Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1
COMMISSIONING DEVICE AND PROCESS FOR OUTPUTTING PIECE GOODS
USING THE COMMISSIONING DEVICE
The present invention relates to a commissioning device for piece goods, in
particular
medicinal packages, and a process for outputting piece goods using the
commissioning
device according to the invention.
Automated commissioning equipment is used frequently in pharmacies in order to
store
medicinal packages in a way that saves space. In known commissioning devices
applicable to
pharmacies, the medicinal packages are stored chaotically; in other words the
medicinal
packages are not stored in pre-determined storage spaces in the device, but
rather in storage
spaces with just the right amount of space. Excess empty volume can be avoided
this way and
the number of stored medicinal packages per m2 of surface area can be
considerably
increased. The commissioning devices that operate according to this system
include a
complex storage system that assigns storage spaces optimally. However,
commissioning
devices that operate in this manner are unsuitable for medicine distribution
centers or large
pharmacies that have a very high output frequency (in other words medicinal
packages per
unit of time) since the chaotically stored medicinal packages can't be output
fast enough.
Therefore, when there are very high output frequencies, the commissioning
systems
that are used are those with so-called shaft systems in which the medicines
are selectively
stored. Each storage shaft has a gate at the lower end thereof controllable by
an operating
unit, the gate allowing one or more medicinal package to be discharged from
the storage
shaft. The number of different medicines that can be stored using a
commissioning device
with selective storage shafts corresponds at most to the number of selective
storage shafts. An
example of such a commissioning device is disclosed in DE 198 15 883 Al.
However, the disadvantage to commissioning devices that use storage shafts is
that
medicinal packages cannot be stored in them if the packages cannot be stored
in a shaft, for
example packages of a special shape or that need to be cooled, or those that
are not dispensed
very often such that storage in a selective shaft would not make sense.
The object of the present invention is to provide a commissioning device that
uses
storage shafts and can also store and output medicinal packages that are not
compatible with
storage shafts or that have a much lower output frequency than that of
medicinal packages
stored in the storage shafts.
This object is achieved by a commissioning device comprising at least a first
shelf row
with at least a first shelf, the shelf having a plurality of shelf surfaces
disposed one above the
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-01-10
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other, each of said self surfaces extending in the horizontal plane, and at
least a second shelf
row with at least a second shelf, the second shelf having a plurality of shelf
surfaces disposed
one above the other, each of said second shelf surfaces extending in a plane.
When the
commissioning device comprises a plurality of shelves per shelf row, all of
the shelves can be
designed to be identical, but it is also possible for different shelves with
shelf surfaces
separated by different distances to be installed, for example.
A lane is formed between the first and the second shelf rows, with a
horizontally and
vertically movable operating unit being disposed in the lane at a
corresponding guide means.
The lane is defined by the ends (loading edges) of the shelf surfaces, said
ends normally
located in a vertical plane for each shelf row such that the planes of
opposing shelf rows run
parallel to one another.
The commissioning device according to the invention further comprises at least
one
input device for moving piece goods into the commissioning device, the
operating unit able
to remove piece goods from the input device, at least one output device that
is able to output
piece goods from the second shelf row, among others, and at least one
auxiliary output device
that is able to output along an auxiliary output path piece goods that were
taken up by
operating unit, wherein a plurality of parallel storage shafts are formed on
each shelf surface
of the second shelf row, each of the storage shafts having at its respective
end a gate for
holding and releasing piece goods lying in the storage shaft, and from said
shafts piece goods
can be output along a main output path by way of the output device.
The operating unit of the commissioning device according to the invention
comprises a
gripping device for inputting and/or outputting piece goods onto or from the
horizontal shelf
surfaces and for filling piece goods into the storage shafts or routing the
goods onto the
auxiliary output device, as well as a controller coupled to the operating
unit, the controller
controlling the operating unit in inputting and outputting the piece goods.
According to the
invention, the control unit is designed such that the operating unit is
controllable for the
purposes of outputting from the horizontal shelf surfaces identical piece
goods that lie in a
row and for inputting the piece goods into the inclined storage shafts, and
for outputting one
or more piece goods located on the horizontal shelf surfaces and transferring
these piece
goods to the auxiliary output device.
Thus, in the commissioning device according to the invention two kinds of
storage
spaces are combined; the storage shafts of the second storage shelf row and
the horizontal
shelf surfaces of the first shelf row. Medicinal packages with a high output
frequency are
stored by type in the storage shafts. An excess supply of medicinal packages
to be stored in
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the storage shafts can be placed on the horizontal shelf surfaces (in other
words an amount in
addition to the piece goods located in the storage shafts), or medicinal
packages that cannot
be stored in storage shafts or that cannot be output thereby can be placed on
the horizontal
shelf surfaces. Furthermore, medicinal packages that can be located or stored
on the
horizontal shelf surfaces are those whose output frequency is too low to be
stored in the
storage shafts, whose weight is too much or for which there is no storage
shaft available
based on dimensions.
The piece goods with high output frequency are output by way of the storage
shafts.
However, to make it possible to output piece goods that cannot be output by
way of storage
shafts or goods that are not stored in an inclined shaft due to a low output
frequency, the
device according to the invention comprises an auxiliary output device to
which said piece
goods can be fed using the operating unit. The piece goods are then moved out
of the
commissioning device along an auxiliary output path by way of this auxiliary
output device.
The commissioning device according to the invention thus makes it possible to
store
and output piece goods (medicinal packages) with a high output frequency (in
storage shafts)
as well as piece goods with a low output frequency or goods that cannot be
output using the
inclined storage shafts together in a single commissioning device without
reducing the output
rate of the commissioning device. Piece goods with a high output frequency can
be output
using the storage shafts, each of which is provided with a gate; in parallel
with this, the piece
goods stored on the horizontal shelf surfaces can be output by way of the
auxiliary output
device using the operating unit.
Piece goods that are stored in the shafts (and if necessary on the horizontal
shelf
surfaces as excess supply) are called "shaft goods" here. Piece goods that are
stored on a
horizontal shelf surface because of the conditions mentioned above are called
"shelf goods".
The present invention is described primarily in connection with medicinal
packages.
However, other kinds of piece goods can be processed using the commissioning
device
according to the invention.
The piece goods are output from the storage shafts by releasing the gate and
moving the
piece goods out of the shaft using an appropriate device associated with the
storage shaft
(when the shaft is horizontal, for example).
In a preferred embodiment of the commissioning device, the shelf surfaces of
the
second shelf row are designed at an incline downward away from the lane, in
other words the
storage shafts are designed as inclined storage shafts. This makes it possible
to output the
piece goods by simply opening the gate associated with a storage shaft. The
piece good drops
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out of the storage shaft and onto the output device by gravity due to the
incline of the storage
shaft. In other embodiments, the second shelf row can combine shelves with
horizontal shelf
surfaces and shelves with inclined shelf surfaces.
As noted already, a lane is formed between the first and the second shelf
rows, with the
operating unit being movable therein horizontally and vertically on a
corresponding guide. In
order to move piece goods easily and quickly from the horizontal shelf
surfaces to the
(inclined) storage shafts, that is to move piece goods from the excess supply
to the storage
locations from which they are ultimately output, a preferred embodiment
provides that the
gripping device of the operating unit has a horizontal holding surface with
opposing loading
edges, a gripper for inputting and outputting the piece goods onto and from
the horizontal
shelf surfaces and a pushing device for pushing piece goods onto the holding
surface,
wherein a transport path is formed for piece goods between the loading edges,
and wherein
the holding surface extends over the entire width of the lane so that the
loading edges of the
holding surface align with loading edges of the horizontal shelf surfaces or
shafts such that
piece goods can be moved onto or from the horizontal shelf surfaces or from
the holding
surface into the shafts without moving the holding surface. This is achieved
by aligning the
width of the holding surface with the width of the lane, in other words
keeping the distance
between the loading edges of the holding surface and the ends / loading edges
of the shelf
rows small enough that no piece goods can get wedged in the gap between the
loading edges,
but not so small that the operating unit cannot freely move in the lane
(keeping in mind that
some shelf surfaces can extend slightly wider into the lane than others).
Thus, in the embodiment according to the invention it is not necessary for the
gripping
device to be pivoted about a horizontal pivoting axis after the piece goods
are moved to the
holding surface in order to feed the piece goods to the storage shafts over
the same loading
edge. The embodiment according to the invention allows the piece goods to be
moved to the
shafts using the pushing device after the goods are moved to the holding
surface by way of
the gripper; to this end, a transport path is provided according to the
invention between the
loading edges of the holding surface. The embodiment according to the
invention thereby
makes it possible for piece goods to be fed from the horizontal shelf surfaces
to the storage
shafts or to the auxiliary output device very quickly.
Occasionally, it could be desirable to transfer piece goods stored on the
horizontal shelf
surfaces as excess supply for piece goods stored in the storage shafts, for
example in order to
move the goods closer to the storage shaft through which they are ultimately
output. To
support the movement of piece goods from the holding surface to the horizontal
shelf
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-01-10
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surfaces, a preferred embodiment provides that the pushing device comprise two
pushing
means for moving piece goods from the holding surface in opposite directions,
i.e. in one
case to the storage shafts and in the other case onto the horizontal shelf
surfaces.
In one embodiment with a particularly simple construction, the pushing means
of the
gripping device can be moved in a notch of the holding surface and beneath the
notch. In this
preferred embodiment, the pushing means are disposed and movable at a point on
the
gripping device which is otherwise free of other components. The gripper is
normally located
at the side surfaces of the holding surface (if the gripper is a jaw-type
gripper) so that a good
distribution of individual components of the gripping device is achieved by
the embodiment
according to the invention.
The pushing means are used to feed the piece goods located on the holding
surface to
the storage shafts and elsewhere. In inclined storage shafts, the piece goods
slide down to the
gate or to a piece good already located in the storage shaft by the force of
gravity. In order to
guarantee that the piece goods slide into the inclined storage shafts by the
force of gravity, in
.. particular in the case of very small and/or light piece goods, a preferred
embodiment provides
that a pushing means comprises a pushing finger that can be moved over a
loading edge. This
ensures that when moving a piece good from the holding surface to an inclined
storage shaft,
the center of gravity of the piece good is moved out over the loading edge so
that the piece
good slides down the inclined storage shaft.
To allow piece goods of different dimensions to be stored, a preferred
embodiment
provides that the inclined shelf surfaces of the second shelf row are
configured such that
storage shafts of different heights are formed.
Piece goods that are output using the auxiliary output device are those that
can either
not be output using an inclined storage shaft (for example because of shape)
or whose output
frequency is so low that storing in a storage shaft does not make sense. The
auxiliary output
device can be designed as a slide next to the second shelf row, for example.
Piece goods can
be led from the operating unit to the actual output device or out of the
commissioning device.
However, in order to keep the design complexity of the auxiliary output device
as low as
possible, in a preferred embodiment the auxiliary output device is formed on
the shelf surface
of the second shelf row. In this preferred embodiment, therefore, part of a
shelf surface is not
provided as a storage shaft, but rather the auxiliary output device is formed
in this area. In
this embodiment, the auxiliary output device is therefore not embodied by a
stand-alone
component, but by existing components. In this regard, in an especially
preferred
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-01-10
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embodiment the auxiliary output device is designed as an inclined storage
shaft without a
gate.
The object of the present invention is further achieved by a process wherein,
in reaction
to an output request (a request for outputting a certain number of piece
goods), for one or
more piece goods by the control unit of the commissioning device, a
determination is made as
to whether the at least one piece good to be output is a shaft good or a shelf
good. The output
request can be transmitted to the control unit over a path known to those
trained in the art, for
example through a cabled or wireless network connection.
After the determination is made as to whether the at least one piece good to
be output is
a shaft good or a shelf good, if it is a shelf good a number of piece goods
corresponding to
the output request is collected by the operating unit and transferred to the
auxiliary output
device. To this end, the corresponding number of piece goods is moved to the
holding surface
using the gripper of the operating unit, and then transferred to the auxiliary
output device
which outputs the piece goods, or the outputting can be by way of the actual
output device of
the commissioning device. Alternatively, the commissioning device can also be
configured
such that the auxiliary output device ends at a removal point, in other words
the outputting is
executed without any intermediate switching of the actual output device. Only
one piece good
or multiple piece goods (in this case shelf goods) can be output according to
the output
request, wherein the outputting can occur in succession or in parallel (if
there are multiple
operating units) depending on the precise configuration of the commissioning
device. If there
is only one operating unit, either each piece good is output individually or
first all piece
goods are moved to the holding surface (from different horizontal shelf
surfaces if necessary),
and then transferred together from the holding surface to the auxiliary output
device.
If the piece goods to be output are shaft goods, in other words piece goods
that are
.. normally stored in the storage shafts, according to the invention a
determination is first made
as to whether a number of piece goods corresponding to the output request are
stored in the
storage shafts. If so, a number of piece goods corresponding to the output
request are output
onto the output device and therefrom out of the device by actuating the gate
or the gates of
the storage shaft or shafts in which the piece goods are stored, and if
necessary by actuating a
.. corresponding device for moving the piece goods out of the storage shaft.
For the case that a number of piece goods corresponding to the output request
is not
stored in the storage shafts, a plurality of piece goods stored on the
horizontal shelf surfaces
(goods from the excess supply) are grasped by the operating unit and a number
of piece
goods corresponding to the output request is output.
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The plurality of piece goods can be precisely the number of piece goods
requested,
which are then output. However, more piece goods than the number requested can
be
removed from the excess supply. The requested piece goods are output, and the
excess piece
goods are moved to the storage shaft for subsequent output requests.
It can also be that the requested number of piece goods is only partially
available in the
storage shafts and in this case the portion of requested piece goods still
available in the
storage shafts can be output using the shafts, and the remaining portion can
be removed and
output from the horizontal shelf surfaces.
The piece goods not stored in the storage shafts are output by moving the
operating unit
to the auxiliary output device and transferring a number of piece goods
corresponding to the
output request to the auxiliary output device and outputting them.
Alternatively, the piece goods not stored in the storage shafts are output by
moving the
operating unit to a storage shaft, transferring all piece goods to the storage
shaft and actuating
the gate of the inclined storage shaft such that a number of piece goods
corresponding to the
output request onto the output device can be output (by the force of gravity
for inclined
storage shafts or using a corresponding device for horizontal storage shafts).
It is further
conceivable that if the number of piece goods stored in the storage shafts
does not correspond
to the output request, a plurality of piece goods corresponding to the output
request is
removed from the horizontal shelf surfaces (from the excess supply) using the
operating unit,
a number of piece goods corresponding to the output request are output (using
the auxiliary
output device or using the storage shafts) and the piece goods still located
on the holding
surface of the gripping device are moved to an inclined storage shaft. In this
case, the
requested piece goods are output for one thing, and in addition other piece
goods are placed
in an inclined storage location.
The input device is designed such that a plurality of identical piece goods
can be
arranged next to one another on the input device in order to fill the storage
shafts, i.e. the
input device is much wider than a normal piece good (5 ¨ 8 times the width of
a normal piece
good). Alternatively, the piece goods can also be placed individually on the
input device,
particularly when shelf goods are to be input.
Below, the device and the process according to the invention are described in
more
detail with reference to the attached drawing, where:
Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of the commissioning
device
according to the invention;
Figure 2 shows a sectional view of the embodiment shown in Figure 1;
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-01-10
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Figure 3 shows another perspective view of the embodiment;
Figure 4 shows a rear view of the embodiment;
Figure 5 shows a front view of the embodiment;
Figure 6 shows a side view of the embodiment;
Figure 7 shows a detailed view of the gripping device of the operating unit;
Figure 8 shows another detailed view of the gripping device;
Figure 9 shows a detailed view of lower areas of inclined storage shafts;
Figure 10 shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of the commissioning
device according to the invention;
Figure 11 shows a detailed view of the second embodiment near the storage
shafts; and
Figures 12a, 12b ¨ 15a, 15b show schematic views of a commissioning device
according to the invention, the views explaining various embodiments of the
process
according to the invention.
Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a commissioning device 1 according to the
invention, wherein some unimportant elements of the commissioning device, such
as most of
the framework structure 2 and most of the exterior paneling 3, is left out.
The commissioning
device 1 comprises a first shelf row 10 with a plurality of shelves, each of
which comprises a
plurality of shelf surfaces 11 disposed one above the other that extend in a
horizontal plane
(wherein only one shelf surface 11 is indicated in Figure 1; other shelf
surfaces are disposed
above the shelf surface shown). The individual shelves of the first shelf row
10 are formed by
shelf walls 12 and a plurality of shelf surfaces 11 as mentioned above. In the
embodiment
shown, all end edges (loading edges) of the shelf surfaces are located in a
vertical plane, that
is to say that all shelf surfaces extent equally far into the commissioning
device.
The embodiment of the commissioning device shown in Figure 1 comprises two
input
devices 60, 61, which in this embodiment are designed as conveyor belts and
which are
integrated into the first shelf row, i.e. there are shelves provided above and
below the two
input devices 60, 61, the shelves comprising horizontal shelf surfaces 11. The
input devices
are disposed and dimensioned such that the devices end flush with (because of
the device
widths) the vertical planes mentioned above. A corresponding arrangement of
input devices
and shelf surfaces makes it particularly easy to remove piece goods from the
input devices
and to place the piece goods onto the shelf surfaces.
Opposite the first shelf row 10 is a second shelf row 20 that comprises a
plurality of
shelves with inclined shelf surfaces 21, wherein in the embodiment shown only
one inclined
shelf surface 21 is shown for simplicity's sake. In the embodiment shown, the
end edges
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-01-10
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(loading edges) of the inclined shelf surfaces that are turned into the
commissioning device
also end in a vertical plane, wherein this plane runs parallel to the plane
defined by the end
edges of the horizontal shelf surfaces.
A plurality of storage shafts 22 is formed on each shelf surface 21, each
shaft having a
gate 23 at the lower end 24 of the shaft (the gate being coupled to a control
unit not shown in
Figure 1) for holding and releasing piece goods lying in the storage shaft 22.
Below the
inclined shelf surface is an output device 70 onto which the piece goods
located in the
inclined storage shafts fall when the gates of the inclined storage shafts are
actuated, and by
way of which the requested piece goods are moved out of the commissioning
device. In the
embodiment shown in Figure 1, the output device 70 is also designed as a
conveyor belt.
Between the first and the second shelf rows 10, 20 is a lane 30, the width of
which is
defined by the distance between the two vertical planes and into which an
operating unit 40
can travel horizontally and vertically at a corresponding guide, wherein in
Figure 1 the
horizontal guide 41 of the operating unit 40 in particular can be seen.
The commissioning device 1 according to the invention further comprises an
auxiliary
output device 80 which allows for the outputting of piece goods, in particular
those which are
not stored in the inclined storage shafts since the goods are either not
capable of being stored
in the shafts, for example because of shape, or which are so seldom output
that or requested
that inputting these piece goods in the inclined storage shafts does not make
sense because
the shafts can be better occupied by frequently requested piece goods. The
embodiment
shown, the auxiliary output device 80 is formed on an inclined shelf surface
21, in fact is
designed as a storage shaft whose lower end has no gate. If a piece good is to
be output by
way of the auxiliary output device 80, the good is removed from a horizontal
shelf surface 11
by the operating unit 40 (which is described in more detail below) and fed to
the auxiliary
output device 80, along which the piece good slides onto the output device 70.
In alternative
embodiments, the auxiliary output device can also be disposed next to the
second shelf row as
a "stand-alone" component, for example. This can be a necessity when piece
goods that are
stored and output by way of the auxiliary output device have dimensions that
prevent the
goods from being output between the inclined shelf surfaces due to the
arrangement thereof
Figure 2 shows a sectional view of the embodiment shown in Figure 1, in which
the
upper half of the commissioning device is left out. In this sectional view in
particular, the
arrangement of horizontal shelf surfaces 11 of the first shelf row can be
seen. It is further
clear that the ends of the horizontal shelf surfaces 11 and the sides of the
output devices 60,
61 all lie in a plane. As can be seen in this view, each output device 60, 61
comprises an
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-01-10
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associated identification device 100 for determining data on the piece goods
lying on the
input device (dimensions of the piece goods, identification of piece goods,
number of piece
goods, etc.). It can also be seen that each input device 61, 60 comprises an
outer area 62 that
protrudes beyond the leading front of the commissioning device and on which
the piece
goods to be input are placed for inputting, wherein the normal process is such
that a plurality
of identical piece goods is placed. The identical piece goods are moved into
the
commissioning device using the input device; in the commissioning device, the
goods are
removed from the input device together by the operating unit if they are
identical piece goods
and are fed to an inclined storage shaft or a horizontal shelf storage 11.
In this figure, there are only a few piece goods shown as examples. There are
a few
shelf-type piece goods 7 arranged on the horizontal shelf surfaces; four shaft-
type piece
goods 6 are indicated on the upper input device. Here, it can be seen how the
shaft goods in
particular are advantageously placed on the input device, namely identical
goods all in a row
so that all four piece goods can be grasped by the operating unit and moved to
the pre-
determined inclined storage shaft at the same time.
Figure 3 shows an alternative perspective view of the embodiment already shown
in
Figure 1, with this view showing the commissioning device from another side.
There are
otherwise no difference between the views according to Figures 1 and 3.
Figure 4 shows a rear view of the embodiment of the commissioning device
according
to the invention, with the inside of the commissioning device being visible
with the exterior
panels being left out. The two shelf rows 10, 20 can be seen disposed opposite
one another,
only one shelf surface 21 of the second shelf row 20 being shown for
simplicity's sake.
Formed between the first and the second shelf rows is the lane 30 in which the
operating unit
40 can travel horizontally and vertically, wherein this figure shows the
vertical guide 42 in
particular for the operating unit. The operating unit 40 comprises among other
things a
gripping device 50 which is easily seen in the rear view. The gripping device
completely
traverses the lane 30, being thereby capable of traversing the distance
between the first shelf
row and the second shelf row (of course while ensuring freedom of motion in
the lane). As
can be easily seen in this representation, the inclined shelf surfaces 21 of
the second shelf row
20 are inclined outward away from the lane to the output device 70. In this
representation, it
is also easily seen that access to both input devices 60 and 61 is possible
using the gripping
device 50. The horizontal shelf surfaces 11 and the input devices 60 and 61
extend up to the
same vertical plane. The same applies to all of the inclined shelf surfaces
21.
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Figure 5 shows a front view of the commissioning device according to the
invention.
As can be seen in this front view, both input devices 60, 61 are disposed
below a display unit
110 one atop the other. A variety of kinds of information about the
commissioning device can
be displayed using the display unit 110, and the display unit 110 is coupled
to an input device
(no shown). Below the input devices 60, 61 is the control unit 90 which is
covered by part of
the panel 3 of the commissioning device. The control unit 90 is coupled to the
input devices,
the output device, the display unit and the operating unit 40, among other
things.
A door opening 4 is provided in the front side of the commissioning device for
entering
the commissioning device in case of a disruption or for maintenance purposes.
There is also
another opening 5 provided in the front side off the commissioning device
through which part
of the output device 70 extends, in other words through which piece goods are
moved out of
the commissioning device.
Figure 6 shows a side view of the embodiment of the commissioning device
according
to the invention already shown in the previous figures. This representation
also leaves out
non-essential components. In the first shelf row shown in the back, there are
two shelves
disposed side by side in this representation, with horizontal shelf surfaces
11. It can be seen
that the distance between the individual shelf surfaces can vary even within a
shelf It is also
seen that both input devices 61, 60 and the output device 70 extend out beyond
the front side
of the device, ending in a removal area 71 and two holding areas 62, 63.
Figure 7 shows a detail view of the gripping device 50 of the operating unit
40 as well
as the arrangement off the gripping device between the first (right) and the
second (left) shelf
row, the shelf surfaces 11, 21 of the shelf rows being visible. The gripping
device 50 of the
operating unit comprises a holding surface 51 that is in the form of a simple
holding table in
the embodiment shown. There are two loading edges 52, 53 disposed at opposite
ends of the
holding surface, the loading edges ending just prior to the end edges /
loading edges of the
respective shelf surfaces 11, 21 of the first and the second shelf rows, in
other words lane 30
between the first and the second shelf row is almost completely traversed, but
the freedom of
motion of the operating unit in the lane is maintained. A corresponding
configuration of the
holding table and the holding surface makes it possible to remove piece goods
from the
horizontal shelf surfaces and to directly push these goods on or over the
holding surface to an
inclined shaft 22 without having to move the holding table or the gripping
device to one of
the shelf rows.
To remove and move the piece goods, the gripping device 50 comprises a gripper
54
that is designed as a jaw-type gripper with two gripping jaws 54a, 54b in the
embodiment
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-01-10
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shown, wherein at least one of the two gripping jaws 54b of the gripper is
pivotable in such a
way that piece goods can be clamped between the gripping jaws 54a, 54b, and
thereby pulled
from a horizontal shelf surface 11 onto the holding surface 51 of the gripping
device. To this
end, the gripper is designed such that the gripping jaws can be pushed into a
shelf, wherein
the insertion depth into the shelf depends on how many piece goods are to be
removed from
the corresponding shelf surface.
In order to move the piece goods from the holding surface 51 to the inclined
storage
shafts 22, the gripping device 50 comprises a pushing device 55 in the
embodiment shown.
The pushing device comprises two pushers 55a, 55b that are movable in a notch
Ma of the
holding surface. Furthermore, the pushers 55a, 55b in the embodiment shown are
disposed in
such a way that they can be moved under the plane of the holding surface. As
can be seen in
pusher 55a, the pushers comprise a pushing finger 56a, 56b that can be moved
over a
respective loading edge. With reference to pushing finger 56a, which is
associated with
loading edge 52, this means that the pushing finger can be moved over loading
edge 52. This
is particularly important as the piece goods can be pushed onto the horizontal
shelf surfaces
in such a way that the goods do not protrude out over the front loading edge
11a of the
horizontal shelf surfaces.
Concerning pusher 55b, which is associated with loading edge 53, which is in
turn
associated with the second shelf row, pushing finger 56b, which can be moved
over loading
edge 53, provides that piece goods lying on holding surface 51 can be pushed
to a storage
shaft in such a way that the center of gravity of a piece good is pushed over
loading edge 21a
of the inclined shelf surface 21 so that the piece goods are certain to slide
by the force of
gravity in the inclined storage shaft up to the gate (not shown in this
representation) or up to a
piece good that is already located in the storage shaft.
Figure 8 shows another detailed view of the gripping device 50 in which what
is
particularly recognizable is that the pushers 55a, 55b can move inside of a
notch Ma in the
holding surface 51. In this representation, it can also be seen that the
pushing finger 56a of
pusher 55a can move over loading edge 52.
In Figure 8, the gripping device 50 of the operating unit is arranged in such
a way that
piece goods can be removed from the input device 60. To do so, the pushers
55a, 55b must of
course be moved under the plane of the holding surface. The arrangement and
representation
of the pushers in Figure 8 are for illustrative purposes only; the pushers are
not so positioned
while the commissioning device is operating.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-01-10
13
Figure 9 shows a detailed view of a plurality of inclined storage shafts 22
formed on an
inclined shelf surface 21. The individual storage shafts 22 are separated from
one another by
way of separating walls 25 that are disposed parallel to one another on the
inclined shelf
surface 21. At the lower end of each inclined storage shaft 22 is a gate 23
that permits
individual piece goods to be output out of the inclined storage shaft. The
piece goods output
from the storage shaft falls onto the output device 70 by virtue of the
arrangement of the
inclined storage shaft and the output device 70, and are output thereby
through an opening in
the front side of the commissioning device.
Also disposed on the inclined shelf surface 21 shown is the auxiliary output
device 80,
by way of which shelf goods in particular can be output from the horizontal
shelf surface. In
alternative embodiments, the auxiliary output device can also comprise two or
more storage
shaft widths or can be disposed next to the second shelf row as a separate
component, for
example. The auxiliary output device as shown here is a passive output device,
in other words
the piece goods are not moved by way of a motion by the output device itself
Alternatively,
the auxiliary output device can also be configured as an active output device,
for example as
a conveyor belt that can be led directly out of the commissioning device if
necessary.
Figure 10 shows a perspective view of a second embodiment, wherein in this
embodiment horizontal storage shafts 22' are used; the other components
correspond
substantially to those of the first embodiment so that there is no need to
provide a detailed
description. Figure 11 shows a detailed view of a shelf surface of a shelf of
the second shelf
row 20 of the second embodiment, wherein the shelf surfaces 21 are designed to
be
horizontal. At the ends 24 of the shelf surfaces are gates 23, there being a
gate 23 associated
with each storage shaft 22' which can be operated separately by way of the
control unit.
In this embodiment, the second shelf row 20 comprises conveying device 25 for
moving piece goods in the storage shafts 22'. In the embodiment shown, the
conveying
device 25 is designed as a conveyor belt beneath the surfaces of the storage
shafts, wherein
the surfaces of the storage shafts have a notch through which a section of the
conveying
device extends at least in sections so that there is contact between the
stored piece goods and
the conveying device. If a piece good is to be output, a gate 23 (or a
plurality of gates) is
opened and the conveying device is activated. The conveying device acts on all
storage shafts
of the shelf surface, but where there are storage shafts with unopened gates
the piece goods
only move up against the gates but are not output.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-01-10
14
There are also other processes known to those trained in the art with which to
output
piece goods. For example, each storage shaft can be assigned a conveying
device, which can
be designed as a pusher, in other words the piece goods are pushed out of a
shaft.
Below, a few embodiments of the process according to the invention are
described in
reference to Figures 12a, 12b ¨ 15a, 15b, each of which show different
respective process
steps schematically. The figures are very simplified and only the essential
features are shown
and described.
Figures 12a and 12b show two stages of a first embodiment of the process.
According
to the invention, the control unit first determines whether the at least one
piece good to be
output is a shaft good or a shelf good, said determination coming in reaction
to an output
request. In the exemplary embodiment shown in Figures 10a, 10b [sic], a shelf
good 7 stored
on horizontal shelf surface 11" is requested via an output request. The
gripping device 50 is
then moved to the horizontal shelf surface 11". As soon as the gripping device
50 is correctly
positioned, the piece good in question is grasped and moved to the holding
surface. The
gripping device is moved to the auxiliary output device 80 and as soon as the
gripping device
50 is correctly positioned, the piece good 7 is pushed onto the auxiliary
output device 80 and
proceeds therefrom to the output device 70 which moves the piece good out of
the
commissioning device.
In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 13a and 13b, the output request is
for four
shaft goods. This kind of piece good is normally stored in inclined shaft 22'.
However, the
control unit has determined that only one piece good 6' is present in inclined
shaft 22'. The
gripping device is then moved to shelf surface 11' where four piece goods
meeting the output
request are stored as excess supply. All four piece goods 6' are grasped by
the gripping
device. Since it was determined that only one piece good 6' is present in
inclined storage shaft
22', but the output request was for four piece goods, the gripping device 50
moves to the
auxiliary output device 80 and all piece goods 6' located on the gripping
device 50 are output
using the auxiliary output device 80 and the output device 70.
In the embodiment shown in Figures 14a and 14b, the output request is for two
piece
goods that are normally stored in inclined storage shaft 22'. However, the
control unit has
determined that inclined storage shaft 22' is empty. Four piece goods 6
meeting the output
request are removed from horizontal shelf surface 11' using the gripping
device 50. Then, the
gripping device is moved in front of inclined storage shaft 22' and all piece
goods 6 lying on
the gripping device 50 are moved to inclined shaft 22'. However, since the
output request
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-01-10
15
only included two piece goods 6, only two piece goods are output and the other
two goods
remain in inclined storage shaft 22'.
In an alternative embodiment illustrated in Figures 15a and 15b, two piece
goods are
again requested, and it is again determined that no piece goods meeting the
output request are
located in inclined storage shaft 22'. Then, four piece goods 6 are grasped
from horizontal
shelf surface 11' using the gripping device 50. However, in contrast to the
previous
exemplary embodiment, the gripping device is first moved to the auxiliary
output device 80
and two of the four piece goods located on the gripping device 50 are output
using the
auxiliary output device. The gripping device 50 with the two remaining piece
goods is moved
to inclined storage shaft 22' and the two remaining piece goods are moved to
the inclined
storage shaft where they remain until the next corresponding output request.
The variant of the process according to the invention that is used depends on
the load
on the operating device and on the storage situation. In each case, the
optimum outputting
variation is determined by the control unit for the current output request.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-01-10
