US 12,129,120 B2 · System and method for picking flat-pack articles

Abstract

There are disclosed method and system (10) for picking of articles (12), in particular flat-pack articles (12), in accordance with picking orders, wherein the system (10) comprises: a rack (24) extending substantially along longitudinal and height directions (X, Y) of the system (10) and comprising a plurality of storage locations (30) configured to store source pallets (30); a gantry robot (36) including a manipulation unit (37) configured to transfer the articles (16); a packing position (62) configured to buffer a target pallet (34); a plurality of conveyors (38); and a control (74), which is preferably configured to determine, for each of the orders, an order-specific packing pattern for automatically packing, by the gantry robot (36), several of the articles (12) in accordance with the respective order from one or more of the source pallets (30) on a target pallet (34) in the packing position (62); wherein each of the conveyors (38) comprises a receiving position (66), which is positioned within the rack (24) and configured to receive the source pallets (30), as well as a delivering position (58), which is positioned within an action space of the gantry robot (36) and configured to provide, preferably dynamically, the source pallets (30); wherein the gantry robot (36) defines the action space, within which the manipulation unit (37) is movable and which contains the packing position (62) and the delivering positions (58) the conveyor (38); and wherein the control (74) is further configured to cause that such of the source pallets (30) are transported from the storage locations (32) via the receiving positions (66) to the delivering positions (58), which include the articles (12) required for the packing in accordance with the respective packing pattern.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system for picking articles in accordance with picking orders, wherein the system comprises:

a rack extending substantially along a longitudinal direction (X) and a height direction (Y) of the system, and comprising a plurality of storage locations, which are configured to store source pallets;
a first gantry robot including a manipulation unit configured to transfer the articles;
a packing position configured to buffer a target pallet;
a plurality of conveyors;
and
a control;
wherein each of the conveyors comprises a receiving position, which is positioned within the rack and configured to receive the source pallets, and a delivery position, which is positioned within an action space of the first gantry robot and is configured to provide the source pallets;
wherein the control is further configured to cause the source pallets to be transported from the storage locations via the receiving positions to the delivery positions, which store the articles required for the packing of the articles on the target pallet in accordance with a respective packing pattern;
wherein the first gantry robot defines the action space, in which the manipulation unit is movable and which includes at least the delivering positions of the conveyors;
and
wherein the first gantry robot is configured to receive the articles, which are required for the packing in accordance with the respective packing pattern, from the source pallets at the delivery positions and to deliver the same to a packing-position feeding conveyor extending through the action space and being connected to the packing position in terms of material flow, wherein the packing position is positioned within an action space of a second gantry robot being connected directly, via additional ones of the conveyors, to the rack or wherein the packing position is positioned out-side the action spaces of the gantry robots.

8 more elements

A method for picking articles in accordance with picking orders comprising:

retrieving source pallets storing the articles, which are required for packing the articles in accordance with an order-specific packing pattern on a target pallet, from storage locations of a rack;
delivering the retrieved source pallets to receiving positions of conveyors, the receiving positions of which are arranged within the rack, wherein the conveyors extend from the rack to a first gantry robot arranged along a longitudinal side of the rack;
transporting, by the conveyors, the delivered source pallets from the receiving positions to the delivery positions of the conveyors, which are positioned within an action space of the first gantry robot;
transporting the articles, which are required for the packing in accordance with the order-specific packing pattern, by a manipulation unit of the first gantry robot, from the source pallets on a packing-position feeding conveyor extending through the action space of the first gantry robot and being material-flow connected to a packing position;
transporting the transferred articles, by the packing-position feeding conveyor, to the packing position, which is positioned with-in an action space of a second gantry robot connected via additional ones of the conveyors directly to the rack, or positioned outside the action spaces of the gantry robots;
and
packing the transferred and transported articles.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method for picking flat-pack articles

Life of this patent

System and method for picking flat-pack articles

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20