U.S. patent application number 13/641958 was filed with the patent office on 2013-02-07 for loading system and method for loading packaged items.
This patent application is currently assigned to SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT. The applicant listed for this patent is Roland Fritzsche. Invention is credited to Roland Fritzsche.
Application Number | 20130031876 13/641958 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44223558 |
Filed Date | 2013-02-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130031876 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Fritzsche; Roland |
February 7, 2013 |
LOADING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR LOADING PACKAGED ITEMS
Abstract
A loading, picking or sorting system and a method for loading,
picking or sorting packaged items, include a removal device for
removing packaged items provided in a warehouse, a buffer device
for buffering the removed packaged items, and a dispensing device
for withdrawing buffered packaged items from the buffer device
according to a particular loading order for outputting to a
processing unit handling the packaged items in order to complete
the loading order. In order to achieve low production, operating,
and maintenance costs, the buffer device includes at least one
collecting conveyor on which the buffered packaged items are
collected.
Inventors: |
Fritzsche; Roland;
(Nuernberg, DE) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Fritzsche; Roland |
Nuernberg |
|
DE |
|
|
Assignee: |
SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
MUENCHEN
DE
|
Family ID: |
44223558 |
Appl. No.: |
13/641958 |
Filed: |
April 15, 2011 |
PCT Filed: |
April 15, 2011 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP11/55997 |
371 Date: |
October 18, 2012 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
53/492 ;
53/167 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65G 47/5104 20130101;
B65G 1/1376 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
53/492 ;
53/167 |
International
Class: |
B65B 43/00 20060101
B65B043/00; B65B 65/08 20060101 B65B065/08 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 19, 2010 |
DE |
10 2010 015 414.8 |
Claims
1-14. (canceled)
15. A sorting system for sorting packaged items, the sorting system
comprising: a removal device configured to remove packaged items
made available in a warehouse; a buffer device configured to buffer
the removed packaged items, said buffer device having at least one
collecting conveyor on which the buffered packaged items are
collected; a dispensing device configured to withdraw the buffered
packaged items from said buffer device in accordance with a sorting
order; and a processing unit configured to process the packaged
items dispensed from said dispensing device to complete said
sorting order.
16. The sorting system according to claim 15, which further
comprises a conveying unit configured to convey the packaged items
removed from the warehouse onto said at least one collecting
conveyor in an orderless manner.
17. The sorting system according to claim 15, wherein said
processing unit includes a separating device associated with said
at least one collecting conveyor and configured to separate the
packaged items withdrawn from said collecting conveyor.
18. The sorting system according to claim 15, wherein said buffer
device is configured to buffer the removed packaged items on said
at least one collecting conveyor using a compilation based on a
specific sorting order.
19. The sorting system according to claim 15, wherein said at least
one collecting conveyor includes at least one time-based collecting
conveyor used in at least one operating mode to receive and provide
the packaged items for assignment to a subsequent processing of a
sorting order.
20. The sorting system according to claim 15, wherein said
processing unit includes an orienting unit associated with said at
least one collecting conveyor and configured to move the packaged
items withdrawn from said at least one collecting conveyor to
achieve a target orientation with respect to a material flow.
21. The sorting system according to claim 15, wherein said
processing unit includes an optical detection unit configured to
detect a position of packaged items relative to one another and/or
relative to a predefined direction.
22. The sorting system according to claim 15, wherein said
processing unit includes a sequencing device configured to provide
the packaged items withdrawn from said at least one collecting
conveyor in a succession in accordance with a specific sorting
order.
23. The sorting system according to claim 15, wherein said at least
one collecting conveyor of said buffer device is a set of
collecting conveyors.
24. The sorting system according to claim 23, wherein said set of
collecting conveyors includes specific collecting conveyors each
assigned to at least one of a plurality of different sorting
orders, in at least one operating mode.
25. The sorting system according to claim 23, which further
comprises a sorting device configured to sort the packaged items
removed from the warehouse for buffering in said corresponding
collecting conveyors.
26. A method for sorting packaged items, the method comprising the
following steps: removing packaged items from a warehouse;
buffering the removed packaged items in a buffer device having a
collecting conveyor collecting the packaged items removed from the
warehouse; withdrawing the buffered packaged items from the buffer
device in accordance with a specific sorting order; and processing
the withdrawn packaged items to complete the sorting order.
27. The method according to claim 26, which further comprises
collecting the packaged items on the collecting conveyor in an
orderless manner.
28. The method according to claim 26, which further comprises
separating the packaged items withdrawn from the buffer device to
complete the sorting order.
Description
[0001] The invention relates to a picking system for picking
packaged items according to the preamble of claim 1 and to a method
for picking packaged items according to the preamble of claim
12.
[0002] Picking systems for picking packaged items, in which the
packaged items, after having been removed from a warehouse, in
particular a high-rack warehouse, are stored for a certain period
of time in a buffer device, and from there they are withdrawn in
accordance with a present picking order to compile a shipping unit,
are already known. The buffer device is formed as a high rack,
wherein the packaged items are transported into the high rack lying
individually or in layers on pallets or trays.
[0003] A buffer device of this type in the form of a high rack
requires a large amount of space within a distribution center and
is costly. High racks conventionally have a standard shelf height,
wherein the available buffer space is used inefficiently in the
case of packaged items that are smaller than the shelf height. In
addition, the buffer device is dimensioned in accordance with a
peak utilization of the picking system, since a large number of
tray storage spaces are provided (typically between 100,000 and
500,000 spaces). To automate the picking orders, the known buffer
devices also have automatic small part stores and/or are equipped
with a complex conveying system, for example in the form of
carriers (or what are known as "shuttles") moving to and fro
between the individual storage spaces and a dispensing point. To
withdraw the packaged items from the buffer device in accordance
with the order, wherein packaged items are exchanged between
high-rack lanes and/or are sequenced in a specific succession in
accordance with a picking order, a complex control system has to be
provided. To ensure uninterrupted processing of the picking orders
in the event of a failure of part of the conveying system, packaged
items have to be stocked in multiple quantities for redundancy
reasons.
[0004] The object of the invention is to provide a picking system
of the generic type with a buffer device, by means of which low
production, operating and maintenance costs can be achieved.
[0005] This object is achieved by a picking system according to
claim 1 and by a method as claimed in claim 12.
[0006] Starting from a picking system for picking packaged items,
said picking system comprising a removal device for removing
packaged items that are provided in a warehouse, a buffer device
that is provided for buffering the removed packaged items, and a
dispensing device by means of which buffered packaged items are
withdrawn from the buffer device in accordance with a picking order
and are dispensed to a processing unit handling the packaged items
to complete the picking order, it is proposed that the buffer
device has at least one collecting conveyor, on which the buffered
packaged items are collected. A compact design of the buffer device
can thus advantageously be achieved. In particular, it is possible
to dispense with the costly provision of individual spaces for the
packaged items, for example in the form of a high rack. A "packaged
item" is to be understood in particular to mean a unit that
encloses at least one object to be shipped or a set of preferably
identical objects to be shipped. For example, the packaged item may
be formed as a commercial packaging unit or as a packet. Within the
context of the invention, a "picking order" is to be understood in
particular to mean an order that specifies a compilation of
packaged items to form one or more shipping units. The picking
order preferably specifies the type, the number and/or the
succession of the packaged items forming the shipping unit.
[0007] The picking system according to the invention expediently
concerns a method that is referred to by a person skilled in the
art as "full case picking" and is based on the handling of packaged
items from the point of removal from the warehouse until the point
of provision as a shipping unit.
[0008] A "collecting conveyor" is to be understood in particular to
mean an apparatus that has at least one collecting surface for
receiving the buffered packaged items and a conveying unit, which
conveys the buffered packaged items from an interface formed by the
removal device to an interface formed by the dispensing device. As
a result of this double function of the collecting conveyor as a
buffer device and as a conveying device, the use of costly trays
can be saved. In this case, the buffer process can be independent
of the type and status of the packing process to an increased
extent. Due to the proposed embodiment of the buffer device, it is
also possible to dispense with a costly control system, which is
necessary for a conventional withdrawal of packaged items from
individual stores. In particular, the collecting conveyor may have
a belt conveyor as a conveying unit, wherein further embodiments
are conceivable, for example in the form of chutes or gravity
roller conveyors.
[0009] Once removed from the warehouse, which is used in particular
to store the packaged items in their supplied state, such as in the
form of pallets in particular, the packaged items remain in the
buffer device for a buffer period, which is dependent in particular
on a current processing of picking orders by the processing unit.
The collecting conveyor, as part of a buffer device, thus differs
from a simple conveying unit, of which the function merely lies in
conveying packaged items from a first point of the picking system
to a further point of the picking system. At least for some of the
packaged items buffered in the buffer device, the duration of the
buffering corresponds preferably at least to the period of time or
at least to a substantial part of the period of time, necessary to
collect a certain number of packaged items on the collecting
conveyor. The buffered packaged items may remain on the collecting
conveyor for longer than this period of time, whilst further
packaged items are processed by the processing unit. In this case,
the packaged items remain on the collecting conveyor until they are
dispensed, depending on the processing of picking orders from the
processing unit, by the dispensing unit to the processing unit to
complete the picking order to which they are assigned. The buffered
packaged items can be stored on the collecting conveyor statically,
that is to say in particular in an unmoved state relative to a main
structure of the picking system, at least for part of the buffer
period.
[0010] In particular, the processing unit has at least one unit,
such as a packing station, which, on the basis of the packaged
items withdrawn from the collecting conveyor, provides a shipping
unit to be shipped to the corresponding ordering party of the
picking order. In this unit, shipping units, for example in the
form of a pallet, a trolley, etc., are compiled in accordance with
what is known as the "mixed palletizing" method for example,
wherein one or more shipping units correspond to a specific picking
order.
[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is proposed
for the picking system to have a conveying unit that conveys the
packaged items removed from the warehouse on the collecting
conveyor in an orderless manner. Buffering with a high density of
packaged items can thus be achieved, wherein an available buffer
space can be used efficiently. An "orderless" arrangement of
packaged items on the collecting conveyor is to be understood in
particular to mean an arrangement in which there is no stipulation
of a specific orientation with respect to the material flow, a
specific spacing between two adjacent packaged items and/or a
specific succession, and there are no corresponding means for
providing a specific orientation, a specific spacing and/or a
specific succession. In an orderless arrangement of packaged items,
the packaged items advantageously have any orientation with respect
to the material flow, any succession and/or any spacing from
adjacent packaged items. The collecting conveyor is in this case
advantageously designed in terms of a typical dimensioning of the
packaged items to be handled, in such a way that it enables removal
of packaged items overlapping in a direction perpendicular to the
direction of material flow. If the collecting conveyor has a
conveying unit with a controllable drive, a high packaged item
density can be achieved in conjunction with sensor technology,
visual detection systems, etc., even with a large number of
packaged items.
[0012] In addition, it is proposed for the picking system to have a
separating device, which is assigned to the collecting conveyor, is
formed as part of the processing unit and is used to separate the
packaged items withdrawn from the collecting conveyor, whereby
efficient processing of picking orders can be achieved by the
processing unit. A "separating device" is understood in particular
to mean a device that is used to process a set of packaged items in
such a way that the separated packaged items are arranged
predominantly one after the other, in particular exclusively one
after the other, in the direction of material flow, preferably with
a spacing between two adjacent packaged items. This is suitable in
particular with an orderless arrangement of packaged items on the
collecting conveyor, in which packaged items overlap in a direction
perpendicular to the direction of material flow.
[0013] If the buffer device is designed to buffer the removed
packaged items on the collecting conveyor by means of a compilation
based on a specific picking order, the picking order can be
processed quickly and efficiently by the processing unit. In this
case, packaged items that advantageously correspond at least to the
compilation of a shipping unit in accordance with the specific
picking order or the shipping unit are buffered on the collecting
conveyor. This, in particular, constitutes an advantage over
conventional buffer devices, in which packaged items are buffered
in individual stores without reference to a specific picking order
and are only compiled to produce a shipping unit by drawing
individual packaged items from different individual stores. The
collecting conveyor in the proposed embodiment can be denoted by
the term "order-based collecting conveyor".
[0014] It is also proposed for the picking system to have at least
one time-based collecting conveyor, which is used in at least one
operating mode to receive packaged items so as to provide these for
assignment to a subsequent processing of a picking order. A
procedure for removal of packaged items from the warehouse can thus
be carried out particularly efficiently. This can be carried out in
particular in view of subsequent picking orders, the processing of
which is scheduled at a later time. If there is an increased need
for specific goods for a subsequent time window, that is to say
with regard to picking orders that are scheduled for processing at
a later time, larger quantities of these goods can be removed from
the warehouse, wherein packaged items that are not required for the
processing of current picking orders can be placed ready on the
time-based collecting conveyor. In contrast to an order-based
collecting conveyor, the compilation of packaged items on the
time-based collecting conveyor is not defined by a specific picking
order to be processed currently. The time-based collecting conveyor
may be provided in addition to at least one collecting conveyor of
the buffer device. Alternatively, it may correspond to the at least
one collecting conveyor of the buffer device, wherein this
collecting conveyor can be used as an order-based collecting
conveyor or as a time-based collecting conveyor as required. If the
packaged items on the time-based collecting conveyor(s) are
required for picking orders that are to be processed, the packaged
items are thus sorted onto the order-based collecting conveyors
after corresponding separation.
[0015] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is
proposed for the picking system to have an orienting unit, which is
assigned to the collecting conveyor, is formed as part of the
processing unit and is designed to move the packaged items
withdrawn from the collecting conveyor to achieve a target
orientation with respect to the material flow, whereby quick and
efficient processing can be achieved by the processing unit. This
is suitable in particular with an orderless arrangement of packaged
items on the collecting conveyor, in which the packaged items are
arranged with no orientation, that is to say without predefined
orientation with respect to the material flow. The orienting unit
may advantageously be formed in one piece with a separating
device.
[0016] Quick processing of buffered packaged items can also be
achieved if the picking system has an optical detection unit, which
is formed as part of the processing unit and is designed to detect
a position of packaged items relative to one another and/or
relative to a predefined direction, preferably relative to the
direction of material flow. The detection unit may advantageously
be formed as part of a separating and/or orienting unit.
[0017] In a further embodiment, the picking system particularly
preferably has a sequencing device, which is formed as part of the
processing unit and which provides the packaged items withdrawn
from the collecting conveyor in a succession in accordance with a
present picking order.
[0018] In accordance with a development of the invention, it is
proposed for the buffer device to have a set of collecting
conveyors, whereby increased versatility in the processing of
picking orders can be achieved. A corresponding embodiment of the
invention in which collecting conveyors of the set of collecting
conveyors are each assigned to a different picking order, in at
least one operating mode, is particularly advantageous. In this
case, these collecting conveyors are advantageously used as
order-based collecting conveyors. In particular, packaged items
from a collecting conveyor can be removed by the dispensing device
whilst buffering of packaged items occurs on further collecting
conveyors, and therefore packaged items can be fed to the
processing unit as continuously as possible. Collecting conveyors
within the set of collecting conveyors can also be used in a
versatile manner as time-based collecting conveyors.
[0019] It is further proposed for the picking system to comprise a
sorting device, which is used to sort the packaged items removed
from the warehouse for buffering into the corresponding collecting
conveyors. An assignment of packaged items, which have been removed
from the warehouse, to a specific collecting conveyor and/or an
automatic placement of packaged items on the corresponding
collecting conveyor can thus advantageously be implemented in an
automated manner. In this case, the sorting device may have sorting
means, which are used to discharge packaged items, such as
transferers, pushers, lifts, cross-belts, shoe-like sorting
elements or tilting sorting elements, and by means of which the
packaged items are deposited on the corresponding collecting
conveyors. These sorting means expediently have at least one drive,
by means of which the packaged items are advanced to the
corresponding collecting conveyor.
[0020] Exemplary embodiments of the invention will be described
hereinafter on the basis of the drawing, in which:
[0021] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a picking system according
to the invention, with a warehouse, a sorting device, a buffer
device comprising collecting conveyors, and a processing unit,
which has a separating device, an orienting unit and a packing
station,
[0022] FIG. 2 shows a three-dimensional view of an alternative
picking system, and
[0023] FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of the picking system from
FIG. 1 in an alternative embodiment.
[0024] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view from above of a picking system
10 of a distribution or shipping center. This system has a removal
device 12, which is used to remove packaged items 14 from a
warehouse 16. The warehouse 16 is formed as a high-rack warehouse,
which comprises a plurality of rack storage units 16.1, 16.2, 16.3.
The packaged items 14 are preferably stored in these rack storage
units directly after their delivery to the distribution center. For
example, pallets 18 are stored in the warehouse 16, on which the
packaged items 14 are bundled together in the conventional manner.
Reference sign 14 is used consistently to denote the individual
packaged items, wherein the packaged items 14 may differ from one
another in terms of their shape, their weight, packaging material,
etc.
[0025] The removal device 12 comprises means 20 for depalletizing
packaged items 14, that is to say for removing individual packaged
items 14 from the pallets 18. The means 20 can be used for
automated, in particular fully automated, depalletizing and/or
placing of the packaged items 14 on a conveyor 22, which is
suitable in particular for packaged items 14 that are required to
complete a picking order at a high rate of number of items per unit
of time. For packaged items 14 that are required at a lower
frequency in the production of picking units and/or that can only
be removed from a pallet with great effort, the depalletizing
process may be implemented manually. In this case, conventional
methods can be used, such as light-assisted or speech-assisted
methods ("pick by light" or "pick by voice"), wherein the packaged
items 14, after having been removed manually by a member of staff,
are placed or deposited on the conveyor 22, for example a belt
conveyor (for example in accordance with what is known as the
"pick-to-belt method").
[0026] The packaged items 14 removed from the warehouse 12 are
conveyed by means of the conveyor 22 to a sorting device 24, in
which they are sorted in accordance with a specific picking order
for the purposes of buffering in a buffer device 26. The buffer
device 26 is arranged upstream of a dispensing device 28 along the
material flow, said dispensing device withdrawing packaged items 14
from the buffer device 26 that are required for the processing of a
picking order and dispensing them to a processing unit 30, which is
used to complete the picking order, in particular to provide a
shipping unit 32, for example in the form of a pallet.
[0027] The buffer device 26 is used to temporarily store packaged
items 14 for a certain buffer period dependent on a current
processing of the picking order by the processing unit 30. In
accordance with the invention, the buffer device has at least one
collecting conveyor 34, on which the buffered packaged items 14 are
collected. In the present example, the buffer device 26 comprises a
set of two collecting conveyors 34, wherein the buffer device 26
may have any number of collecting conveyors 34 (see FIG. 2). The
packaged items 14 removed from the warehouse 16 are sorted by means
of the sorting device 24, wherein they are each assigned to a
collecting conveyor 34.1 or 34.2 in accordance with a specific
picking order. Different identification means are conceivable for
identifying the packaged items 14, for example the detection of a
barcode, the activation of an RFID chip attached to the packaged
item 14 and/or optical detection. The sorting device 24 has
conveying units 36 (illustrated schematically), which are arranged
upstream of a collecting conveyor 34 with respect to the material
flow and are used to convey the packaged items 14 removed from the
warehouse 16 to the corresponding collecting conveyor 34.1 or 34.2.
The conveying units 36 can be formed for example as transferers,
pushers, lifts, cross-belt sorters, as shoe sorters or tilting
sorting units. In this case, the packaged items 14 are conveyed in
an orderless manner on a collecting conveyor 34, wherein means for
setting a predefined orientation and/or a predefined spacing
between the individual packaged items 14, such as a separating
and/or orienting device, are omitted. The packaged items 14
collected on a collecting conveyor 34 therefore have (any)
different orientations relative to the direction of material flow
38 and (any) different positions relative to one another.
Furthermore, the collecting conveyors 34 are dimensioned in such a
way that packaged items 14 may overlap in a direction perpendicular
to the direction of material flow 38. In other words, the packaged
items 14 may be arranged side by side with respect to the direction
of material flow 38 so that a high density of packaged items 14 on
the collecting conveyors 34 can be achieved. To achieve an
expedient accumulation density of packaged items 14 on the
collecting conveyors 34, drive parameters of the conveying units 36
and/or of the collecting conveyors 34, such as a conveying speed,
can be set selectively. In the considered exemplary embodiment, the
collecting conveyors 34 are formed as belt conveyors, wherein
further embodiments of a conveying means are also conceivable.
[0028] In the considered exemplary embodiment, the buffer device 26
is designed to buffer on a collecting conveyor 34 the packaged
items 14 removed from the warehouse 16 according to a specific
picking order. In this case, the packaged items 14 buffered on the
collecting conveyor 34 have a compilation based on the specific
picking order or on the order for a shipping unit. To this end, the
collecting conveyors 34 are each assigned to a specific picking
order or to an order for a shipping unit and are referred to as
order-based collecting conveyors. If the completion of the picking
order is scheduled in accordance with the processing unit 30 and/or
if all packaged items 14 required for completion of the picking
order are present on the corresponding collecting conveyor 34, the
corresponding packaged items 14 are withdrawn from the
corresponding collecting conveyor 34 by the dispensing device 28
and are dispensed to the processing unit 30 to complete the picking
order. The packaged items 14 are preferably withdrawn in an
automated manner from the buffer device 26, wherein manual
withdrawal is also conceivable. The withdrawn packaged items 14 are
conveyed to a unit 42, which may have different functions. The unit
42 comprises at least one separating device 44, which separates the
packaged items 14 arranged in an orderless manner, possibly side by
side with respect to the direction of material flow 38. As in the
present exemplary embodiment in particular, the unit 42 may further
have an orienting device 46, which moves the unoriented packaged
items 14 to achieve a target orientation with respect to the
direction of material flow 38. An optical detection unit 48 is
provided to detect a position of packaged items 14 relative to one
another and/or relative to a predefined direction, in particular
relative to the direction of material flow 38. In the considered
exemplary embodiment, the separating device 44 and the orienting
device 46 are formed integrally, wherein the packaged items 14 can
be separated and oriented by the same device. The unit 42 may
further have a sequencing unit, which sorts the packaged items 14
in accordance with a specific sequence. This sequence may be
dependent on the weight, the shape and/or other external features
of the packaged items 14 and/or on a succession determined by the
ordering party. The number of functions to be completed by the unit
42 is dependent on the type of packaged items 14 and/or on the
current picking order, for example on specific requirements of the
ordering party.
[0029] After processing by the unit 42, the packaged items 14,
which are now separated and sorted, oriented and/or sequenced,
possibly in accordance with type, weight, shape, etc., are conveyed
to a packing station 50 so as to then be packed manually and/or in
an automated manner as a shipping unit 32 on a support, such as a
pallet or in a trolley.
[0030] The removal device 12, the sorting device 24, the buffer
device 26 with the collecting conveyors 34, the dispensing device
28 and the processing unit 30 with the separating device 44, the
orienting unit 46, possibly a sequencing device, and the packing
station 50 are arranged one after the other, possibly directly one
after the other, with respect to the direction of material flow
38.
[0031] A further embodiment of a picking system 10a is shown in
FIG. 2. The following description is directed primarily to the
differences from the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1 so as to avoid
repetition. Components or functional units that have already been
described above in terms of their design and/or functions are
denoted by like reference signs for the sake of clarity, wherein
the letter "a" is added in order to provide a distinction.
[0032] A three-dimensional view of the picking system 10a is
illustrated in FIG. 2. This system has a removal device 12a, by
means of which packaged items 14 are removed from a high-rack
warehouse 16a having a plurality of rack storage units 16a.1 to
16a.3. The removed packaged items 14 are conveyed to a buffer
device 26a by means of a conveyor 22a. This conveyor has a
plurality of sets 27a.1 to 27a.5 of collecting conveyors 34a, which
are arranged side by side with respect to the direction of material
flow 38a. Each set 27a comprises a plurality of collecting
conveyors 34a, which are arranged one above the other. To sort the
packaged items 14 into the corresponding collecting conveyors 34a,
a sorting device 24a is provided and, for each set 27a, has a
conveying unit 36a formed as an elevator device for feeding the
packaged items 14 into the relevant height in an orderless
manner.
[0033] The buffer device 26a is arranged upstream of a dispensing
device 28a, which withdraws the buffered packaged items 14 from the
buffer device 26a and dispenses them to a processing unit 30a to
complete a specific picking order. The dispensing device 28a has a
spiral conveyor 29a, by means of which packaged items 14 are
transported from a collecting conveyor 34a to the level of the
processing unit 30a. Once withdrawn from a collecting conveyor 34a,
the packaged items 14 are conveyed to a unit 42a of the processing
unit 30a. The unit 42a has a separating device 44a and a sequencing
device 45a, by means of which the packaged items 14 are processed
in accordance with a succession conditional on the weight, the
shape, the type of packaged items 14 and/or specific requirements
of the ordering party. Before sequencing, the packaged items 14 are
separated by the separating device 44a. The packaged items 14 are
conveyed from the unit 42a to a packing station 50a, by means of
which shipping units 32 (not shown) are provided.
[0034] FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the picking system
10 from FIG. 1. The following description concerns merely the
differences from the above-described exemplary embodiment and
reference is made to the explanations already provided.
[0035] The picking system 10 has a time-based collecting conveyor
34.2. This is used to buffer packaged items 14 before they are
assigned to a later processing of a picking order. The function of
the time-based collecting conveyor 34.2 will be explained on the
basis of the following example. With the scheduled processing of a
specific picking order, packaged items 14 are depalletized with the
aid of the means 20 and are placed on the conveyor 22. This
concerns packaged items 14, which are conveyed on a corresponding
order-based collecting conveyor 34.1 in accordance with a target
compilation based on the specific picking order, as described
above. So as to optimize the depalletizing process, further
packaged items 14, not required for the specific picking order to
be processed currently, may also be depalletized, for example by
processing a complete pallet position or a complete pallet. The
additional packaged items 14 that are not assigned to the picking
order to be processed currently are provided on the time-based
collecting conveyor 34.2 until they are assigned to a picking order
of which the processing is scheduled at a later time, and are
accordingly transported on an order-based collecting conveyor 34.1
assigned to this picking order.
* * * * *