Multi-Level Transport Tracks for Order Picking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing goods handling systems are inefficient and costly due to the need for extensive marking and tracking of goods, require significant space, and experience capacity degradation from accumulation of goods during transport to palletizing stations.
Innovation Solution
A system with two horizontally arranged transport tracks and one vertical transport track, allowing for efficient movement and delivery to palletizing stations with a matrix-like arrangement that optimizes space usage and reduces the need for extensive tracking and marking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If goods are marked and tracked constantly to monitor transport and maintain required order, then delivery accuracy is improved, but investment costs, operating costs, and personnel costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the goods' own characteristics (position on transport tracks, timing of transfer) to determine delivery order without requiring external marking or tracking. The goods essentially 'identify themselves' through their physical movement and position in the system, eliminating the need for bar codes or other identification mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates equivalent transport path lengths from different horizontal tracks to the vertical track, ensuring that goods from any horizontal track arrive at the vertical track simultaneously. This equipotential design eliminates the need for complex tracking and timing adjustments, as all goods are delivered in a naturally synchronized manner.
2Device complexity
If all transport tracks are arranged in one plane horizontally, then the system structure is simple, but the space required becomes enormous
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional horizontal arrangement of transport tracks to a three-dimensional configuration by introducing a vertical track. This allows goods to be transported horizontally on multiple levels and then vertically consolidated, dramatically reducing the floor space required while maintaining system functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system nests multiple horizontal transport tracks at different vertical levels, with goods from these tracks being consolidated into a single vertical track. This nested arrangement allows efficient use of vertical space, enabling the system to handle multiple product streams without requiring proportional horizontal space expansion.
3Adaptability or versatility
If goods are brought together on a common horizontal transport track to multiple palletizing stations, then distribution to multiple stations is enabled, but large accumulations of goods occur leading to time loss and capacity degradation
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of consolidating all goods onto a single common horizontal track, the patent segments the transport system into multiple independent horizontal tracks that feed into separate vertical tracks. Each vertical track serves specific palletizing stations, preventing accumulation by maintaining separate, synchronized flow paths for different goods streams.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent resolves the accumulation problem by moving the consolidation point from the horizontal plane to the vertical dimension. Multiple horizontal tracks feed into vertical tracks, which then deliver goods to palletizing stations at different elevations. This vertical separation eliminates the bottleneck that would occur if all goods were forced onto a single horizontal track.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a device for order picking and providing products (12) in a correct order, in particular cuboidal piece products, such as containers, cardboards, or (beverage) crates, to at least one pallet area (14), comprising at least two transport paths (16) which run horizontally or substantially horizontally, which are arranged one above the other, and via which the products (12) can be received individually at a product inlet side end (16') of the at least two horizontally running transport paths (16) and can be moved to a product outlet side end (16'') of the at least two horizontally running transport paths (16); and comprising at least one transport path (20) which runs vertically or substantially vertically and to which the products (12) can be transferred from the product outlet side end (16'') of the at least two horizontally running transport paths (16) onto a product inlet side end (20') of the at least one vertically running transport path (20) and can be moved from the at least one vertically running transport path (20) to a product outlet side end (20'') of the at least one vertical transport path (20), said product outlet side end being paired with the one pallet area (14) or one of the pallet areas (14). Each horizontally or substantially horizontally running transport path (16) and the at least one vertically or substantially vertically running transport path (20) are designed such that the path of a product (12) from the product inlet side end (16') of each of the at least two horizontally running transport paths (16) to the product outlet side end (20'') of one of the at least one vertical transport path (20) of the paired pallet area (14) is of an identical length. The invention also relates to a method and to a computer program.