Method and order-picking storage facility for storing and order-picking goods

1 . A method for storing and picking article carriers that contain articles and are stackable in a picking warehouse, comprising the steps

providing a plurality of autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicles in the picking warehouse, each of the autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicles having a chassis with a drive unit and a loading platform arranged on the chassis for receiving a mobile transport loading aid,

providing article carrier stack groups comprising multiple article carriers arranged next to one another and on top of one another in a delivery zone of the picking warehouse,

providing mobile transport loading aids, each of the mobile transport loading aids being configured for receiving an article carrier stack group of the article carrier stack groups in the picking warehouse, wherein the mobile transport loading aids comprise a plurality of empty transport loading aids,

wherein each of the mobile transport loading aids comprises

a transport rack having a transport frame against which the loading platform of a transport vehicle can be positioned, and

a base having a base wall part on which the article carrier stack group can be placed,

providing on at least some of the autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicles, or on at least some of the mobile transport loading aids, a transport safeguard configured for stabilizing a position of an article carrier stack group of the article carrier stack groups,

wherein each of the at least some of the autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicles comprises

the loading platform, and

first and second side walls, the first side wall and the second side wall being arranged adjacently to the loading platform and forming the transport safeguard,

or

wherein each of the at least some of the mobile transport loading aids comprises

first and second side walls, the first side wall and the second side wall forming the transport safeguard,

and

wherein the base wall part is both inclined downwardly at a first inclination angle with respect to a horizontal plane spanned between the first side wall and the second side wall in a first direction towards the first side wall, and inclined downwardly at a second inclination angle with respect to a horizontal plane spanned between the first side wall and the second side wall in a second direction towards the second side wall, wherein the first side wall and the second side wall enclose an angle and are aligned perpendicularly to the base wall part,

transporting empty transport loading aids of the plurality of empty transport loading aids using autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicles of the plurality of autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicles to a loading station and providing at least one of the empty transport loading aids at an automatically operated first loading device or on a buffer surface close to the automatically operated first loading device,

loading the at least one empty transport loading aid provided at the automatically operated first loading device with at least one of the article carrier stack groups from the delivery zone using the automatically operated first loading device in order to provide at least one loaded transport aid,

transporting the at least one loaded transport loading aid containing the at least one article carrier stack group from the loading station to a storage zone using an autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicle of the autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicles and stabilizing the position of the at least one article carrier stack group by the transport safeguard during the transport movement of the at least one loaded transport loading aid,

placing the at least one loaded transport loading aid containing the at least one article carrier stack group on a storage surface in the storage zone,

storing the at least one loaded transport loading aid containing the at least one article carrier stack group in the storage zone,

processing a picking order comprising the following steps

transporting the at least one loaded transport loading aid containing the article carriers required for the picking order from the storage zone to an unloading station and providing the at least one loaded transport loading aid at an automatically operated unloading device or on a buffer surface close to the automatically operated unloading using an autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicle of the autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicles and stabilizing the position of the article carrier stack group by the transport safeguard during the transport movement of the loaded transport loading aid,

unloading the at least one loaded transport loading aid provided at the automatically operated unloading device by removing the article carriers required for processing the picking order, and

assembling the article carriers on at least one target loading aid for the picking order in an order processing zone of the picking warehouse.

2 . The method for storing and picking articles according to claim 1 , wherein providing article carrier stack groups comprises providing article carrier stack groups on delivery load carriers, and loading one of the empty transport loading aids with one of the article carrier stack groups comprises loading one of the empty transport loading aids with an article carrier stack group on a delivery load carrier.

3 . The method for storing and picking articles according to claim 1 , wherein assembling the article carriers for the picking order is performed such that an individual article carrier removed from the article carrier stack group at the unloading device or an article carrier stack removed from the article carrier stack group is transferred onto a target loading aid by the unloading device.

4 . The method for storing and picking articles according to claim 1 , comprising at least one of the steps

i) transporting a transport loading aid from the unloading station back to the storage zone after removing of the article carriers, if not all of the article carriers have been removed from the transport loading aid,

ii) transporting a transport loading aid from a first automatically operated unloading device to a second automatically operated unloading device after removing of the article carriers, if not all of the article carriers have been removed from the transport loading aid and if the article carriers are needed at the second automatically operated unloading device for the picking order,

iii) transporting a transport loading aid from the automatically operated unloading device to a waiting zone in the unloading station after removing of the article carriers, if not all of the article carriers have been removed from the transport loading aid and if the article carriers are needed at the automatically operated unloading device or one of the automatically operated unloading devices for an already advised picking order,

iv) transporting a transport loading aid back to the loading station after removing of the at least one of the article carrier stack groups and providing the transport loading aid at the automatically operated first loading device or on the buffer surface, if all article carriers have been removed from the transport loading aid, and

v) stabilizing the position of an opened article carrier stack group, if not all article carriers were removed from the transport loading aid, by the transport safeguard during the transport movement according to case i), ii) and iii).

5 . The method for storing and picking articles according to claim 1 , wherein the article carriers are selected from the group consisting of containers and cartons.

6 . The method for storing and picking articles according to claim 1 , wherein the article carriers have different dimensions.

7 . The method for storing and picking articles according to claim 1 , comprising the steps

providing a first temperature zone in the storage zone, in which the loaded transport loading aids respectively containing the at least one article carrier stack group of article carriers arranged next to one another and on top of one another and storing articles of a first article group are disposed,

providing a second temperature zone in the storage zone, in which the loaded transport loading aids respectively containing the at least one article carrier stack group of article carriers arranged next to one another and on top of one another and storing articles of a second article group are disposed,

defining the first article group and the second article group, to which first article group, articles of a first storage temperature are assigned and to which second article group, articles of a second storage temperature are assigned, and detecting data comprising the first storage temperature for the articles of the first article group, and the second storage temperature for the articles of the second article group, on a computer system,

identifying at least one of the article carrier stack groups and the loaded transport loading aids using a detecting device provided in the delivery zone by reading a data carrier, the data carrier being affixed in each case on the at least one of the article carrier stack groups and the loaded transport loading aids,

selectively transporting the loaded transport loading aids respectively containing at least one article carrier stack group using autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicles of the autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicles, into one of the first temperature zone and the second temperature zone and stabilizing the position of the article carrier stack group by the transport safeguard during the transport movement,

storing the loaded transport loading aids respectively containing the at least one article carrier stack group of article carriers arranged next to one another and on top of one another containing articles of the first article group in the first temperature zone,

storing the loaded transport loading aids respectively containing the at least one article carrier stack group of article carriers arranged next to one another and on top of one another containing articles of the second article group in the second temperature zone.

8 . The method for storing and picking articles according to claim 7 , comprising the steps

transporting at least one of the loaded transport loading aids containing the article carriers required for a first picking order from the first temperature zone and transporting at least one of the loaded transport loading aids containing the article carriers required for a second picking order from the second temperature zone to the unloading station using a shared, automatically operated unloading device and stabilizing the position of the article carrier stack group by the transport safeguard during the transport movement,

providing the loaded transport loading aid for the first picking order at the automatically operated unloading device or on a buffer surface near the automatically operated unloading device using an autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicle of the autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicles,

providing the loaded transport loading aid for the second picking order at the automatically operated unloading device or on a buffer surface near the automatically operated unloading device using an autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicle of the autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicles,

sequentially assembling article carriers on a first target loading aid with multiple article carriers containing articles of a first article group, and assembling article carriers on a second target loading aid with multiple article carriers containing articles of a second article group using the shared, automatically operated unloading device of the unloading station.

9 . The method for storing and picking articles according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps

providing stack loading aids in each case for receiving and stabilizing a position of an order stack assembled of the article carriers according to the picking order, wherein the stack loading aids comprise at least one first stack loading aid and at least one second stack loading aid, each of which comprise a base wall part and side walls connected to the base wall part, and

at least one of the steps

lading the first stack loading aid with a target loading aid at a lading station using at least one automatically operated lading device, by placing the target loading aid on the base wall part if a first stack loading aid is used in the picking warehouse, and

defining the second stack loading aid as the target loading aid if a second stack loading aid is used in the picking warehouse.

10 . The method for storing and picking articles according to claim 9 , further comprising the steps

transporting the stack loading aids using the autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicles to the unloading station and providing at least one stack loading aid at at least one automatically operated unloading device or on a buffer surface close to the automatically operated unloading device, and

assembling the article carriers according to the picking order to the order stack on the target loading aid in the first stack loading aid or on the base wall part of the second stack loading aid, wherein the first stack loading aid or the second stack loading aid is provided at the automatically operated unloading device.

11 . The method for storing and picking articles according to claim 9 , further comprising the steps

providing an order stack load securing station with at least one automatically operated load securing device or with at least one automatically operated load securing device and a buffer surface close to the automatically operated load securing device, the automatically operated load securing device being formed for secure transport of an order stack with a securing means comprising a winding film or a fastening tape,

transporting the stack loading aids each loaded with one order stack using autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicles of the autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicles to the order stack load securing station and providing at least one stack loading aid on the automatically operated load securing device or on the buffer surface close to the load securing device,

removing the order stack from the stack loading aid using a lifting device which lifts the target loading aid one partially loaded target loading aid at the automatically operated unloading device and if article carriers are still required for the picking order which are provided via the at least one loaded transport loading aid at the semi-automated unloading device, and

manually assembling the article carriers on the at least one partially loaded target loading aid for the picking order at the semi-automated unloading device.

12 . The method for storing and picking articles according to claim 1 , wherein processing a picking order additionally comprises the steps

transporting at least one of the loaded transport loading aids containing the article carriers required for the picking order from the storage zone to the unloading station and providing the loaded transport loading aid at a semi-automated unloading device or on a buffer surface close to the semi-automated unloading device using at least one autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicle of the autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicles and stabilizing the position of the article carrier stack group by the transport safeguard during the transport movement of the at least one loaded transport loading aid,

manually unloading the at least one of the loaded transport loading aid provided at the semi-automated unloading device by removing the article carriers required for processing the picking order, and

manually assembling the article carriers on at least one target loading aid for the picking order at the semi-automated unloading device.

13 . The method for storing and picking articles according to claim 12 , wherein providing the loaded transport loading aid at the semi-automated unloading device comprises the steps

taking over the loaded transport loading aid from an autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicle of the autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicles to a lifting platform of the semi-automated unloading device,

providing the article carriers at a provisioning level by lifting the loaded transport loading aid placed on the lifting platform in order to enable ergonomic unloading of the article carriers by a picker.

14 . The method for storing and picking articles according to claim 12 , further comprising the steps

transporting empty target loading aids using autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicles of the autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicles to the unloading station and providing at least one of the empty target loading aids at the semi-automated unloading device or on a buffer surface close to the semi-automated unloading device using an autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicle of the autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicles, and

manually assembling the article carriers on at least one empty target loading aid for the picking order at the semi-automated unloading device.

15 . The method for storing and picking articles according to claim 12 , further comprising the steps

transporting at least one partially loaded target loading aid using autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicles of the autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicles from the automatically operated unloading device to the semi-automated unloading device or to a buffer surface close to the semi-automated unloading device after the article carriers have been assembled on the at least order stack on the target loading aid in the first stack loading aid or on the base wall part of the second stack loading aid at the semi-automated unloading device.

16 . The method for storing and picking articles according to claim 12 , comprising the steps

providing stack loading aids in each case for receiving and stabilizing a position of an order stack assembled of the article carriers according to the picking order, wherein the stack loading aids comprise at least one first stack loading aid and at least one second stack loading aid, each of which comprise a base wall part and side walls connected to the base wall part,

transporting the stack loading aids using autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicles of the autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicles to the unloading station and providing at least one stack loading aid at the semi-automated unloading device or on a buffer surface close to the semi-automated unloading device,

assembling the article carriers according to the picking order to the with the order stack from the first stack loading aid, if the picking warehouse comprises the first stack loading aid or which lifts the order stack from the second stack loading aid if the picking warehouse comprises the second stack loading aid,

securing the order stack by placing the securing means circumferentially around the order stack,

transporting the secured order stack using an autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicle of the autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicles, from the load securing station to a shipping zone of the picking warehouse, and

transporting the unloaded stack loading aids using an autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicle of the autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicles, the step of transporting the unloaded stack loading aids comprising at least one of the steps

transporting the first stack loading aid from the load securing station to the lading station with the at least one automatically operated lading device, if a first stack loading aid is used in the picking warehouse, and

transporting the second stack loading aid from the load securing station to the unloading station and providing the second stack loading aid at an automatically operated unloading device or on a buffer surface close to the automatically operated unloading device, if a second stack loading aid is used in the picking warehouse.

17 . A picking warehouse for storing and picking article carriers which contain articles and are stackable, the picking warehouse comprising

an order-processing computer for acquiring a picking order and for determining articles which are required for the picking order,

a delivery zone for providing article carrier stack groups comprising multiple article carriers arranged next to one another and on top of one another,

a loading station,

a storage zone,

an unloading station,

a plurality of autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicles, and

a plurality of mobile transport loading aids, each of the mobile transport loading aids of the plurality of mobile transport aids being configured for receiving an article carrier stack group,

wherein each of the plurality of mobile transport loading aids comprises

a transport rack having a transport frame against which the loading platform of a transport vehicle can be positioned, and

a base having a base wall part on which the article carrier stack group can be placed,

wherein the mobile transport loading aids comprise empty transport loading aids,

wherein the loading station has at least one automatically operated loading device or at least one automatically operated loading device and a buffer surface close to the automatically operated loading device, wherein the automatically operated loading device is configured for loading one of the empty transport loading aids with at least one article carrier stack group in order to provide at least one loaded transport loading aid, wherein the empty transport loading aid is provided for loading at the automatically operated first loading device,

wherein the storage zone is configured for storing the at least one loaded transport loading aid containing the at least one article carrier stack group on a storage surface,

wherein the unloading station has at least one automatically operated unloading device for unloading at least one of the loaded transport loading aids by removing the article carriers required for processing the picking order from the article carrier stack group, wherein the loaded transport loading aids are provided for unloading at the automatically operated unloading device,

wherein each of the plurality of autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicles has a chassis with a drive unit and a loading platform arranged on the chassis for receiving a mobile transport loading aid, and is controlled by a control system to transport empty transport loading aids to the loading station and to provide one of the empty transport loading aids at the automatically operated first loading device or on the buffer surface close to the automatically operated first loading device; to transport the at least one loaded transport loading aid containing the article carrier stack group from the loading station to the storage zone; and to transport the at least one loaded transport loading aid containing the article carriers required for the picking order from the storage zone to an unloading station and to provide the at least one loaded transport loading aid at the automatically operated unloading device or on a buffer surface close to the automatically operated unloading device,

wherein at least some of the autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicles or at least some of the mobile transport loading aids provide a transport safeguard, the transport safeguard being configured for stabilizing a position of an article carrier stack group when the article carrier stack group is received on the mobile transport loading aid,

wherein each of the at least some of the autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicles comprises

the loading platform, and

first and second side walls, the first side wall and the second side wall being arranged adjacently to the loading platform and forming the transport safeguard,

or

wherein each of the at least some of the mobile transport loading aids comprises

first and second side walls, the first side wall and the second side wall forming the transport safeguard,

and

wherein the base wall part is both inclined downwardly at a first inclination angle with respect to a horizontal plane spanned between the first side wall and the second side wall in a first direction towards the first side wall, and inclined downwardly at a second inclination angle with respect to a horizontal plane spanned between the first side wall and the second side wall in a second direction towards the second side wall, wherein the first side wall and the second side wall enclose an angle and are aligned perpendicularly to the base wall part.

18 . The picking warehouse according to claim 17 , comprising stack loading aids, each of the stack loading aids being configured for receiving and stabilizing a position of an order stack assembled of the article carriers according to the picking order, wherein the stack loading aids comprise at least one first stack loading aid and at least one second stack loading aid.

19 . The picking warehouse according to claim 18 , wherein the at least one first stack loading aid comprises a transport rack, a base and side walls connected to the base, wherein the transport rack forms a transport frame against which a loading platform of the transport vehicle can be positioned, and wherein the base comprises a base wall part on which a target loading aid with the order stack stacked thereon can be placed, and the side walls form a transport safeguard configured for stabilizing a position of the order stack when the order stack is received on the base wall part with the target loading aid.

20 . The picking warehouse according to claim 18 , wherein the at least one second stack loading aid comprises a transport rack, a base and side walls connected to the base, wherein the transport rack forms a transport frame against which a loading platform of the transport vehicle can be positioned, and wherein the base comprises a base wall part having placing blocks protruding on an upper side of the base wall part, the placing blocks being separated from one another by receiving channels, wherein the article carriers of the order stack can be placed on the placing blocks, such that the at least one second stack loading aid forms the target loading aid and the side walls form the transport safeguard configured for stabilizing a position of the order stack when the order stack is received on the base wall part.

21 . The picking warehouse according to claim 18 , comprising an order stack load securing station with at least one automatically operated load securing device or with at least one automatically operated load securing device and a buffer surface close to the automatically operated load securing device,

the automatically operated load securing device being formed for secure transport of an order stack with a securing means comprising a winding film or a fastening tape, and

wherein the order stack load securing station comprises a lifting device which lifts the target loading aid with the order stack from the stack loading aid if the picking warehouse comprises the at least one first stack loading aid, or which lifts the order stack from the stack loading aid if the picking warehouse comprises the at least one second stack loading aid.

22 . The picking warehouse according to claim 17 , comprising

a device for detecting data relating to at least one of the article carrier stack group, the article carrier, and the article in the article carrier, and

a data line connected to the control system, in order to transmit the data to the control system,

wherein the control system comprises a control logic and processes the data in accordance with the control logic and generates control commands to control the automatically operated unloading device or to generate transport commands to control at least one of the autonomously movable, driverless transport vehicles.

23 . The picking warehouse according to claim 17 , comprising a checking station in the delivery zone with

at least one testing device for checking quality features of the articles in the article carriers,

a conveying system for inward transport of an article carrier stack group and for outward transport of an article carrier stack group,

a detecting device for identifying the article carrier stack group connected to the control system via a data line, and

an input and/or output device to input data from the check of the quality features connected to the control system via a data line.

24 . The picking warehouse according to claim 23 , wherein the checking station comprises

an automatically operated clamping and lifting device along the conveying system for inwardly transporting an article carrier stack group and outwardly transporting an article carrier stack group

wherein the clamping and lifting device is configured for separating the article carrier stack group into an upper article carrier stack and a lower article carrier stack in order to create an access region between the upper article carrier stack and the lower article carrier stack, the access region allowing the removal of at least one article carrier from the lower article carrier stack or of an article from an article carrier of the lower article carrier stack.

25 . The picking warehouse according to claim 24 , wherein

the clamping device comprises clamping jaws movable by at least one drive device relative to one another between an opened position and a clamping position, the clamping jaws in the clamping position clamping the article carrier stack group along the circumference of at least one article carrier layer and on at least two sides, and

the lifting device comprises a lifting frame movable by at least one drive device in the vertical direction relative to the conveying system for inward transport of an article carrier stack group and outward transport of an article carrier stack group, the clamping jaws being mounted on the lifting frame, wherein the lifting frame is configured for moving the clamping jaws from a lower height position into an upper height position in which the upper article carrier stack of the article carrier stack group is lifted off the lower article carrier stack of the article carrier stack group.