WO1996036547A1 - Plant for producing groups of products - Google Patents

Abstract

A plant for producing groups of products consisting of a plurality of different products (30), with devices, (1, 2) for storing a plurality of different products (30), with intermediate stores (32) for at least one product (30), the loading of which by at least one commissioner can be indicated to said commissioner by a central computer unit, and with a conveyor (2) arranged beneath the intermediate store (32) to which the products (30) in the intermediate stores (32) also controlled by the central computer unit can be taken. A plurality of first conveyors (2) have an associated transversely running second conveyor (9) at their ends, to which the products (30) delivered directly to the first conveyors (2) by the intermediate stores (32) can be moved, whereby the individual groups of products can be brought together by conveying the products (30) by means of the first conveyors (2).

Description

 Plant for the production of product groups

The subject invention relates to a plant for the production of product groups, which consist of a plurality of different goods, with devices for storing a large number of different goods, with intermediate stores for at least one good, the loading of which by at least one order picker by this order picker a central processing unit can be displayed, and with a conveyor device arranged below the intermediate storage device, to which the goods located in the intermediate storage devices, which are likewise controlled by the central processing unit, can be delivered.

When goods are delivered, there is a need to put together groups consisting of a plurality of different goods, which represent individual order units, which must be delivered to the customers of these goods as quickly as possible. For example, the need for pharmacies to compile groups consisting of a large number of different medicaments within a short period of time and to deliver them to the pharmacies.

In order to be able to meet this requirement, it is known to provide stores for a large number of different goods, from which individual goods are removed and assembled into order units. These warehouses have devices for storing a very large number of different goods. These are shelves, compartments, shelves or the like, on which there are different goods next to one another and one above the other in the number of pieces corresponding to the anticipated need, which can be removed. Furthermore, conveying devices are provided along these storage devices, by means of which containers, for example transport boxes, can be moved, which serve to hold the individual goods, as a result of which groups of goods can be put together for manufacture by the order units. For this there is a requirement that the individual goods are picked by order pickers from the storage devices and placed in a transport container. Since these warehouses are designed to be very large, they are divided into individual sections, each section being assigned an order picker, by means of which, as soon as the transport container assigned to a specific order has entered its section, those goods of the order which are located in the relevant section, are placed in the transport container.

As a result, the work processes in the individual sections are dependent on one another insofar as there is a requirement that a transport container arrives in the respective section, after which it is loaded with the goods located in this section. It should be taken into account here that if in a section due to a large number of goods which have to be put into the transport container, the order picker concerned takes a long time, the order picker of the following section if he has the previous transport container with less Sent goods, has to wait until the further transport container reaches him, which means that a waiting time is required for him. As a result, there are overall delays that severely limit the performance of existing systems.

When compiling and delivering product groups, there is often also the need to fulfill certain orders immediately, that is to say to put the relevant product groups in preference. However, this requirement can only be met inadequately with the known systems, since goods are successively removed from each section of the warehouse and placed in a transport container, which means that a great deal of time is required.

DE 41 04 527 AI describes a device for commissioning Ren of piece goods known, in which the goods are stored in a computer-controlled paternoster shelf. A group of collecting containers serving as temporary stores is assigned to the paternoster shelf, into which all the goods belonging to one order unit are placed. As soon as this application unit is complete, the relevant buffer store is emptied into a transport container located below it, whereupon the transport container is transported away by means of a conveyor belt.

However, this device does not meet the requirements because only a comparatively small number of different goods can be stored in such a paternoster rack. Since, in addition, the goods located on the paternoster shelf are constantly moved to other positions, this device is also subject to severe restrictions due to the weight of the goods or can only store goods with small dimensions or with low weights in this device become. In addition, the order picker must always wait until the goods in question have been brought into the position in which they can be removed from the shelf. For the reasons given above, this known device is so limited in its field of application that it is in no way suitable for picking a very large number of different goods with different dimensions or weights and also with different frequencies of removal.

A computer-controlled order-picking system is also known from EP AI 183 074, in which a multiplicity of shafts are provided for receiving goods. There is a conveyor belt below the shafts, on which individual goods are delivered from the shafts, which are put together on the conveyor belt to form individual order units.

However, this known device does not meet the requirements because the sizes of the individual shafts must be matched to the specific goods. Furthermore, these are Shafts or the like for square boxes. functional, whereas they are largely unsuitable for irregularly designed goods. In addition, these shafts have to be manually loaded with the individual goods, which means that a very large amount of personnel is required.

Furthermore, a picking system is known from US Pat. No. 4,000,821, which has a plurality of first conveyor devices, onto which individual goods can be applied by shaft-like storage containers and which are transported to a second conveyor device oriented transversely to the first conveyor devices. whereby the individual application units are formed on the second conveyor by means of the first conveyor.

However, this known system also has the disadvantages set out above.

The object of the present invention is therefore to create a system for the production of product groups, which consist of a large number of different goods, by means of which the disadvantages inherent in the known devices and systems are avoided. In particular, it should be possible to assemble order units much faster than is the case with the known systems.

This is achieved according to the invention in that a plurality of first conveying devices is assigned a second conveying device which is located at the ends thereof and is oriented transversely to the latter and to which the goods which are transferred directly from the intermediate stores to the first conveying devices can be moved , whereby the individual product groups can be put together by supplying the goods by means of the first conveyor devices. The loading of the intermediate stores by the at least one order picker is preferably controlled by the central processing unit in such a way that the order picker progressively moves in a single direction. The devices for storing the different goods are preferably located both above and below the intermediate store. According to a preferred embodiment, the intermediate stores are formed by containers which are open on one side and which are mounted about an approximately horizontally oriented axis and by means of their rotation or pivoting the goods can be discharged downwards onto the first conveyor device. A common drive can be assigned to a group of buffers and a control device can be assigned to each buffer, by means of which the drive for the adjustment of the buffers can be coupled to the buffer. The drive preferably has a belt, a chain or the like. on, which can be coupled to the buffer stores by means of the control device.

The object of the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawing. 1 shows a plant according to the invention, in perspective

Representation, FIG. 2 shows a part of this plant, in a perspective representation enlarged compared to FIG. 1, FIGS. 3 and 4 show a detail of this plant, each in a side view, and FIG. 5 shows a plant according to the invention, in a schematic representation ¬ position.

A system according to the invention has a large number of areas for storing a very large number of different goods. The same goods, ie products of one type, are located in each individual area, the number of these goods depending on the requirements of the need. The individual areas are also loaded with new goods in accordance with the requirements. As can be seen from FIG. 1, storage positions 1 and 1 a are provided for this storage, which are subdivided into areas for different goods. Stages 1 extend over the length of a hall in which the system is arranged. The shelves 1 can be designed with continuous or shelf shelves or with drawers.

A first conveyor device in the form of a conveyor belt 2 is located along the rack positions 1. In the exemplary embodiment shown, this conveyor belt 2 is arranged in a middle height position of the rack position 1. Arranged above the conveyor belt 2 is a device 3, which is explained in more detail below and which contains a multiplicity of adjustable containers which serve as intermediate stores. Above the device 3 and below the conveyor belt 2 there are areas 5 and 6 for the storage of goods which are e.g. in boxes 7 or in boxes 8.

At the end of the conveyor belt 2 there is also a second conveyor device 9 oriented transversely thereto, which is used for the further transport of those goods which are conveyed from the conveyor belt 2 into a container 91. The second conveyor device is designed, for example, as a roller conveyor 9.

The warehouse is divided into a plurality of sections A, in each of which a screen 10 is provided. The screens 10 serve to convey to the order pickers the information necessary for their work.

As can be seen from FIGS. 2 to 4, the device 3 consists of a support plate 31 which is formed with a large number of recesses in which bowl-shaped containers 32 are located. The containers 32 can be adjusted about a horizontal axis from a position in which they are open upwards to a position pivoted about 180 °. The pivoting of the containers 32 takes place by means of a drive motor 33, by means of which a drive belt 34 can be moved, which by means of control devices 36, which are assigned to the individual containers 32, with a gearwheel 37, which sits on the shaft of each container 32, can be coupled. As soon as the drive belt 34 is moved, as a result of which it is coupled to a container 32 by means of the control devices 36 via a gearwheel 37, this container 32 is pivoted in such a way that the material 30 located therein is moved onto the conveyor belt located below it 2 falls. Goods 30 are moved from conveyor belt 2 to second conveyor device 9, at which they are delivered to a transport container 91 located thereon.

The function of such a system is as follows: Orders received by customers are processed by a central processing unit, the order units being divided by the central processing unit in such a way that the individual goods are assigned to the section in which they are stored. The individual goods are then displayed to the commissioners in succession on the screens 10 located in section A. Furthermore, each good 30 is assigned a container 32 into which the good 30 in question is to be introduced. The containers 32 are indicated to the order pickers by signal lamps arranged in the containers 32. The order pickers are shown on the screens 10 which goods are to be successively introduced into the relevant containers 32. The central processing unit in each case assigns the good 30 that is required to the free container 32 closest to this good, which is indicated to the order picker located in this section A by the signal lamp. The sequence of the goods 30, which must be placed in the container 32, is preferably displayed by the central processing unit in such a way that the order pickers only move in one direction. This ensures that the necessary routes for the order pickers are minimized .

As soon as the goods 30 requested in each case have been introduced into the displayed container 32 by a picker, he sends a control signal to the central processing unit, whereupon a further goods 30 is displayed on the screen 10, which must be placed in another container 32 indicated by a signal lamp. In this way, the jobs displayed on the screen 10 are carried out in succession. At the same time, the pickers compile all the goods required for an order unit. As soon as the goods 30 corresponding to an order have been introduced into the individual containers 32 in all sections A, which is ascertained by the central processing unit, the actuating devices 36 assigned to these containers 32 are controlled in such a way that all assigned to a specific order Containers 32 are pivoted, as a result of which the goods 30 contained therein reach the conveyor belt 2 located below the containers 32, through which they are conveyed into a container 91 at high speed. This container 91 thus contains all goods which correspond to one application unit.

The arrangement of the containers 32, which fulfill the function of intermediate stores, ensures that the order pickers can work completely independently of one another, although delays are avoided, although different times are required for the processing of orders.

The number of order pickers who work in the system can be selected according to the requirements. If there is good utilization of the system, it can be operated in such a way that there is one order picker in each section A. However, if the system is not fully utilized, a smaller number of commissioners can also be provided. In this case, an order picker processes section A and then enters the next section A, whereupon he fulfills the orders arising in this section. Since, in contrast to known systems, in which a picker is assigned to each section, the number of pickers can be selected according to the requirements, a significant saving in personnel expenditure is achieved or is achieved by the system according to the invention the performance of such a system is at least twice as high as that of known systems.

In addition, it is possible to carry out an order as soon as possible after it has been received by immediately displaying it to the pickers via the screens located in the individual sections A. Since, in addition, the selection of the goods by the individual order pickers takes place approximately simultaneously, this can significantly accelerate the processing of an order.

5 also schematically shows an entire plant of this type for the production of groups of goods for the formation of units according to the present orders. As can be seen from this, there are four rows of shelves 1 or the like in this system. provided with these assigned conveyor belts 2. At the front end of the conveyor belts 2 there is a second conveyor device 9 oriented transversely thereto. The entire system is divided into a plurality of sections A in which the necessary information is given to the order pickers via screens 10. In parallel to the storage positions 1, further storage devices 1 a are provided, in which there are also different goods. In addition, further storage devices 1 b are provided in the system, from which the storage devices 1 and 1 a are refilled as required. Above the conveyor belts 2 there is a multiplicity of containers 32 which fulfill the function of buffers.

In order to produce an order unit which consists of a large number of goods, the screens which are shown in the individual sections A are displayed on the screens 10 to those pickers which are required for an order unit and which are removed in these sections and have to be dispensed into containers 32 provided for this purpose. As soon as it has been indicated by all the pickers that they have fulfilled the orders, all the containers 32 are pivoted, as a result of which the goods 30 contained therein be transferred to the conveyor belt 2 below. By means of the conveyor belts 2, these goods 30 are moved to the second conveyor device 9, by means of which the goods 30, which are conveyed by all conveyor belts 2, are collected, whereby the order unit is formed. For this purpose, a container 91 can be moved, for example by means of the second conveyor device 9, to which the goods 30 are transferred by the conveyor belts 2.

The decisive factor is that the order pickers preferably move through the individual sections A in a single direction, the screens 10 showing them which goods 30 have to be introduced into the next closest container 32, so that they arrive at the same time ¬ put together individual order units. With such a system, order units can be assembled much faster than is the case with known systems.

Claims

claims 1. Plant for the production of product groups, which consist of a plurality of different goods, with devices for storing a large number of different goods, with intermediate stores for at least one good, the loading of which by at least one order picker central computing unit can be displayed, and with a conveying device arranged below the intermediate storage device, to which the goods in the temporary storage devices likewise controlled by the central computing unit can be delivered, characterized in that a plurality of first conveying devices (2) have one At its ends there is assigned a second conveyor device which is oriented transversely to the latter and to which the goods (30) which are transferred from the intermediate stores (32) directly to the first conveyor devices (2) can be moved, as a result of which the individual groups of goods pass through Delivery of goods (30) can be put together by means of the first conveyor devices (2). 2. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the loading of the buffer store (32) by the at least one order picker is controlled by the central processing unit so that the order picker moves progressively in a single direction. 3. Installation according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized ge indicates that the devices for storing the goods (30) are located both above and below the buffer (3). 4. Plant according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized ge indicates that the intermediate storage (3) are formed by an approximately horizontally aligned axis mounted on one side open container (32), by their rotation or Swiveling the goods (30) down onto the first funding facilities are dispensable. 5. Installation according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized ge indicates that a group of buffers (32) is assigned a common drive (33) and that each intermediate store (32) is assigned a control device (36) by means of which the drive (33) can be coupled to the intermediate store (32). 6. Installation according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized ge indicates that the drive is a belt (34), a chain or the like. which can be coupled to the intermediate stores (32) by means of the control device (36).