DE19947167A1 - Sales facility for individual articles e.g. crates of drinks conveyed on palettes, includes transporting- and sorting-unit to convey larges packages from conveyor store for sorting of individual articles therein - Google Patents

Abstract

Time spent by consumers on shopping, particularly for separate items, can amount to considerable periods of time and in an effort to reduce this time the sales facility includes a conveyor store (1) for storage of individual articles in sorted large packages e.g. palettes (2). A transporting- and sorting-unit (3,4)is used to bring the large packages from the conveyor store and the individual articles therein are then sorted out for conveying to the intermediate store. At least one output point (7) is provided for the customer to select his/her required separate items, and at least one control system (9,10) is provided for monitoring the activity of the transport- and sorting-unit and the allotment/allocation unit(6).

Description

The present invention relates to a sales system for individual articles to end customers.

The purchase and collection of goods is carried out by the end customer (customer) in the Usually in a shop where the goods are presented as individual items and are accessible. Such a form of sale also takes place for bulk articles, which for are intended for everyday needs. Buying such items usually requires No selection by the customer, because he knows from the start which article he is in what amount needed. Buying these things is therefore necessary, but is considered a nuisance felt and is not associated with any buying experience. Examples of such goods are especially drinks that are sold in boxes.

The present invention was based on the object to be used by the customer Time to shop for single items, which are preferably Consumption (mass) goods are to be reduced to a minimum. At the same time new systems should be as cheap as possible in terms of investment and operating costs, thus the goods to be sold at a constant or even lower price can accept.

This task is solved by a sales system for single articles, which contains the following elements:

• a) a flow warehouse for the storage of individual items in single-variety Bulk packs,
• b) an interim storage facility for individual items,
• c) a transport and separation unit with which large packs from the Flow storage fetched and the individual items contained therein and the Interim storage can be supplied
• d) at least one issuing point at which a customer can obtain the customer's desired Can take over individual items,  
• e) an allocation unit with which individual items are removed from the interim storage facility and can be supplied to an issuing point, and
• f) at least one regulatory system for the needs-based control of the activity of the Transport and separation unit and / or the allocation unit.

With such a sales system is a fully or partially automated Sale of individual items to the end user is possible, the one for the customer waiting times are reduced to a minimum. At the sales facility the goods are transported from a flow warehouse to the customer. This transportation process can be logistically optimized and largely automated. It is no longer necessary, that the customer himself walks past the goods, which are spread over a large area and compiles the individual items he wants. This lengthy, tedious and for the customer associated with considerable circumstances in the sales system according to the invention completely. The goods move to the customer and not the customer to the goods. With the sales facility it is possible that a customer his entire purchase in a maximum of three minutes from order to completion can handle. Another particular advantage of the sales system is that due to their automatable operation, they also work outside of the usual ones Business hours, especially 24 hours a day, may be open.

The individual items intended for distribution via the sales system are in the Usually transported to the point of sale by the manufacturer in single-packs. At the large packs can in particular be pallets on which, for. B. several beverage crates are arranged. Such large packs are sent to the Flow storage delivered and parked there with optimal use of space. The flow camp is therefore particularly suitable for logistically optimized delivery of goods Trucks or trained by rail transport vehicles. It is also for one space-saving storage of large packs, e.g. B. by the arrangement of High racks.

Large packs can be removed from the flow storage via a transport and separation unit be fetched. The individual items contained in the bulk pack are then from your Compound loosened (isolated) and fed to an interim storage facility. The interim storage facility serves  as a buffer in which smaller quantities of individual (i.e. unlinked) individual items are in stock. The individual items are preferably sorted by type arranged separately in the interim storage facility. The transport and separation unit can be implemented fully automatically or with the help of workers.

At at least one point of issue of the sales facility, the customer can get the information from him accept the desired individual item. He does not need to do this To move the issuing point, so that the time and effort incurred for him is minimal. There may also be personnel at the issuing point who are responsible for the Helps customers with the takeover of the individual items.

The individual items ordered by the customer are sent to the issuing point via a Allocation unit supplied, which the corresponding individual items from the Interim storage. The allocation unit preferably operates fully automatically, however, their function can also be assisted by staff. The work of Allocation unit - d. H. the removal of individual items from the interim storage facility and you targeted transport to an issuing point - takes place in a time-optimized manner. The time required by the allocation unit decides how long the customer after his order has to wait for the delivery of the desired article. The Distances between the intermediate storage and the issuing point are therefore usually be kept short so that no time is lost for long transport routes. In contrast, the more time-consuming processes such as the removal of Large packs from the flow warehouse and their unpacking from the function of Allotment unit separated so that it is in the background (even outside of business hours) can run without having an impact on the waiting time of the customer.

The activity of the transport and separation unit and / or the allocation unit becomes controlled as required by at least one control system. The The need-orientation essentially consists in the fact that the individual Customer requests are to be considered. These concern in particular the work of Allocation unit. They also indirectly affect the work of transport and Separation unit, which must ensure that the interim storage is continuous is filled with a sufficient amount of individual items so that they do not have to wait can be taken from the allotment unit.  

Preferably 2 to 20 are special in the sales installation according to the invention preferably about 10 issuing points are provided. Accordingly, there can be many customers operated at the same time. Because the duration of each customer's purchase drastically shortened compared to conventional shop systems, can with the mentioned Number of issuing offices a very high turnover rate can be achieved. Such high Turnover rates are characteristic of the bulk items for whose sale the Plant according to the invention is particularly suitable. The underlying high Turnover rates guarantee that the necessary for the sales system Amortize investments.

It is particularly advantageous if the issuing offices can be reached by car, the cars preferably being guided along the exit points in a roundabout become. In most cases, customers use a car to do their shopping anyway to do. This is especially true if there are extensive purchases or heavy purchases Goods such as B. beverage crates to be picked up. These goods can then be loaded directly into the car at the point of issue without first Customers are laboriously and long ways to be transported in a shopping cart have to. Sales staff can also help with the invitation. Farther parking spaces are saved, since the customer virtually takes his car with him while shopping leads, and because of the high turnover rates there are always only a small number to customers at the point of sale.

The transport and separation unit can be a storage and retrieval unit, a conveyor belt and / or contain a sliding carriage. With the devices mentioned, the Bulk packs effectively removed from the flow storage and into one Processing site to be transported.

For the separation of the individual items from the large packs, the transport and Separating unit preferably a robot. The use of such Commercial equipment for the separation has the advantage that a special machine is eliminated and as a result the investment costs decrease. Furthermore, a robot can be turned on programmed or "learned" for the task in a simple and very flexible manner (Teach in).  

The interim storage facility preferably contains shafts for the sorting of Individual items. Such shafts can be easily and easily automated from filled on one side and emptied from the other side. The transport of the Individual items contained in the shafts from the entry point to the issuing point linear in a simple manner, e.g. B. by pushing the stacked one behind the other Individual items are made. By sorting the individual items into the Manholes (i.e. only individual articles of one type in each manhole) have the advantage that the removal of a certain article can always take place at a defined point. This makes automation easier.

The allocation unit can be a recognition device for the identification of Have individual items. This can ensure that the correct, i.e. H. the from Customers want individual items recorded and transported to the issuing point. Furthermore, such a detection device allows greater flexibility in the (Intermediate) storage and the issue of individual items. The detection device can can be realized by the expert in different ways. It is conceivable, for. B. a barcode Reading system, which presupposes that all individual articles are correct with a barcode Marked are. The use of a video camera is also conceivable corresponding image processing programs, which the detection and classification allow individual items.

The allocation unit can also have a height shredder with which individual items stacked one on top of the other can be de-stacked or height differences can be overcome between the intermediate storage and the output level.

In a preferred further development of the invention, at least one Acceptance unit provided on which items such. B. empties, batteries, Packaging etc. can be given by the customer. Such is preferred Acceptance unit provided at each issue point. This enables the customer to Complete the purchasing process at the same time and without additional routes. This is particularly true for a beverage market, where the Picking up beverage crates and returning approximately the same amount of empties. By returning the empties to the delivery point, the waiting time between the  Task of (re) ordering and delivery of the ordered goods used in a sensible manner become.

The said acceptance unit for items delivered by the customer is preferred via a transport device and, if necessary, an intermediate one Sorting device connected to a return goods warehouse. In the return goods warehouse this is from Material delivered to customers is stored and processed according to its purpose. In particular, repackaging of empty beverage crates can take place here.

The control system or systems for the needs-based control of the activity of the Transport and separation unit or the allocation unit are preferred realized by a computer with appropriate software. This makes it possible Control system inexpensive on the one hand and high flexibility and on the other Implement adaptability to changing needs.

The control system is preferably provided with information about the fill level of the Intermediate storage supplied. It can be used to identify when a specific item in the interim storage facility has a small inventory, so that it is separated from the transport and Separation unit must be refilled. The control system can also take into account that experience has shown that the various individual goods are different Sales rates have so that an inventory threshold is set individually for each individual product below which a refill of the interim storage facility is necessary. The expected sales rate can also include circumstances such as B. Consider special offers. If a corresponding need has been determined by the control system, initiated this is the transport and separation unit, a large pack of the corresponding Fetch goods from the flow warehouse, unpack them and bring them into the interim storage facility.

Furthermore, the control system preferably receives information about the order supplied by the customer. This makes it possible to place a customer's order at a time to operate individually. After receiving the customer order, the control system initiates hence the allocation unit to get the desired goods from the interim storage facility and bring to the issuing office. The customer's order information can also continue Have an impact on the transport and separation unit. From a high The controller can recognize the volume of orders for a certain individual item that  this goods will no longer be available in sufficient quantities in the interim storage facility in the foreseeable future will be present. The controller can therefore refill the corresponding one in good time Arrange goods in the interim storage facility.

The information about the customer's order is preferably through a system for "electronic commerce" (e-commerce), which in particular via the terminal, Telephone, fax, modem, computer network or the like can happen. Devices like a Terminals for entering the order can be provided at each issuing point. she can, however, also be located at other points of the sales outlet, so that a customer his order immediately after entering or entering the sales outlet can give up. This order can then be sent immediately from the automatic sales system processed so that the customer's travel time to the issuing point is already used. In an advanced configuration of the sales system, the order of the Remote customers, i. H. especially from home. Play here especially modern means of communication and computer networks such. B. the Internet important role in which the customer can choose from an electronic catalog and can place his order. The journey time of the customer to the point of sale can then used by the sales facility to deliver the ordered goods put together. The customer can specify an expected time at which he will pick up the goods. His order can then be placed at this exact time ready for collection at the point of issue. It is also conceivable that the customer Place order remotely and recognize it later when entering the store gives that he now wants to pick up the order. He could z. B. over after Show the code word received when the order is placed. With this system the customer would not have to place his order with the appropriate amount of time on the other hand, there would be problems with the uncertain compliance with the Avoid pickup time. Only then would the compilation of the goods take place when the customer is actually in the point of sale.

By ordering remotely, it is also possible not at the point of sale goods or fresh goods such as B. Selling groceries. In these cases can namely the order a longer period, z. B. a day before pickup be abandoned so that the sales system can order the corresponding goods externally  can. In this way, e.g. B. fresh daily groceries closest The day for delivery in boxes packed ready for collection in the sales facility.

The control system can advantageously be designed so that it is under Taking into account the customer's order this an issuing point for his Assign individual items. This means that the customer (before or after entering the Place of sale) places its order and then one from the control system certain issuing point is assigned at which he can pick up his goods. The control system is thus left to choose at which issuing point the Goods are issued. The control system can therefore make this choice in logistical Optimize aspects by e.g. B. the issue point is chosen at the shortest possible Transport times from the intermediate storage to the issuing point arise.

The sales system according to the invention preferably also contains an automatic one Payment system. After the order has been placed by the customer, the accruing costs of the purchase of goods can be calculated. The customer can then do this Pay for the automatic payment system. This can be done either Entry of cash (coins and notes) or using electronic means of payment (Check card etc.). It is also conceivable that customers can register can and z. B. by entering a secret customer number a debit order for their account. Through the payment process, the waiting time between the The task of ordering and receiving the goods is in turn used sensibly are, so that there is effectively no or only a minimal "lost" waiting time. The control system is preferably coupled to the payment system such that it the goods can only be released to the customer at the point of issue if the Payment has been made properly.

The flow storage, the intermediate storage and / or the delivery points can be at different Floors of a building. Preferably, the flow storage will Basement. Such a multi-storey construction can be used in urban areas Areas of the space available there can be optimally used. By reduced Property sizes can therefore also the necessary investment costs for a Sales facility can be reduced.  

The sales facility is preferably with a shop for customers in one integrated sales point. Customers can therefore in the shop make purchases for certain goods in the usual way, while for others Goods, in particular for bulk goods of daily use such as B. for beverage crates, can use the advantages of the sales system according to the invention.

In particular, a technical connection between the shop and the sales system in such a way that a transport system is available with which from the shop to individual items to the allotment unit or to the issuing offices can be promoted. The transport system is preferably a Pneumatic tube. This enables the customer located at the issuing point to make certain Order items from the shop and get them delivered. This is particularly useful if he does not have a corresponding amount of these articles want to take with them that an (additional) way to the shop would be worthwhile.

Furthermore, the named or a separate technical connection between the Shop and the sales system take place in such a way that with a transport system from individual items can be transported to the store by the allotment unit. The transport system is preferably a pneumatic tube. So that's it possible for the customer in the shop to also deliver certain articles from there order and get delivered there. This is particularly useful if he does not want to take a correspondingly large amount of these items with you (additional) way to a dispensing point would be worthwhile. At the same time this way the shop relieved, since the mass articles mentioned are not stocked there and must be issued.

According to an independent variant of the invention, the intermediate store can also be dispensed with in the case of lower throughputs of goods in order to reduce the investment costs. Such a sales system for individual articles according to the invention contains

• a) a flow warehouse for the storage of individual items in single-variety Bulk packs,
• b) at least one issuing point at which a customer can obtain the customer's desired Can take over individual items,  
• c) a separation unit with which contained in the large packs Individual items can be fetched from the flow warehouse,
• d) an allocation unit with which individual items from the separation unit can be taken over and sent to an issuing office, as well
• e) at least one regulatory system for the needs-based control of the activity of the Separation unit and / or the allocation unit.

The separating unit can in particular be a robot, which moves directly over the single-packs (e.g. pallets) and opens Order individual items (e.g. beverage crates) from the bulk packs and put on one Conveyor belt to the issuing points. Other design options This system can essentially consist of the variants of a system described above with interim storage to be taken over accordingly.

In the following the invention is explained by way of example with the aid of the figures.

Fig. 1 shows schematically a sales system according to the invention.

Fig. 2 to 6 show various specific spatial arrangements of sale system.

In Fig. 1, the components of the sales system according to the invention are shown schematically. In the illustration, the path of the goods from the manufacturer (supplier) to the end consumer is from left to right. First, the goods in bulk packaging, e.g. B. on pallets, transported by truck or by train. They are then unloaded in a flow storage 1 and stored in a space-saving manner.

Large packagings are individually 2 or taken out in small quantities of a transport unit 3, and conveyed to a separating unit 4 from the fluidized camp 1. The large packs are unpacked from this separating unit 4 and the individual goods contained therein are separated from one another (separated). The transport device 3 can be a storage and retrieval unit, a conveyor belt or a sliding carriage. The separating unit 4 is preferably an industrial robot.

From the separation unit 4 , the individual goods, for. B. beverage crates, transported to an interim storage facility 5 and automatically stored there, preferably in single-variety shafts, which serve as buffers. The individual articles located therein can be removed by an allocation unit 6 from the intermediate storage 5 and specifically an output point are supplied to a c 7. 7 The allocation unit 6 can in particular contain a detection unit and a height destroyer. In Fig. 1 only three output points 7 a to 7 c are shown symbolically, the number of which, however, is typically around ten.

At the issue point, the customer can drive up with his car and the individual items in Take receipt. Service staff can also help him with this. B. the Load beverage crates into the car. Customers' cars are preferably in the Roundabout led, which is advantageous with a high frequency of pick-up operations.

While the system described so far preferably runs fully automatically, it is also possible to replace parts of the system with manual labor and if necessary to automate retrospectively from an economic point of view. A fully automatic system enables sales around the clock.

In Fig. 1, the return option of z. B. indicated empties. This is delivered directly to the issuing points 7 a to 7 c by the customer and then fed to an empties warehouse 8 via a transport system. The empties storage 8 is in turn well set up from one side for long-distance transport (back to the filling system). Repaletting of beverage crates and the like can also take place in the empties warehouse 8 . The empties management and repaletting can be arranged spatially above the full goods management. Empties can also be managed using suitable computer programs, this administration preferably being integrated into the control system described below.

According to FIG. 1, two control systems 9 , 10 are provided for the control and monitoring of the sales system, which of course can be implemented in the same hardware (for example a computer) and only differ functionally (ie in the software) from one another. The control system 9 is responsible for controlling the transport unit 3 and the singling unit 4 . It receives information from the flow storage 1 and the intermediate storage 5 , which particularly includes the respective stocks of individual goods. In this way, it can detect an imminent deficiency of a certain individual item in the intermediate storage 5 and accordingly arrange for the transport of a large packaging out of the flow storage 1 . Furthermore, the control system 9 detects when a certain stock of individual goods in the flow storage 1 decreases. The control system can then initiate an external order and delivery.

The control system 10 monitors the allocation unit 6 . For this purpose, it receives in particular information about the customer's order, which can come from input terminals in the issuing offices 7 a to 7 c or via an external line, in particular by telephone. Furthermore, the control system 10 preferably receives information about what the fill level of the intermediate store 5 is. Depending on these variables, the control system 10 causes the allotment unit 6 to remove goods from the intermediate store 5 and to deliver them to a specific issuing point. There they can then be picked up by the customer who placed the order.

With the sales system according to the invention, fully automatic transport of individual goods from a flow warehouse 1 to the customer is possible. The system can save considerable time, so that the process from the order to the completion of the order only takes up to three minutes. This not only shortens the shopping process for the customer in a very pleasant way, but also saves investment and operating costs, since at the same time a much smaller number of customers have to be in the sales outlet. Especially in confined spaces in city centers, the sales system according to the invention can therefore be made very compact and thus lead to cost savings or still be installed in places where it would not be possible to set up a conventional shop.

Figs. 2 to 6 show various specific spatial arrangements of the sales system according to the invention, which are optimized for different conditions. The same reference numerals are used for the same elements of the sales system, so that these components are not explained in detail each time.

FIG. 2 shows an arrangement in which a lane is arranged between the sales system according to the invention and a conventional shop area. Customers who are planning an "ordinary" purchase can park their car in the parking lots 11 . You have a shop space of z. B. 200 sqm available, on which beer specialties, wines, spirits, glasses, dispensers and the like can be offered. A sanitary facility 12 is also provided. A loan device storage 14 for beer benches and beer tables, umbrellas and the like adjoins the shop area. In a cooling cell 18 draft beer can be stored. The empties management 15 , which includes an empty pallet stack 16 and an empties roll store 17, is arranged next to the shop area.

The automatic sales system is arranged opposite the shop 13 . Customers can drive their cars up to 7 a to 7 d via a lane. An empties system with a paternoster 26 is available for the return of empties. The sales facility has a flow storage 1 on its rear side. In the example, this is a pallet warehouse on a downhill runway on two floors. This flow storage 1 can be loaded from the rear by truck. A pallet conveyor belt 22 is located on the front side, ie towards the delivery points 7 . Pallets can then be placed out of the flow storage 1 and conveyed in the direction of the robot 24 for depalletizing. The robot 24 separates the items, e.g. B. beverage crates, from the pallets and places them on the crate 21 for magazine filling. The empty pallets are piled on a stack 23 and disposed of on a conveyor belt 25 to the rear of the system.

The box belt 21 transports the boxes placed thereon past the back of an intermediate storage 5 , which can be a box magazine on a downhill roller conveyor. Typically 40 boxes per type can be stored in it. The crates of a type of beverage are preferably stored in a specific shaft in a variety-specific manner. In order to achieve this, removal devices 20 are arranged along the box belt 21 , which take them away from the box belt 21 or push them down and sort them into the corresponding shaft of the box magazine 5 as they pass through the beverage types assigned to them.

A corresponding detection unit ensures that the removal devices 20 recognize the goods assigned to them.

A further box belt 19 runs on the front side of the intermediate store 5 , on which individual boxes from the intermediate store 5 can be placed by an allocation unit 6 . The crate belt 19 then transports these crates to that of the issue points 7 a to 7 d at which they were ordered.

Another arrangement of the sales system is shown in FIG. 3, again with a shop 13 integrated. In this system, in particular the ten delivery points 7 a to 7 j are arranged around an elliptical intermediate storage 5 . Access to the issuing points is therefore possible in a roundabout, which is particularly advantageous.

In Fig. 4 a system is shown in which the intermediate storage is divided into two. In the manner described above, 1 pallets are removed from a flow storage and introduced into a first intermediate storage 5 a after the separation. Here z. B. 48 different types of beverages, each with approx. 45 boxes. The crates are then transported from the interim storage facility 5 a to a second interim storage facility 5 b, where only ten crates of each of the 48 varieties are stored. These are in the immediate vicinity of the dispensing points 7 a to 7 f and can therefore be transported to these dispensing points with minimal loss of time. A conveyor belt 31 , a runway for empties 32 and roller conveyors 34 for full empties plates are provided for the return transport of empties. An empty pallet warehouse 33 is located next to the robot 24 .

Fig. 5 shows a system in which the delivery points 7 a to 7 e are arranged in a circle around a round intermediate storage 5 . The circumferential belt 40 arranged between the dispensing points 7 a to 7 e can be designed as a buffer belt on which several beverage crates can be placed one behind the other.

Fig. 6 shows an arrangement with two shops 13 a, 13 b. Furthermore, two delivery points 7 a, 7 b are provided, the access of the customers to these output points being regulated via a traffic light control 50 .

Fig. 7 shows a further possible arrangement in which the delivery points 7 a to 7 d are arranged one behind the other and can be reached from a roadway running parallel to them, similar to parking spaces on the roadside. There are typically 110 pallet spaces in the two intermediate stores 5 a, 5 b.

Returned empties are returned via a runway 60 and an empties runway 61 . Other possibilities are conceivable for the arrangement of the dispensing points 7 a to 7 d, the shop 13 and the parking spaces 11 . For example, the vehicles can also be parked diagonally at the issuing points, or the shop 13 can be located next to the automatic sales system.

The following are an example of an advantageous requirement profile for the Sales system according to the invention and advantageous specifications for their Components listed:

1st plot

• - Size: preferably 1500-1750 m ² ;
• - Dimensions: preferably 30 to 50 m, in particular 35 to 50 m.

2. Outdoor facility

• - Paved and / or paved area; Rainwater drainage, preferably none Fencing;
• - Circulation around the hall in the area of the service stations, preferably 80 cm wide and 5-10 cm high sidewalk;
• - External lanes and stop lines at the service stations are clearly visible on the Lane marked;
• - At the beginning of the property there is advantageously a small waiting area for approx. 4 Carriage provided.

3rd hall

• - Height: preferably 6 m;  
• - latitude and longitude depending on the location;
• - Rain protection of 3 m for service personnel and cars over the service areas; - Service station preferably walled in at a depth of 2 m;
• - Height of the service station: preferably about 2 m;
• - Service station glazed to the outside with a glass door (winter);
• - Can be secured externally overnight with a sectional door / roller door.

4. Outer skin

• - flat surface; can be designed by painting for advertising and / or Informational purposes;
• - Roofing: preferably flat roof.

5. Service stations

• - Service station preferably walled towards the hall (inwards);
• - preferably glazed over large areas and with a glass door fitted;
• - heated in winter;
• - Electrical systems: cash register, screens, video surveillance, computer network;
• - Interior: preferably shelves on preferably 2½ sides;
• - Preferably at the front: glazing and screen (s), shaft access for full and Empties;
• - Depth of the rooms: in particular 2 m;
• - Width: variable, especially between 4 and 10 m;
• - Service station can be secured externally via a sectional door.

6. Other rooms

• - The variable space between the service stations can preferably be used for Office space, changing room, toilets and social room.
• - Offer of draft beer as well as loan items such as beer banks at one Service station with the appropriate size.

7th camp

• - Heavy rack storage: preferably 1 t per pallet space; preferably 3 levels;
• - usability: from the storage and retrieval machine RBG with sideshift fork; in particular about 100 places;
• - Empties storage: only with a load of max. 500 kg per place, if necessary designed as a downhill runway.

8. Storage and retrieval machine-RBG

• - lifting height 5 m;
• - Sideshift fork for 2 pallet places in depth;
• - fully automatically controlled with emergency manual control;
• - with cornering.

9. Dimensions of the beverage crates

• - Large boxes: preferably 400 × 300 × 290 mm (L × W × H), weight approx. 20 kg;
• - small boxes: preferably 300 × 200 × 290 mm, weight about 10 kg;
• - Different dimensions are provided.

10. Robot 1 (loading robot)

• - Task: Removing individual beverage crates from a pallet [since the Beverage crates are occasionally placed in a flow storage facility, it depends on Robot gripping system (gripping the boxes from above or from the side) like that Flow bearing must be constructed];
• - Storage in flow storage: preferably 2 boxes stacked one above the other; Stacking: preferably beforehand; Store the stack in a gripping manner;
• - Handling the full range: after processing, stacking on a separate empty pallet space;  
• - Handling of individual beverage crates: palletizing on a Euro pallet under Pay attention to the different palette of the individual beverage types.

11. Box storage from roller conveyors (full box storage)

• - roller conveyors: preferably 54 pieces; preferably 330 mm wide; such as preferably 16 pieces of roller conveyors, preferably 220 mm wide; preferably 10-12 rolls of galvanized steel per meter;
• - gradient: preferably 3%; Separation of the last box; Stop at the end;
• - Length of the roller conveyors in the individual floors of the store: preferably 17.2 m. (The robot does not pick up the goods from above, but from the side);
• - Arrangement of the roller conveyors: preferably on 4 levels one above the other: 18 each Lanes 330 mm wide are arranged in a storage level; in the 4th The 16 narrow roller conveyors are positioned on the floor; the 1st level is directly above the earth: distance to the ground is due to the construction height Roller conveyor specified; the lower edge of the 2nd level is preferably located 700 mm above the upper edge of the first level (corresponding to 2 above one another stacked boxes + 100 mm play).
• - Steel frame for mounting the roller conveyors: minimum load: preferably approx. 2 t / m ² ;
• - Insertion centering funnels and execution centering funnels: from separation preferably more slopes to the stop;
• - Brake rollers: especially 2 per lane (preferably after 4 and 8 meters);
• - Side guide for the boxes.

12. Robot 2 (removal robot)

• - Task: Remove the boxes from the flow storage facility and place them in another runway;
• - Space requirement: to the side between the individual beverage crates in the flow storage facility preferably at least 5 cm of space for gripping; the two on top of each other stacked boxes in each shaft are centered on one Attack;  
• - Handle option: at the front of the box in a handle opening or at the Side of the box with a clamp;
• - Spatial shift: Lift each box forward by preferably about 50 cm; Rotation of the box and depositing on the corresponding, preferably runway system arranged parallel to the shelf wall on the other Side of the robot 2.

13. Conveyor technology

• - Conveyor technology for transporting the crates to the individual delivery stations: preferably incline roller conveyors with preferably different slopes (strong start-up gradient: in particular approx. 4%; lower gradient to hold the Speed: in particular approx. 2%, particularly preferred: use of Brake rollers).
• - Transport route: consisting of straight pieces with two 90 ° curves.
• - Transport speed: preferably at least half a meter per Second;
• - Slope roller conveyors: side guides in the two 90 ° standard curves; Braking device at the end: for example brake rollers or brake plate, preferably with spring-loaded end stop; preferably about 12-15 rolls galvanized steel per meter; Width: 330 mm in particular for all tracks.
• - Removal of empties: through an empties chute (330 mm wide) Roller conveyors; Infeed mechanism: at the end of the track on the driven (all-round) empties removal conveyor connected to all stations; Drive the Empties conveyor belt: any; Removing the empties: at one point of the Empties conveyor belt preferably via a belt conveyor Empties box storage; Location of the empties box storage: preferably in the first Stock, especially on the full container storage.

14. Empties management

• - Identification of the individual boxes: through video recognition;  
• - Transport to the box-specific shaft: preferably by pushing with a Pusher; after passing through the steep gradient, robot 1 remove and palletize the boxes.

15. Control software / warehouse management

• - Central control due to the standardization of the interfaces (PLC); thereby control of all necessary components is possible.

16. Security technology

• - Constant monitoring of all service places and the function of the Sales system according to the invention essential parts of automation and the area by video camera; Storage of the images on long-term video recorders for more than 24 h.
• - Central alarm system: connected to a security service online.

Claims (20)

1. Sales system for individual articles, containing

• a) a flow storage ( 1 ) for the storage of individual items in single-variety large packs ( 2 ),
• b) an intermediate storage ( 5 ) for individual items,
• c) a transport and separating unit ( 3 , 4 ) with which large packs ( 2 ) can be taken from the flow storage and the individual articles contained therein can be separated and fed to the intermediate storage,
• d) at least one issuing point ( 7 a- 7 j), at which a customer can take over the individual items desired by him,
• e) an allocation unit ( 6 ) with which individual articles can be removed from the intermediate storage and fed to an issuing point, and
• f) at least one control system ( 9 , 10 ) for the needs-based control of the activity of the transport and separation unit ( 3 , 4 ) and / or the allocation unit ( 6 ).

2. Vending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that it contains 2 to 20, preferably 10 issuing points ( 7 a- 7 j). 3. Sales system according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the issuing points ( 7 a- 7 j) can be reached by car, preferably in the roundabout. 4. Sales system according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the transport and separating unit ( 3 , 4 ) contains a storage and retrieval unit, a conveyor belt and / or a sliding carriage. 5. Sales system according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the transport and separating unit ( 4 ) contains a robot ( 24 ) for separating the individual items from the large packs ( 2 ). 6. Sales system according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the intermediate storage ( 5 ) has shafts for the sorting of individual items. 7. Sales installation according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the allocation unit ( 6 ) has a detection device for the identification of individual items. 8. Sales system according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the allocation unit ( 6 ) has a height shredder. 9. Sales system according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that at least one acceptance unit is available on which items can be handed in by the customer. 10. Sales system according to claim 9, characterized in that the acceptance unit is connected via a transport device and possibly a sorting device to a return goods store ( 8 ). 11. Sales system according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the control system or systems ( 9 , 10 ) are formed by a computer. 12. Sales system according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the control system ( 9 , 10 ) information about the fill level of the intermediate storage ( 5 ) are supplied. 13. Sales system according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the control system ( 9 , 10 ) information about the customer's order are supplied. 14. Sales system according to claim 13, characterized in that the information about a system for e- Commerce can be supplied, in particular via terminal, telephone, fax, modem and / or computer network. 15. Sales system according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the control system ( 10 ) is designed such that it takes this into account, taking into account the customer's order, an issuing point ( 7 a- 7 j) for his individual articles. 16. Sales system according to one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that it has an automatic payment system contains. 17. Sales system according to one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that the flow storage ( 1 ), the intermediate storage ( 5 ) and / or the dispensing points ( 7 a- 7 j) are arranged on different floors of a building. 18. Sales system according to one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that it is connected to a shop ( 13 ). 19. Vending machine according to claim 18, characterized in that it has a transport system, preferably in the form of a pneumatic tube, with which individual items can be conveyed to the shop ( 13 ) by the allocation unit ( 6 ). 20. Sales facility for individual articles, containing

• a) a flow warehouse for the storage of individual items in single-packs,
• b) at least one issuing point, at which a customer can take over the individual articles requested by him,
• c) a separating unit with which individual articles contained in the large packs can be taken from the flow storage,
• d) an allocation unit with which individual articles can be taken over by the separation unit and fed to an issuing point, and
• e) at least one control system for the needs-based control of the activity of the separation unit and / or the allocation unit.