Device and Method for Commissioning Pallets with Beverage Packages

Abstract

The invention relates to a device and a method for picking pallets (17) having beverage containers (9, 10), comprising a device for providing empty pallets, at least two production lines (1, 2), each comprising packers (7, 8) for providing beverage containers (9, 10), a high-bay warehouse (13) for receiving and storing beverage containers (9, 10) and special containers (15), a separate transport device (21), which is designed to transport special containers (15) to the high-bay warehouse (13) and to store them there, transport devices (11, 12), each leading from the production lines (1, 2) to the high-bay warehouse (13) and being designed to transport the beverage containers (9, 10) to the high-bay warehouse (13) and to store them there. The device for picking furthermore comprises one or more palletizers (16), each being designed to move beverage containers (9, 10) and/or special containers (15) provided from the high-bay warehouse (13) to a pallet (17-19).

Claims

1. A system for commissioning pallets with beverage packages, the system comprising: a device for providing an empty pallet; at least two production lines each comprising a packer for providing beverage packages; a shelf warehouse for receiving and storing the beverage packages and special packages; a separate transport device adapted to transport the special packages to the shelf warehouse for storage; transport devices which each lead from a respective one of the production lines to the shelf warehouse and which are adapted to transport the beverage packages to the shelf warehouse for storage; and one or more palletizers, each of which is adapted to transfer, onto the empty pallet, at least one of beverage packages or special packages provided by the shelf storage.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the shelf warehouse is adapted for cooling at least one of the beverage packages or the special packages.

3. The system according to claim 1, further comprising one or more additional transport devices, which transport the beverage packages of the at least two production lines directly to the one or more palletizers.

4. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a control device adapted to set the beverage packages and to control the system.

5. A method of commissioning pallets with beverage packages, the method comprising: providing an empty pallet; providing beverage packages using respective packers from at least two production lines of a system; transporting special packages to a shelf warehouse of the system using a separate transport device of the system and storing the special packages in the shelf warehouse; transporting the beverage packages to the shelf warehouse using transport devices of the system that each lead from a respective one of the packers to the shelf warehouses; storing the beverage packages in the shelf warehouse; and providing, through the shelf warehouse, at least one of the beverage packages or the special packages for one or more palletizers of the system; and moving at least one of the beverage packages or the special packages onto the empty pallet using the one or more palletizers

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising: cooling at least one of the beverage packages or the special packages in the shelf warehouse.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising: setting at least one of the beverage packages or the special packages and the pallet; and controlling the system using a control device.

8. The method according to claim 5, further comprising: transporting the beverage packages of the at least two production lines directly to the one or more palletizers using one or more additional transport devices.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The accompanying Figures exemplify aspects and embodiments of the invention for better understanding and illustration. Therein:

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a device or system for commissioning pallets with beverage packages; and

[0026] FIG. 2 shows a flow diagram of a method for commissioning pallets with beverage packages.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a device or system for commissioning pallets 17 with beverage packages 9, 10. Exemplarily, two production lines 1, 2 are shown which provide a first product 3 in a first type of container 5 and a second product 4 in a second type of container 6. The first product 3 and/or the first type of container 5 may be different from the second product 4 and/or the second type of container 6.

[0028] Each of the two production lines 1, 2 comprises a packer 7, 8, which prepares packages 9, 10 from the individual containers 5, 6. In this process, six containers can be at least partially combined by means of shrink film to form a beverage packages; another number of containers can also be combined to form beverage packages.

[0029] The beverage packages 9, 10 are transported from the packers 7, 8 by means of transport devices 11, 12, which lead from the packers 7, 8 to a shelf warehouse 13, to the shelf warehouse 13 and stored there. Exemplarily, the shelf warehouse 13 is shown equipped with three shelves 14. Instead of the shelves 14, however, drawers and/or tubs can also be provided for storing the beverage packages 9, 10 and/or also special packages 15.

[0030] Exemplarily, it is shown that special packages 15 are fed to the shelf warehouse 13 by means of a separate transport device 21. The beverage packages 9, 10 and/or special packages 15 stored in the shelf warehouse 13 can be made available to the palletizers 16, here three palletizers 16 are shown as an example, in order to transfer beverage packages 9, 10 and/or special packages 15 to a pallet 17. In FIG. 1, moving the beverage packages 9, 10 onto pallets 17 results in partially loaded pallets 18, 19. A fully loaded pallet may comprise one or more layers of beverage packages and/or special packages or mixtures thereof.

[0031] By means of a control device 20, the beverage packages 9, 10 and/or special packages to be commissioned and a pallet 17 to be loaded can be set, for example, which and how many beverage packages 9, 10 and/or special packages 15 are to be moved onto which pallet 17. The control device 20 may be adapted to control the device for commissioning pallets.

[0032] FIG. 2 shows a flow diagram of a method for commissioning pallets with beverage packages using the device or system as described above.

[0033] In step 100, optionally the beverage packages to be commissioned and the pallet can be set and the device or system can be controlled by means of the control device.

[0034] In step 101, the following takes place: providing empty pallets, providing beverage packages by means of respective packers from at least two production lines, transporting special packages to a shelf warehouse by means of a separate transport device and storing the special packages in the shelf warehouse, transporting the beverage packages to the shelf warehouse by means of transport devices, each leading from the packers to the shelf warehouse and storage of the beverage packages in the shelf warehouse, providing, by the shelf warehouse, beverage packages and/or special packages for one or more palletizers, and transferring the beverage packages and/or special packages to a pallet by means of the palletizers.

[0035] While the beverage packages are stored in the shelf warehouse, optional cooling of the beverage packages and/or special packages in the shelf warehouse can take place in step 102.