Device and method for sorting by means of a storage region and a sorting region

1. A method of sorting articles in accordance with a predetermined sorting feature, wherein the sorting feature for each article assumes one value respectively, the method comprising:

apportioning the sorting feature values that occur to predetermined z≧2 value groups of sorting feature values such that each sorting feature value belongs to exactly one value group;

providing a sorting system sorting with:

a storage region having X 1 >=2 storage subregions;

a sorting region having x 2 >=2 sorting subregions;

where x 1 *x 2 ≧z; and

a computer-accessible sorting plan which assigns to each value group:

one storage subregion respectively; and

one sorting subregion respectively;

carrying out the following steps for each article to be sorted:

measuring the value group to which the sorting feature value of the given article belongs; and

transporting the article into that storage subregion which the sorting plan assigns to that value group to which the sorting feature value of the article belongs;

carrying out an apportionment step for each storage subregion consecutively, wherein execution of the apportionment steps is completed once all articles to be sorted have been transported into the storage region and have been apportioned to the storage subregions;

during the apportionment step for a storage subregion,

transporting all articles out of this storage subregion to the sorting region; and

apportioning the articles transported to the sorting region to the x 2 sorting subregions such that each article is transported into that sorting subregion which the sorting plan assigns to that value group to which the sorting feature value of the article belongs;

carrying out the apportionment steps such that:

during apportionment to the sorting subregions mixing of articles from different storage subregions is prevented, and

all articles, whose sorting feature values belong to the same value group, are located in the same sorting subregion after an apportionment step; and

after each apportionment step for each sorting subregion a sorting and output step is carried out; and

wherein in a sorting and output step for a sorting subregion, all articles in this sorting subregion:

are placed into a given sequence such that those articles whose sorting feature values belong to the same value group occur immediately one after the other in the given sequence; and

are transported from the sorting subregion in the given sequence.

2. The method according to claim 1 , which comprises:

predetermining for each value group one sequence respectively of the sorting feature values of this group;

wherein the sorting system includes at least one further sorter; and

each sorting and output step for a sorting subregion includes the steps of:

transporting the articles, whose sorting feature values belong to the same value group and which were transported into this sorting subregion during a sorting step, to at least one of the further sorters; and

sorting these articles with the further sorter according to the predetermined value sequence of the sorting feature values of this value group.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein each sorting subregion has one further sorter respectively, and the sorting and output step for a sorting subregion comprises sorting the articles with the further sorter of this sorting subregion according to the predetermined value sequence.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the x 2 further sorters sort articles with a temporal overlap.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein

at least one storage subregion has at least one conveying device, Fb, each conveying device, Fb having a beginning and an end;

the step of transporting an article to be sorted into a storage subregion comprises the steps of transporting the article

at the beginning of a conveying device of the storage subregion, and

in a direction towards the end of the conveying device, Fb, and the step, during an apportionment step for this storage subregion, of transporting this article from this storage subregion to the sorting region, comprises the steps of

transporting the article to the end of the conveying device, Fb and

transporting the article from there to the sorting region.

6. The method according to claim 1 , which comprises:

predetermining a physical parameter and a first subregion and a second subregion of the value range of the physical parameter;

providing at least one storage subregion with a first conveying device and a second conveying device each having a beginning and an end; and

carrying out the following steps for each article to be sorted,

if the value assumed by the physical parameter for this article belongs to the first subregion, transporting the article to the first conveying device, and

if the value assumed by the physical parameter for this article belongs to the second subregion, transporting the article to the second conveying device.

7. The method according to claim 1 , which comprises grasping and holding each article at all times by a transport device,

during transportation into a storage subregion,

during transportation within the storage subregion, and

during an apportionment step.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sorting system has a plurality of holding devices, and each holding device is in each case able to hold an article to be sorted and is capable of being transported, and wherein:

the step of transporting the article into a storage subregion comprises:

moving this article into a holding device, and

transporting the holding device with this article into the storage subregion;

the step of transporting this article during an apportionment step into a sorting subregion comprises transporting the holding means with the article into the sorting subregion; and

the step of outputting this article in a sorting and output step comprises outputting the holding device with the article from the sorting subregion.

9. The method according to claim 1 , which comprises transporting a plurality of further articles to be sorted to an apportioning device and distribuing with the apportioning device the further articles to the sorting subregions.

10. The method according to claim 9 , which comprises carrying out the steps of

transporting the articles to the storage subregions; and

apportioning the articles with the apportioning device

with a temporal overlap.

11. A sorting system for sorting articles according to a predetermined sorting feature, which assumes one sorting feature value respectively for each article, wherein the sorting feature values which occur are apportioned to predetermined z≧2 value groups of sorting feature values such that each sorting feature value belongs to exactly one value group, the sorting system comprising:

a storage region formed with x 1 ≧2 storage subregions;

a sorting region formed with x 2 ≧2 sorting subregions;

where x 1 *x 2 ≧z;

a data storage device with a computer-accessible sorting plan configured to assign to each value group

one storage subregion respectively and

one sorting subregion respectively,

a measuring instrument configured for measuring which value the sorting feature assumes for an article to be sorted;

said sorting system being configured to carry out the following steps for each article to be sorted:

measuring with the measuring instrument to which value group the sorting feature value of the given article belongs; and

transporting the article into that storage subregion which the sorting plan assigns to that value group to which the sorting feature value of the article belongs;

the sorting system being further configured to consecutively carry out one apportionment step respectively for each storage subregion, and to terminate execution of the apportionment steps once the sorting system has transported all articles to be sorted into the storage region and apportioned them to the storage subregions; and

wherein, during the apportionment for a storage subregion, the sorting system is configured to:

transport all articles from this storage subregion to the sorting region; and

apportion these articles to the x 2 sorting subregions such that each article is transported into that sorting subregion which the sorting plan

assigns to that value group to which the sorting feature value of the article belongs;

the sorting system being further configured to carry out the apportionment steps such that

during apportionment to the sorting subregions mixing of articles from different storage subregions is prevented, and

the articles whose sorting feature values belong to the same value group are located in the same subregion after an apportionment-sorting step; and

the sorting system being further configured to carry out one sorting and output step respectively after each apportionment step for each sorting subregion, and wherein:

in a sorting and output step for a sorting subregion the sorting system puts all articles in this sorting subregion into a sequence such that

all articles whose sorting feature values belong to the same value group occur in this sequence immediately one after the other; and

are transported from the sorting subregion in this sequence.

12. The sorting system according to claim 11 , wherein each storage subregion is connected to each sorting subregion in such a way as to enable an article to be sorted to be transported from any storage subregion into any sorting subregion.