Method for the order-picking of articles, and order-picking station

A picking station (2) for picking of items, wherein the picking station (2) is connected to a source container distribution system (3) and a target container distribution system (4), the picking station (2) comprising:

• a delivery device (32) for providing of a source container (5) at a single retrieval position (33),
• a delivery device (34) for providing of a target container (27) at a single loading position (35),
• a sorting buffer (36) configured to provide target containers (27) sorted into a sequence, having
• a plurality of buffer positions (39) ahead of the single loading position (35) and arranged one behind the other in a delivery direction on a first conveyor device (37),
• a plurality of sorting positions (42) arranged one behind the other in a return direction on a second conveyor device (40), and
• third conveyor devices (43) connecting the sorting positions (42) with the buffer positions (39) in terms of conveying,
• wherein the first conveyor device (37) and the second conveyor device (40) are connected to one another by a fourth conveyor device (48) in order to convey the target containers (27) from the sorting buffer (36) to the loading position (35), and to convey them away from the loading position (35) to the sorting buffer (36), for processing of different order lines for at least one order,
• wherein the first conveyor device (37) has at least one conveyor unit (44) for transport of the target containers (27), and the second conveyor device (40) has at least one conveyor unit (45) for transport of the target containers (27),
• wherein conveyor units (46, 47) for transport of the target containers (27) are assigned to the buffer positions (39) and to the sorting positions (42), and
• wherein the delivery device (34) is configured with the single loading position (35) on the fourth conveyor device (48), and
• a control unit (26) configured to selectively control the conveyor units (44, 45, 46, 47) so that the target containers (27) in the sorting buffer (36) are sorted into a sequence that is determined as a function of the sequence in which the source containers (5) are provided at the retrieval position (33), and so that a source container (5) and a target container (27) for an order arrive at the retrieval position (33) and loading position (35) approximately simultaneously.

A method for picking of returned items at a picking station (2), comprising the steps:

• providing of returned-item containers (53) having returned items, wherein some of the returned-item containers (53) respectively contain different returned items (mixed items),
• detection (identification) of the returned-item containers (53) and returned items that are placed in the returned-item containers (53),
• acquisition of return orders for the returned items,
• transport of the returned-item containers (53) to a sorting buffer (36) having a plurality of buffer positions (39) ahead of a retrieval position (33),
• providing of at least some returned-item containers (53) in the sorting buffer (36) for return orders,
• retrieval of source containers (5) from a warehouse (1), and transport of the source containers (5) in which the returned items are to be placed from the warehouse (1) to the picking station (2) having a loading position (35),
• detection of a sequence of the source containers (5) in which at least some of the source containers (5) are delivered to the loading position (35),
• sequentially providing of the source containers (5) at the loading position (35),
• sorting of the returned-item containers (53) by the sorting buffer (36) into a sequence that is determined as a function of the sequence in which the source containers (5) are provided at the loading position (35),
• transport of the returned-item containers (53) in the sorted sequence and one after the other from the sorting buffer (36) to the retrieval position (33), wherein transport of the source containers (5) from the warehouse (1) to the loading position (35) and transport of the returned-item containers (53) from the sorting buffer (36) to the retrieval position (33) are coordinated with one another such that one source container (5) and one returned-item container (53) for one return order arrive at the loading position (35) and the retrieval position (33) approximately simultaneously,
• removing of a returned item from the returned-item container (53) that is provided at the retrieval position (33), and placing of this returned item in the source container (5) that is provided at the loading position (35), in accordance with a return order,
• return transport of a returned-item container (53) from the retrieval position (33) into the sorting buffer (36) if the returned-item container (53) still contains a returned item,
• wherein
• a first returned-item container (53) for processing of return orders is transported back into the sorting buffer (36) after placing of a returned item for a first return order, and is temporarily buffered at a first sorting position (42) at least until a source container (5) for placing of a returned item for a second return order is conveyed into a buffer track section (23) provided upstream of the loading position (35), and said first returned-item container (53) is moved from the first sorting position (42) to one of the buffer positions (39) and subsequently to the retrieval position (33) once the source container (5) for placing of a returned item for a second return order has been transported into the buffer track section (23), and
• a second returned-item container (53) for processing of return orders is transported back into the sorting buffer (36) after placing of a returned item for a first return order, and the second returned-item container (53) is moved over a second sorting position (42) to one of the buffer positions (39) and subsequently to the retrieval position (33) if a source container (5) for placing of a returned item for a second return order has already been transported into the buffer track section (23) provided upstream of the loading position (35).

A picking station (2) for picking of returned items, wherein the picking station (2) is connected to a source container distribution system (3) and a returned-item container distribution system (4′), the picking station (2) comprising:

• a delivery device (32) for providing of a source container (5) at a loading position (35),
• a delivery device (34) for providing of a returned-item container (53) at a retrieval position (33),
• a sorting buffer (36) configured to provide returned-item containers (53) sorted into a sequence, having
• a plurality of buffer positions (39) ahead of the retrieval position (33) and arranged one behind the other in a delivery direction on a first conveyor device (37),
• a plurality of sorting positions (42) arranged one behind the other in a return direction on a second conveyor device (40), and
• third conveyor devices (43) connecting the sorting positions (42) with the buffer positions (39),
• wherein the first conveyor device (37) and the second conveyor device (40) are connected to one another by a fourth conveyor device (48) in order to convey the returned-item containers (53) from the sorting buffer (36) to the retrieval position (33), and to convey them away from the retrieval position (33) to the sorting buffer (36), for processing of return orders,
• wherein the first conveyor device (37) has at least one conveyor unit (44) for transport of the returned-item containers (53), and the second conveyor device (40) has at least one conveyor unit (45) for transport of the returned-item containers (53),
• wherein conveyor units (46, 47) for transport of the returned-item containers (53) are assigned to the buffer positions (39) and to the sorting positions (42), and
• wherein the delivery device (34) is configured with the single loading position (35) on the fourth conveyor device (48), and
• a control unit (26) configured to selectively control the conveyor units (44, 45, 46, 47) so that the returned-item containers (53) in the sorting buffer (36) are sorted into a sequence that is determined as a function of the sequence in which the source containers (5) are provided at the loading position (35), and so that a source container (5) and a returned-item container (53) for an order arrive at the loading position (35) and retrieval position (33) approximately simultaneously.