EP3841038A1

EP3841038A1 - Load-supporting means which can be driven individually and in a driverless manner and has an ejection region

Info

Publication number: EP3841038A1
Application number: EP19746017.3A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Peter Enenkel
Original assignee: Siemens AG
Current assignee: Koerber Supply Chain Logistics GmbH
Priority date: 2018-08-23
Filing date: 2019-07-12
Publication date: 2021-06-30
Also published as: WO2020038651A1; EP3841039A1; US20210198038A1; WO2020038714A1; US11524845B2; CN112601708A; EP3613681A1; CN112601707B; CN112601707A

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for ejecting an item of piece goods (7) from a load-supporting means (8) which can be driven individually and in a driverless, automated manner on a surface (1, 1), comprising the following method steps: • - carrying out individual and driverless, automated transport of the piece goods (7) on the load-supporting means (8); • - ejecting the item of piece goods (7) downwards through an ejection region (40) situated in a bottom region (41) of the load-supporting means (8).

Description

description

Individually and driverlessly movable load handler with drop area

The invention relates to the technical field of the individual and driverless movable load receiving means, such as those used in driverless trans port vehicles (AGVs) which can be used for sorting piece goods.

There are currently steadily promoting bomb bay district sorters (e.g. EUROSORT). Continuously promoting district sorters allow little flexibility and scalability.

Free-moving AGVs on the market today are equipped with a wide variety of load handling devices (LAM).

The load suspension devices are usually mounted on top of the AGV or cantilevered from the AGV to one side, such as with a forklift. The disadvantage of these arrangements is a very high space requirement for the AGV and the elaborate pick-up or drop-off point, since the goods are always Pushing, tipping, roller or belt conveyors must be delivered. Sorting or order-picking systems based on a terminal, in particular, require more space. This is the case with the HICKVISION Matrix Sorter, for example:

https: // www. youtube. com / watch? v = j wu9SX3YPSk & t = 2s

Load suspension devices cantilevered from the AGV, e.g. Forks also require a much larger space requirement from the AGV and the LAM itself and also considerable balancing weights on the vehicle itself.

The present invention is therefore based on the object of being able to drop piece goods efficiently and in a space-saving manner from individually and driverlessly movable load handling devices. NEN. This problem is solved by the solutions described in the independent claims.

According to the present invention, a method for throwing off a piece of goods from a load-carrying means which can be moved automatically and driverlessly on a surface is provided. The method comprises carrying out a transport run of the piece goods on the load receiving means to a drop point and there throwing the piece goods downward through a drop area arranged in a bottom area of the load holding means.

The method is not limited but is particularly useful when used in sorting devices since they often take up considerable and expensive space.

According to the present invention, a system for throwing off a piece of goods from an individually and driverlessly automatically load-bearing means on a surface is also presented. The system comprises the load receiving means, a dropping device and a drive device. The load handling device is designed to accommodate the general cargo for carrying out a transport journey. The drive device is designed to automatically and individually move the load suspension device to carry out the transport journey without a driver.

The bottom area of the load suspension device comprises a throw-off area, through which the piece goods can be dropped downwards. The discharge device is designed to trigger the discharge of the piece goods through the discharge area.

According to the present invention, a sorting device for piece goods is also presented, which includes a plurality of such systems for dropping a piece goods, as well as a control device for implementing a sorting plan and for coordinating by the load-carrying means automatically driverless and individual transport routes to be carried out.

The subclaims list further advantageous measures which can be combined with one another as desired and can be applied to the method, the use of the method and the system in order to achieve further advantages.

According to one embodiment, the system is an AGV, which includes the load suspension device and the drive device. The AGV has the advantage that it does not require any drive device arranged outside the AGV, for example on the surface on which the load-carrying means travels. As a result, investment costs in a sorting system can be kept low, while a high scalability of the system is still possible by adding further AGVs.

According to one embodiment, the dropping area is arranged in a central area of the floor area. This leaves space in the outer areas of the floor area for further devices, such as for electronics, a trigger mechanism for the release. If the load handler is part of an AGV, the outer area can also accommodate a drive to move the load handler.

According to one embodiment, the piece goods are thrown between the AGV's chassis elements, for example wheels, which interact with the surface.

According to one embodiment, the drop area of the AGV is preferably arranged between the wheels or other chassis elements.

According to one embodiment, the load receiving means comprises a side wall in order to prevent the piece goods from falling sideways from the load carrying means. This makes it possible for the general cargo not to fall off the load suspension device even during high acceleration and centrifugal forces.

According to one exemplary embodiment, the system is designed and adapted to throw the piece goods through the discharge area during the transport journey and without stopping the load suspension device. This allows a higher dynamic. The general cargo can also be dropped while the load handler is at a standstill. This simplifies the dropping, especially if high precision of the dropping is desired.

According to one exemplary embodiment, the dropping device is designed to keep the piece goods lying on the dropping device while driving. For this purpose, the discharge device includes, for example, a trap door, a hatch or a roller shutter.

According to one exemplary embodiment, the discharge device comprises a trap door, a roller door, a hatch or a slide in order to trigger the discharge of the piece goods through the discharge area.

According to one exemplary embodiment, the dropping area comprises an opening in a base structure of the load suspension device, through which the piece goods can be thrown downwards.

According to one embodiment, the ejection device is arranged in the ejection area and configured to open a ejection opening in the floor area.

According to one embodiment, the piece goods are thrown through the drop area into a further load suspension device. The piece goods are preferably thrown through a recess in the surface on which the Lastaufnahmemit tel can be moved individually and driverless into the further load-carrying means arranged underneath. The further load handling device can be, for example, an end point of a sorting system in which piece goods are collected according to a sorting criterion. The further load handling device can also be part of an intermediate sorting level, from which the general cargo is in turn dropped onto an underlying level.

The invention is described in more detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the figures, and he explains. Show:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a system configured as an AGV for dropping off a piece of goods from an individually and driverlessly automatically movable load-carrying device according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 2-5 are schematic side views of the AGV shown in FIG. 1, which illustrate a method for discarding a piece goods according to an exemplary embodiment in chronological order;

FIG. 6 shows a schematic plan view of a discharge plane of a sorting device on which AGVs, such as AGVs shown in FIGS. 1-5, operate individually and without a driver;

7 shows a schematic side view of a system, not designed as an AGV, for dropping off a piece of goods from a load suspension device that can be moved individually and without a driver on a surface according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 shows a schematic side view of the system shown in FIG. 7 rotated by 90 °;

Figure 9 is a schematic plan view of a discharge plane of the system shown in Figures 7 and 8. FIG. 1 shows a system 108 designed as an AGV 108 for throwing off a piece goods 7 from a load-carrying means 8 that can be moved automatically on a surface 1 by an individual and driver, according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

The AGV 108 comprises the load suspension device 8, a drive device 6 and a release device 4. The load suspension device 8 comprises a frame 12 which is also a side wall 12 of the load suspension device 8. In a central area, which is surrounded by the wall, the automatic discharge device 4 is arranged in a floor area 41. The discharge device 4 comprises a hatch 4 designed as a trap door. In the closed state, the piece goods 7 to be transported or sorted are placed on the trap door and can thus be transported by the AGV 108 to a desired discharge point. The load handling device 8 or the ejection device is thus designed to hold the piece 7 well for carrying out a transport journey.

If the general cargo 7 is to be dropped, the trap door 4 is automatically opened and the general cargo falls through the chute formed by the open trap door. In this way, the dropping device 4 is designed to effect a dropping of the piece goods 7 through the dropping area 40 defined by the trap door.

The AGV also includes wheels designed as drive devices 6, at least some of the wheels comprising integrated wheel drives. In the frame 12 is also a Steuerein device 99 for automatically controlling the Antriebsvorrichtun gene 6 of the AGV 108 and for automatically controlling the dropping device 4 and an electrical energy storage inte grated.

FIGS. 2-5 show schematic side views of the AGV 108 shown in FIG. 1, which shows a method for detaching illustrate fen of the piece good 7 according to an embodiment in time.

FIG. 6 shows a schematic top view of a discharge level of a sorting device on which driverless transport vehicles, such as AGVs shown in FIGS. 1-5, operate individually and without a driver. The discharge plane is the upper surface 1 of a horizontally arranged lattice-like support structure 2. Between the supports of the support structure 2, discharge points 9 designed as recesses are arranged in the manner of a grid sorter, under which further load suspension means 18 (see FIG. 5) can be arranged.

FIG. 2 shows the load-carrying means 8 running on the surface 1 with the discharge device 4 closed. The general cargo 7 is located on the discharge device 4. The reference symbol 109 represents the system which comprises the AGV 108 and the support structure 2 with the surface 1. FIG. 2 shows the method step in which an individual and driverless automatic transport run of the piece goods 7 on the load suspension device 8 to an intended drop point 9 is carried out.

Figures 3-5 show the drop of the piece goods after the load handler has arrived at the intended drop point 9.

FIG. 3 shows the system 108 at a point in time at which the trap door 4 is opened.

FIG. 4 shows the system 108 at a point in time at which the trap door 4 is opened to such an extent that the piece goods 7 fall through, ie are dropped, through the drop area 40 and the intended drop point 9. The general cargo is dropped 7 between the chassis elements of the AGV designed as wheels 6. FIG. 5 shows the system 108 at a point in time after the general cargo 7 has been dropped. FIG. 5 also shows a further load suspension means 18, which is arranged under the load suspension means and under the intended discharge point 9, and into which the piece goods 7 have been dropped. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the further load receiving means 18 is a sorting end point in which sorted piece goods 7, for example for delivery in a specific postcode area, are collected.

FIG. 5 also shows a control device 98 for implementing a sorting plan and coordinating transport routes to be carried out by the load-carrying means (8). The control device is communicatively connected to the AGV 108, preferably to a plurality of AGVs 108 operating on the surface 1, and controls their transport routes and dropping processes.

FIG. 7 shows a schematic side view of systems 108 ', 109', which are not based on AGVs, for throwing off a piece of good 7 from a load suspension device 8 'which can be moved individually and without a driver on a surface, according to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 shows a schematic side view of the systems 108 ′, 109 ′ rotated by 90 °.

The load suspension device 8 ', like the load suspension device 8, comprises a side wall 12 and a discharge device 4, but no separate drive device 6. Instead, a drive device 6' is installed on the supports of the lattice structure 2. FIG. 9 shows a schematic top view of the lattice structure 2 of the systems 108 ', 109' shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.

The systems 108 ', 109' are or include in contrast to the systems 108, 109 not driverless transport vehicles with their own drive device, but drives are in pairs in the form of conveyor lines 6 'on the upper surface of the lattice structure 2 mounted. For example, the drive device 6 'in the form of belt conveyors <ö' can be mounted on the lattice structure 2 in pairs on both sides of a discharge point 9, as shown in FIG. 9, so that the load-carrying means 8 "passes through two on opposite sides of the discharge point 9 The drive device 6 'is designed to selectively convey the load suspension means 8' in one of the two directions defined orthogonally to one another by the lattice structure 2. In this way, one can Convey load suspension device 8 'with a discharge device 4 lying directly on the belt conveyors 6' to a discharge point 9, and a piece goods 7 resting on the discharge device 4 can be dropped through the trap door of the discharge device 4 into an underlying load suspension device.

As in the exemplary embodiments illustrated with reference to FIGS. 1-6, the transport travel for the load suspension means 8 ′ can also be carried out individually in the exemplary embodiments illustrated with the aid of FIGS. 7-9. In addition to the load suspension device 8 'with the ejection device 4, the system 108' also includes the drive device 6 '. The system 109 'comprises the system 108' and also the support structure 2 and / or further load suspension means 8 ', 18.

With the concepts shown in this disclosure, extensive sorting devices can also be realized according to further exemplary embodiments, for example by a plurality of load-carrying means 8, 8 'running on the surface 1, 1' of a discharge level, transporting the piece goods to the discharge points 9 provided in each case and drop there in each case through a dropping area arranged in a floor area of the load receiving member and through the respective dropping point into end points or other load receiving member. According to further exemplary embodiments, the space required for the travel paths, the load suspension device and the necessary areas for the end points is reduced by delivering the goods through the load suspension device or AGV (bomb bay).

According to a further exemplary embodiment, for throwing off a piece good 7 comprises a trough-shaped AGV, in which the drive and energy storage technology is installed only at the edge of the AGV. By e.g. a slide, a roller shutter or a trap door in the floor can be handed down directly under the AGV.

By storing the piece goods 7 inside the AGV, this can be built up very easily due to the low and central position of the center of gravity without the counterweights otherwise required by forklifts. This leads to a very light and therefore very energy-efficient AGV or other load handling device.

According to one embodiment, the piece goods are discharged downwards in the negative Z direction through the AGV.

According to further exemplary embodiments, the goods are thrown off in the negative Z direction (downward) between the chassis elements while the vehicle is moving or at a standstill through the freely moving load suspension device or AGV, for example in end positions. The end points can e.g. Wells (pits) or the load handler or AGV is built up accordingly.

The inclusion of the piece goods in the load handling device can, however, take place at loading points from all other directions or directly from below.

Claims

claims

1. A method for throwing off a piece goods (7) from a load-carrying means (8) which can be moved automatically and individually on a surface (1, 1) without a driver, comprising the method steps:

- Perform an individual and driverless automatic transport journey of the piece goods (7) on the load receiving means (8);

- Throwing off the piece goods (7) down through a in a bottom area (41) of the load-carrying means (8) arranged discharge area (40).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the load-carrying means (8) is comprised of an AGV (108) which carries out the trans port journey.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the discharge area (40) is arranged in a central area of the floor area (41) and / or wherein the piece goods (7) are dropped between the chassis elements (6) of the AGV.

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the load suspension means (8) comprises a side wall (12).

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the piece goods (7) during the transport journey and without stopping the load-carrying means (8) is dropped through the discharge area (40).

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the load-carrying means (8) comprises a discharge device (4), for example a trap door, a roller shutter, a hatch or a slide, which is designed to discharge the piece goods (7) through the discharge area (40) to be triggered through, preferably to create a discharge opening (40), the discharge device (4) preferably extending is designed to keep the general cargo lying on the throwing device while driving.

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the piece goods (7) is dropped through the drop area (40) into a further load-carrying means (18).

8. Use of the method according to one of the preceding claims in a sorting device.

9. System (108, 108 ', 109, 109') for discarding a piece goods

(7) from an individually and driverlessly automatically movable load handling device on a surface (1, 1 ')

(8), comprising the driverless, automatically movable load receiving means (8), a dropping device (4) and a drive device (6, 6 ');

- The load-carrying means (8) being designed to take the piece goods (7) for carrying out a transport trip;

- The drive device (6, 6 ') is designed to drive the load-carrying means (8) for carrying out the transport runs individually and without a driver;

- wherein a bottom area (41) of the load-carrying means (8) comprises a drop area (40) through which the piece can be easily dropped (7) downwards;

- And the dropping device (4) is designed to trigger the throw from the piece goods (7) through the dropping area (40).

The system (108) of claim 9, wherein the system (108) is an AGV.

11. System (108, 108 ', 109, 109') according to one of claims 9 or 10, wherein the discharge region (40) is arranged in a central region of the base region (41) and / or arranged in the load suspension means (8) is that the piece goods (7) can be thrown through between the chassis elements (wheels) of the AGV (108) and / or the discharge device is designed to generate a discharge opening and / or to take up the piece goods lying on the discharge device during the journey.

12. System (108, 108 ', 109, 109') according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the load-carrying means (8) comprises a side wall (12).

13. System (108, 108 ', 109, 109') according to one of claims 9 to 12, designed and adapted, the piece goods (7) during the transport journey and without the load handling device

(8) stop throwing through the drop area (40).

14. System (109) according to one of claims 9 to 13, comprising a further load-carrying means (18), in which the piece goods (7) through the dropping area (40) of the load-receiving means (8) can be dropped.

15. Sorting device (108, 108 ', 109, 109') for piece goods (7), comprising a plurality of systems for discarding a piece goods according to one of claims 9-14 and a control device (98) for implementing a sorting plan and coordinating the load suspension means (8) to be carried through transport tracks.