Movable Optical Guide Device for Order Picking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing order-picking systems require significant technical effort to equip picking vehicles and shelves, and lack flexibility in displaying necessary information for efficient picking processes, often requiring manual navigation and error-prone compartment access verification.
Innovation Solution
An order-picking system with a movable optical guide device on a rail that emits adjustable light beams to mark the picking vehicle's position, the shelf compartment, and the container receptacle, allowing for flexible adaptation to existing infrastructure without modifying vehicles or shelves, and utilizing a control unit to align and position the guide device for precise optical marking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If picking vehicles and shelves are equipped with complex technical systems (luminous marking devices, reporting devices), then information display capability is improved, but device complexity and technical effort increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an optical guide device as an intermediary component that moves along a rail positioned between the shelf and picking vehicle. This mediator emits light beams to mark the picking vehicle position, shelf compartment, and container receptacle, providing information display capability without requiring complex equipment integration into the picking vehicle or shelf structures themselves.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical/electronic marking systems with an optical-based solution. The movable optical guide device uses light beams to provide visual guidance, substituting for cumbersome luminous marking devices that would need to be integrated into picking vehicles and shelves, thereby reducing technical effort while maintaining information display effectiveness.
2Loss of information
If fixed marking systems are installed on picking vehicles and shelves, then information visibility is improved, but adaptability to existing infrastructure deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a movable optical guide device that travels along a rail rather than fixed markings. This dynamic positioning allows the system to adapt to different shelf configurations and picking vehicle positions without requiring permanent modifications to existing infrastructure. The light beams can be dynamically directed to mark the relevant picking vehicle position, shelf compartment, and container receptacle for each specific picking task.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable optical guide device serves as a flexible intermediary that bridges the shelf and picking vehicle without being permanently attached to either. This mediator can be positioned and oriented as needed for each picking operation, providing information visibility while maintaining full adaptability to existing infrastructure without requiring modifications to vehicles or shelves.
3Device complexity
If manual navigation and compartment verification are used, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity and error rate deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses light beams (visual/optical signals) to mark the picking vehicle position, shelf compartment, and container receptacle. This visual guidance system replaces manual navigation and verification processes, providing clear visual cues that improve picking efficiency and reduce errors while maintaining relatively simple equipment consisting of a movable guide device on a rail rather than complex integrated systems.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient and error-free order-picking processes by providing clear visual guidance to the picker, reducing the need for extensive technical modifications and enhancing flexibility, while allowing for precise positioning and marking of targets without additional equipment or infrastructure changes.
Implementation Method 1
the optical guide device having means for emitting a first light beam, a second light beam and a third light beam
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The system (1) has an optical guide device (10) including spotlights (11-13) for transmitting first, second and third light rays (14-16). A control unit (23) adjusts a position of the guide device at a rail (9) and an alignment of the rays such that the first ray provides a position taken by a picking vehicle (6) for a picking process, the second ray optically marks shelf compartments (4) and/or containers (8) provided in the shelf compartments, and the third ray optically marks container retainers (7) of the vehicle and/or the containers. An independent claim is also included for a method for executing picking processes by using a picking system.