7).

27. Method according to claim 26, characterized in that the sensor unit (10) determines the actual orientation (O is) of the source container (QB, QB', QB") or target container (ZB, ZB', ZB") in a defined detection area (11b) of the connecting section (5b) of the second conveying technology (2b) and that several conveying elements arranged one behind the other in the circumferential direction (6') of a first conveying area (8b) and of several conveying elements (6") arranged circumferentially one behind the other of a second conveying area (9b) of the connecting section (5b) of the second conveying technology (2b) lying radially outside the first conveying area (8b) are driven individually by the control unit depending on the determined actual orientation (O is) such that the source container (QB, QB', QB") in the discharge position (Pa) or the target container (ZB, ZB', ZB") in the receiving position (Pb) is positioned in a predetermined or predefinable target orientation (O_target).

28. Method according to one of claims 24 to 27, characterized in that a measurement quantity (M) representative of the actual orientation (O_ist) is recorded by means of a number of sensors (12) of the sensor device (10) and that the actual orientation (O_ist) is determined from the recorded measurement quantity (M) by means of an evaluation unit (13).

29. Method according to one of claims 24 to 28, characterized in that a control variable (S) for drive units of the conveying elements (6') of the first conveying area (8a, 8b) and drive units of the conveying elements (6") of the second conveying area (9a, 9b) is determined by means of a control unit (15) implemented in the control unit (7) from the determined actual orientation (O_actual) and the specified target orientation (O_target) and that the drive units are controlled by the control unit (7) with the determined control variables (S).

30. Method according to one of claims 24 to 29, characterized in that the part of the conveying elements (6') of the first conveying area (8a, 8b) and the part of the conveying elements (6") of the second conveying area (9a, 9b) are controlled with different rotational speeds and / or different torques and / or different directions of rotation in order to position the source container (QB, QB', QB") and / or the target container (ZB, ZB', ZB") from the actual orientation (O_actual) to the target orientation (O_target).

31. Method according to one of claims 24 to 30, characterized in that the sensor device (10) detects a length of the source container (QB, QB', QB") or target container (ZB, ZB', ZB") in the first conveying direction (Ra) and / or a length of the source container (QB) or target container (ZB, ZB', ZB") in the second conveying direction (Rb), and that the control unit (7) controls at least a part of the conveying elements (6', 6") of the respective connecting section (5a, 5b) depending on the determined length such that the source container (QB, QB', QB") is stopped in the discharge position (Pa) and / or the target container (ZB, ZB', ZB") is stopped in the receiving position (Pb).

32. Method according to one of claims 24 to 31, characterized in that the presence of the source container (QB, QB', QB") or target container (ZB, ZB', ZB") is additionally detected by means of a presence sensor (14a, 14b) provided in addition to the sensor device (10) or by means of the sensor device (10) and that the control unit (7) controls at least a part of the conveying elements (6', 6") of the respective connecting section (5a, 5b) depending on the detected presence in such a way that the source container (QB, QB', QB") is stopped in the discharge position (Pa) and / or the target container (ZB") is stopped in the receiving position (Pb).

33. Method according to one of claims 24 to 32, characterized in that the source container (QB, QB', QB") or target container (ZB) is moved at the connecting section (5a) of the first conveying technology (2a) in a curve angle of at least 90°, preferably at least 135°, in particular 180° and / or the source container (QB, QB', QB") or target container (ZB, ZB', ZB") is moved at the connecting section (5b) of the second conveying technology (2b) in a curve angle of at least 90°, preferably at least 135°, in particular 180°.

34. Method according to one of claims 24 to 33, characterized in that the source container (QB, QB', QB") or destination container (ZB, ZB', ZB") is moved at the inlet section (3a) and / or at the outlet section (4a) of the first conveying technology (2a) by means of a roller conveyor comprising a plurality of conveying elements (6) arranged one behind the other in the first conveying direction (Ra) and / or that the source container (QB, QB', QB“) or target container (ZB, ZB', ZB“) at the inlet section (3b) and / or at the outlet section (4b) of the second conveying technology (2b) is moved by means of a roller conveyor comprising a plurality of conveying elements (6) arranged one behind the other in the second conveying direction (Rb).

35. Method according to one of claims 24 to 34, characterized in that the source container (QB, QB', QB") or destination container (ZB, ZB', ZB") is moved on a track (16) at the inlet section (3a) and / or at the outlet section (4a) of the first conveying technology (2a) by means of a driverless transport vehicle (17) and / or that the source container (QB, QB', QB") or destination container (ZB, ZB', ZB") is moved on a track (16) at the inlet section (3b) and / or at the outlet section (4b) of the second conveying technology (2b) by means of a driverless transport vehicle (17).

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