Patents Assigned to SSI Schäfer Automation GmbH (AT)
  • Patent number: 11851095
    Abstract: There is disclosed a driverless transport system, DTS, (10) comprising: a travelling course (12), formed of routes (14), preferably travelled unidirectionally, which are defined respectively by one track (28), and of markers (16); a fleet (18) of at least two driverless transport vehicles, DTV, (20) travelling along the tracks (28) in a forcibly guided manner; and at least one station (26) defined by: at least one of the tracks (28), at least one of the markers (16), and an individualizing assigned station identifier; wherein each of the stations (26) can comprise a terminal (70) for allocation of travelling destination and wherein each of the stations (26) represents an area of the travelling course (12), within which the DTVs (20) can get assigned a new travelling destination and/or can be loaded, unloaded, energetically charged, and/or stopped; wherein the markers (16) include information, which is station-specific by being associating the respective information with the respectively assigned station ident
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: SSI Schäfer Automation GmbH (DE)
    Inventors: Dennis Chong, Ralf Kleedörfer
  • Patent number: 11702289
    Abstract: A storage and order-picking system including a warehouse, wherein the warehouse includes a storage module formed by two racks including one rack aisle therebetween; separation stations associated with the storage module, each separation station having associated therewith a respective pick up location; separate conveying systems for feeding storage containers from the warehouse to the pick up locations of the separation stations, respectively; and a robot arranged between the separate conveyors such that the robot can pick up during one movement cycle from each of the separate conveying systems respectively one article and can deliver between the corresponding article pick up locations one article which has already been picked up to a deposition location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: SSI Schäfer Automation GmbH (DE)
    Inventors: Elmar Issing, Christian Herzmaier
  • Patent number: 11651463
    Abstract: It is disclosed a system and method for picking and delivering articles (14) in accordance with a plurality of orders from customers (24), wherein the orders comprise pouchable article (14) of an online supermarket, which have been ordered by the customers (24), comprising the steps of: providing a storage and order-picking installation (11), in which the articles (14) of the online supermarket are stored in, preferably different, storage and picking areas (12); filling pouches (16), in accordance with the orders, with the ordered articles (14) within the storage and picking areas (12); coupling the pouches (16) to an overhead conveyor (22); handing over the filled pouches (16) to a delivery vehicle (20) configured to transport the pouches (16) in a hanging manner; transporting the hanging pouches (16) with the delivery vehicle (20) to the customers (24); determining a delivery tour by means of a controlling device (28), wherein the delivery tour defines a sequence in which the customers (24) are delivered by
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: SSI Schäfer Automation GmbH
    Inventors: Elmar Issing, Christian Herzmaier, Jakob Beer
  • Patent number: 11498767
    Abstract: A picking system, a manual picking method, as well as a window-conveyor system for a manually picking goods through a picker in accordance with a picking order, wherein the window-conveyor system comprises: a conveying device for transporting the goods along a conveying path, wherein the conveying device is movable, preferably continuously and discontinuously, and wherein the conveying device includes a conveying area, on which the goods can be deposited; a lighting device configured to indicate in an order-specific manner a portion of the conveying area in terms of an order-specific window by means of light visually distinguishable from a rest of the conveying area configured to divide the conveying area into the order-specific window and the rest, and further configured to generate controlling signals for the lighting device and output the same, which cause the lighting device to indicate the order-specific window visually distinguishable on the conveying device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: SSI Schäfer Automation GmbH (AT)
    Inventors: Christoph Groessl, Andreas Hintz
  • Patent number: 11321548
    Abstract: It is discloses a device and method for controlling a material flow (18) in a storage and picking system (10) at a sensor-controlled node (12) of the material flow (18), where a decision on a future direction of material flow or on a velocity of the material flow (18) is to be taken, wherein at least an inlet section (28) of the node (12) is detected by a, preferably single, sensor (22), comprising the steps of: by means of the sensor (22) generating (S10) sensor data (46) representing the material flow (18) which is defined by one or more material-flow objects (36), approaching the node (12) in a downstream direction, in a field of vision (26) of the sensor (22), in particular in an inlet section (28) of the node (12); checking (S16) whether the sensor data (46) includes for each of the approaching objects (36-1, 36-2) at least one associated object feature (40) allowing certain identification of the corresponding object (36); and, if the sensor data (46) includes for each of the objects (36-1, 36-2) the at
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: SSI Schäfer Automation GmbH (AT)
    Inventor: Max Winkler
  • Patent number: 11225385
    Abstract: A loading station (10) for loading automatically a primary load carrier (36) of an overhead conveyor (18) with a secondary load carrier (38) for hanging goods, comprising: an accumulation line (12), wherein the accumulation line is configured to accumulate primary load carriers, which are movable along the accumulation line, in the conveying direction one behind the other; a separating device (18), which is arranged laterally to the accumulation line, comprising: first and second stopping elements (68) being respectively supported transversally to the accumulation line in a movable manner, wherein each of the stopping elements, in its stopping position, is moved into a conveying path of the primary load carriers, and, in its release position, is moved out of the conveying path; and a switch (76); a control unit (40); a feeding device (16) arranged laterally to the accumulation line, and configured to guide a hanger-shaped head portion of the secondary load carriers through a transport opening in the primary l
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: SSI Schäfer Automation GmbH (AT)
    Inventor: Gerald Haberl
  • Patent number: 11198561
    Abstract: It is disclosed storage and order-picking system (10) operated in accordance with a rendezvous-picking principle, wherein goods to be picked are removed from source containers (18) and delivered to target containers (20) at locally variable picking stations (22) in accordance with customer orders, comprising: a plurality of vehicles (16) for transporting the source containers (18) and the target containers (20) within the system (10); a warehouse area (12), where a plurality of the source containers (18) is stocked, preferably in racks (34, 36); an action area (14) in which the vehicles (16) move, preferably in an autonomous manner; a locally variable picking station (22) having a variable relative position (P) within the action area (14) which changes again and again over time dependent on customer orders and at which a rendezvous-picking is performed by a picking person (24) and/or a picking robot (26); and a controlling device (30) configured for the rendezvous-picking by determining the relative position
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: SSI Schäfer Automation GmbH (AT)
    Inventor: Rainer Buchmann
  • Patent number: 11066241
    Abstract: It is disclosed storage and order-picking system, comprising: a control device configured for performing two-stage picking of articles, wherein the two-stage picking comprises a first article-orientated picking stage, and a second order-orientated picking stage; a warehouse, wherein the articles in the warehouse are stored in storage containers in an article-pure manner, and wherein the articles are retrieved in an article-orientated manner from the warehouse in the first picking stage; a sorter comprising: a loop-shaped main line operated continuously; at least one branch line, wherein each of the branch lines is coupled, preferably mesh-shaped, to the main line and is operable discontinuously; and a plurality of sorter trays, wherein each of the trays is configured to be moved along the lines and to be fed into and out from the main line; one or more separation stations, wherein each of the separation stations: is coupled to the main line via one of the branch lines; is coupled to the warehouse for being su
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: SSI Schäfer Automation GmbH
    Inventors: Elmar Issing, Christian Herzmaier
  • Patent number: 10947054
    Abstract: A conveying system and method including a conveying network and controller for transporting according to transport orders during a time-frame having a fixed duration. Each good has allocated one of different conveying criteria and one of the transport orders. The conveying network includes an entry station, an exit station, and transport paths therebetween. Each transport path is operable during each operation-mode phase in one of different operation modes, which are distinguished by constant transport-path velocities. Each operation mode has allocated, based on one of the conveying criteria, one of the transport-path velocities. The time-frame is defined by several subsequent operation-mode phases. The controller selects the operation modes for the transport paths based on the conveying criteria such that throughput of the convoying goods through the conveying network during the time-frame is optimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: SSI Schäfer Automation GmbH (DE)
    Inventor: Ralf Bleifuss
  • Patent number: 10889439
    Abstract: A rack device including a storage and retrieval device for storing and retrieving storage goods in and from rack compartments. The storage and retrieval device includes a load-handling device having at least one gripping arm moveable in a depth direction of the rack compartments and including a gripping device for moving the goods along the depth direction. The gripping arm includes a first guiding device, and the rack device includes rack compartments. The rack compartments include a shelf and at least two depth supports extending along the depth direction and distanced from each other in a longitudinal direction, thereby defining a storage location. The depth supports include a second guiding device extending in the depth direction configured to cooperate with the first guiding device such that the gripping arm, during storage or retrieval, is in contact with and guided by the depth support via the guiding devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: SSI Schäfer Automation GmbH
    Inventor: Max Winkler
  • Patent number: 10807797
    Abstract: It is discloses a storage and picking system (10) for retrieving handling units (66) comprising: a rack arrangement (12) including a plurality of racks (14), which are aligned along a longitudinal direction (X) of the system (10) and which comprise several rack planes (54) in a height direction (Y) of the system (10) on top of each other, wherein the rack arrangement (12) comprises in a transversal direction (Z) of the system a central region (32) and two outer regions (30) enclosing the central region (32) in the transversal direction (Z) between each other, and wherein the rack arrangement (12) comprises: a first outer rack (20) positioned in one of the outer regions (30) of the rack arrangement (12) and defining a first retrieval rack (22), from which handling units (66) which are to be retrieved, or articles contained therein, exit the rack arrangement (12) in the transversal direction (Z); at least one central rack (26) positioned in the central region (32) of the rack arrangement (12); a first rack aisl
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: SSI Schäfer Automation GmbH (AT)
    Inventor: Max Winkler
  • Patent number: 10427873
    Abstract: It is disclosed a system and method for order fulfillment, the method comprising the following steps: generating (S10) a packing pattern for the order defining the packing sequence; assigning (S12) one of the one or more merge-and-pack stations (22) to the order; analyzing (S14) the order with regard to pouchable and non-pouchable articles (46) associated with the order, wherein each of the pouchable articles (46) is sized and heavy such that it fits into one of the pouches (48), and wherein each of the non-pouchable articles (46) is at least one of sized and heavy such that it does not fit into one of the pouches (48); retrieving corresponding storage units (50), which contain the pouchable articles (46) associated with the order, from the warehouse (16), delivering the retrieved storage units (50) to one or more of the pick stations (18), and loading the pouchable articles (46) from the delivered storage units (50) into one or more of the pouches (48) at the one or more pick stations (18); transporting (S18
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignees: Schaefer Systems International, Inc., SSI Schäfer Automation GmbH (DE)
    Inventors: Hartmut Mause, Patrick Englert
  • Patent number: 10399776
    Abstract: A storage and order-picking system including at least one order-picking machine configured to store, collect, buffer, and deliver piece-goods in an automated manner, each machine including storage locations having an individualizing storage-location label; a receiving station configured to capture at least one labeling attribute of a goods-receipt piece-good, a transport system including transport carriers, each having deposition locations where the captured goods-receipt piece-good can be placed for loading the carrier, and a deposition-location label is assigned; and a DPS configured, to manage and update a reference table; wherein the transport system connects the receiving station and the machine for transporting one of the transport carriers therebetween, wherein the DPS is further configured to update the reference table for the goods-receipt piece-good by assignment based on the captured attribute, based on a deposition-location label of a selected deposition location, and based on a storage-location l
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: SSI Schäfer Automation GmbH (DE)
    Inventors: Elmar Issing, Christian Herzmaier
  • Patent number: 10207871
    Abstract: It is disclosed a method (70) for operating a storage and order-picking system (10) in which a plurality of manipulators (40) process a plurality of picking/storing orders in accordance with a manipulator-to-handling-unit principle, wherein the system (10) comprises a provision zone (12), a picking zone (14), a plurality of provision units (42, 62) in the provision zone, a plurality of, particularly stationary arranged, transfer locations (46) in the picking zone (14), a DTS (18) including a plurality of DTVs (20), and a controlling device (32), and wherein the method (70) comprises the following steps of: analyzing (S10) the plurality of picking/storing orders by the controlling device (32) for determining retrieval/delivery locations in the provision zone (12); setting (S12) of transfer actions (48) by selecting for each of the retrieval/delivery locations one or more of the transfer locations (46) in the picking zone (14) as delivery/retrieval location and by assigning the same thereto, wherein the deliver
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: SSI Schäfer Automation GmbH (DE)
    Inventor: Elmar Issing